MMathPhys/MSc in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Handbook (2025-26 Entry)

2. Course Overview and Structure

The course is offered in two modes: the MMathPhys for Oxford 4th year undergraduates, and the MSc for students from outside Oxford. The academic content is identical for both modes.

If you are an Oxford MPhys, MMath or MPhysPhil student who transfers to the MMathPhys, you will graduate as a “Master of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics” with a double classification consisting of the BA degree class in your original subject and an MMathPhys degree class. If you are a student on the MSc course, you will graduate with an “MSc in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.”

These qualifications may be compared to national standards for higher education qualifications through the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). The University Awards Framework (UAF) maps the awards of the University against the levels of the FHEQ. The FHEQ level for both the MMathPhys course and MSc course is 7. The relevant subject benchmark statements for the course, which set out expectations about standards of degrees in a given subject area, are Physics & Astronomy (QAA 2025) and Mathematics, Statistics & Operational Research (QAA 2023).