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Planetary Science MSc

London, Bloomsbury

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2023/24)

£14,100

£7,050

Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)

£35,000

£17,500

Duration

1 calendar year

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2023

Applications accepted

All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

Applications closed

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, preferably with substantial physics content, from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Students develop insights into the techniques used in current planetary science, and gain in-depth experience of a particular specialised research area through project work as a member of a research team. The programme provides the professional skills necessary to play a meaningful role in industrial or academic life. The MSc is delivered in association with the Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck , and, therefore, in close collaboration with Birkbeck College, University of London. Students can study selected courses at Birkbeck’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences as well as base their research project at Birkbeck College.

Who this course is for

This MSc is particularly suitable for students with an undergraduate degree in physics, astronomy, astrophysics, geophysics or a related discipline, who wish to develop a career in planetary science, space science and related fields. The programme provides an ideal foundation for further research and entry onto the PhD programme.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

UCL Physics & Astronomy is among the top departments in the UK for this subject area: UCL is consistently placed in the global top 20 across a wide range of university rankings - and is currently 4th in the UK in the QS World Rankings by Subject 2022 for Physics & Astronomy.

The curriculum of the Planetary Science MSc draws on a variety of other academic departments within UCL including Space & Climate Physics, Earth Sciences and Birkbeck's Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences. It thus has a strong interdisciplinary flavour, in line with the ethos of the Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck.

The combination of taught modules, tutorials and project work allows prospective students to study a wide variety of topics related to planetary and space environments, such as; planetary interiors, atmospheres and magnetospheres; the impact of the space environment on human physiology and life; and the application of current knowledge to investigations of extrasolar planets, i.e. worlds in other stellar systems.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

An MSc qualification from UCL is highly regarded by employers. Students engage in a variety of learning activities, including undertaking their own research projects, which encourages the development of problem-solving skills, technical and quantitative analysis, independent critical thinking and good scientific practice. In addition, teamwork, vision and enthusiasm make planetary science graduates highly desirable members in all dynamic companies.

Employability

Planetary Science based careers embrace a broad band of areas, e.g. information technology, engineering, finance, research and development, medicine, nanotechnology and photonics. Graduates of MSc programmes at UCL go on to a variety of careers as research associates, postdoctoral fellows, consultants, and data analysts.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, small-group workshops, and asynchronous content, delivered as part of the taught component. Assessment is through examinations and coursework assignments. To supplement their experience, students are encouraged to participate in subject-relevant scientific seminar series organised by the research groups within the Department. The research project is assessed through a written dissertation and an oral presentation.

A 15-credit module consists of around 150 hours of learning time, and for a lecture module typically includes 20-30 hours of contact time, plus engagement with online materials asynchronously, and personal study time.

The research-project module is 60 credits, and consists of around 600 hours personal study time alongside approximately 15-20 hours contact time.

The research-essay module (literature review) is 30 credits, and consists of around 300 hours personal study time alongside approximately 10 hours contact time.

Modules

The programme is made up of modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of a dissertation/report (60 credits), a research essay (30 credits), plus 6 optional and elective modules (90 credits). Students select three optional modules comprising core subjects in Planetary Sciences, and three further modules from a selection of elective modules, including selected modules from Space and Climate Physics, Earth Sciences and Birkbeck College (University of London).

Full-Time Structure

Term One: you will study 3 or 4 modules from your selection of 6 taught modules. These could be optional and elective modules.

Term Two: you will study the remainder of your 6 taught modules, which could be optional or a combination of optional and elective modules.

You will also start work on your research essay (literature review) during the first term, and continue to work on it during the first two terms; the literature review is completed and submitted at the end of the second term. The research for this review lays the foundation for the research project, on which work is also started during the second term.

Term Three: you will focus entirely on your research project, preparing a written project report which is submitted at the end of August. You will prepare and deliver an oral presentation on your project in September.

Part-Time Structure

In Year One: you will study 4 modules from your selection of 6 taught modules. These could be optional and elective modules.

In Year Two: you will study the remainder of your taught modules, which could be optional or a combination of optional and elective modules.

You will work on your research essay (literature review) during the first two terms; the literature review is completed and submitted at the end of the second term. The research for this review lays the foundation for the research project, on which work is also started during the second term.

In Term Three, you will focus entirely on your research project, preparing a written project report which is submitted at the end of August. You will prepare and deliver an oral presentation on your project in September.

Compulsory modules

Research Essay

Planetary Science Research Project

Optional modules

Astronomical Spectroscopy

Physics of Exoplanets

Earth and Planetary Materials

Space Plasma and Magnetospheric Physics (SS109)

Planetary Atmospheres (SS4)

Birkbeck College: Foundations of Astrobiology

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Planetary Science.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

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Graduate Open Events: UCL Physics and Astronomy

Join our Virtual Graduate Open Event to learn more about our range of Master's programmes, how our programmes are taught, and what it's like to study at UCL Physics and Astronomy. In these online sessions, you'll have the opportunity to hear from academic staff and ask any questions you might have about studying at UCL.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24)	£14,100	£7,050
Tuition fees (2023/24)	£35,000	£17,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

There are no programme-specific costs.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

Candidates may be eligible for a Santander scholarship.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: Brown Family Bursary

Deadline: 8 June 2023

Value: £15,000 (1 year)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study Planetary Science at graduate level
why you want to study Planetary Science at UCL
what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Any late applications will only be considered after all those received by the closing date.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.