Doctoral · Oxford Physics
Oxford does not run one DPhil in Physics. Its Department of Physics offers six DPhil courses, and their applications differ: Astrophysics asks for a 1,000-word statement and top-three project choices after interview, four others ask for a 500-word proposal, and Condensed Matter Physics expects you to find a willing supervisor before you apply. The decision for a physics graduate is therefore which course fits the research question, and what each course will ask of you. This guide sets out what Oxford says for 2027-28 entry on each course page, marks Avandy's judgment separately and ends with next steps.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
Taken from the six Oxford DPhil course pages of the Department of Physics (Astrophysics, Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Theoretical Physics, and Atomic and Laser Physics) and read on 1 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Oxford's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
Oxford's Department of Physics runs DPhil courses in Astrophysics, Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Theoretical Physics, and Atomic and Laser Physics. Research areas may overlap.
Oxford typically expects the equivalent of a UK four-year integrated MPhys or MSci degree, at first-class or strong upper second-class standard. Astrophysics says most successful applicants hold a first and a Master's.
The Particle Physics page says no GRE or GMAT scores are sought.
Astrophysics asks for a statement of purpose of up to 1,000 words. Particle, Atmospheric, Theoretical and Atomic and Laser Physics each ask for a research proposal of up to 500 words.
Condensed Matter Physics expects you to identify a willing supervisor before applying. Atomic and Laser Physics encourages contact. Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Theoretical Physics say none is needed.
Each course describes its own interview: online with potential supervisors, in person or online, with two or three academics, or after a pre-selection.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on the six Oxford DPhil course pages of the Department of Physics (Astrophysics, Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Theoretical Physics, and Atomic and Laser Physics), which describes 2027-28 entry. Oxford's deadlines, fee and funding sections, the assessment and milestone sections, the place and application figures, the Application Guide, the International Qualifications page and the physics department's own website were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Oxford says research areas may overlap and advises readers in doubt to read each physics course page before starting. The pairing below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), not Oxford's, and rests on the themes each page lists.
Themes: cosmology, exoplanets and stellar physics, galaxies, instrumentation, theory, and transients, pulsars and high-energy astrophysics. Avandy's reading: it suits a graduate drawn to observation or instrumentation as well as theory; the page values instrument-building experience as a possible substitute for a degree element.
The page highlights the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. Avandy's reading: it suits applicants who want to work inside a large collaboration, which is why the form lets you name a collaboration as well as an academic.
Three themes: Biological Physics, Quantum Materials, and Semiconductor Materials, Nanostructures and Devices. Avandy's reading: the instruction to find a willing supervisor first makes this the least suitable course for an applicant who has not yet spoken to anyone.
Themes are framed as questions about Earth's climate, other planets and exoplanets. Avandy's reading: it suits applicants whose interest is in observations and models of planetary atmospheres rather than in a specific particle or material.
Themes: astrophysics, plasma physics, condensed matter theory and particle theory. Avandy's reading: it suits a mathematically strong applicant whose question is theoretical, and who accepts a proposal that is not tied to one project.
Themes range from quantum computation and cold atoms to ultra-fast X-ray and laser-plasma science. Avandy's reading: it suits applicants with a clear experimental or quantum-optics interest who can use the published project descriptions to refine an application.
How the applications differ
Oxford says applying to more than one physics course may mean different requirements or word counts, so do not reuse a single document across applications without checking each page. Astrophysics asks for a statement focused on interest, experience and commitment, and says applicants are not expected to invent a research plan. Particle Physics asks only for a brief indication of the research area. Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics asks you to list potential supervisors in order of preference inside the proposal. Theoretical Physics counts any bibliography in the word limit.
How interviews are organised
Astrophysics interviews let candidates talk to potential supervisors, and offers are tied to a particular project, with top-three choices asked after interview. Particle Physics expects interviews in February and probes current knowledge. Condensed Matter Physics interviews follow a pre-selection. Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics shortlists on transcripts and referee reports and interviews everyone online. Theoretical Physics interviews with at least two academics. Atomic and Laser Physics has potential supervisors review applications before a committee chooses who to interview. These are 2027-28 descriptions and may change.
Avandy's judgment
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the pages. They are not Oxford rules and carry no probability.
Because themes overlap, a strong applicant can still pick the course whose project list does not contain their question. Compare the themes and project descriptions first, and check which course would host the work.
Oxford warns that requirements and word counts can differ. A single statement pasted into several forms risks breaking a limit on one of them.
Most pages ask for an MPhys or MSci equivalent, and Astrophysics and Atomic and Laser Physics say most successful applicants hold a first and a Master's. A three-year degree alone is a weak base for this route.
For Condensed Matter Physics, a willing supervisor is a precondition set by the page; for Atomic and Laser Physics contact is encouraged. Plan it early.
What to do next
The sequence is Avandy's suggestion, built from the pages' own steps.
Read the pages for the two courses whose themes match your question, and note each word limit.
Use the department's published project lists to find a project, a group or a collaboration you can describe accurately.
Write a brief note to a potential supervisor, or to the departmental representative where the page says so.
Draft the statement or proposal for each course separately and check any bibliography rule.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Oxford's six physics course pages describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules Oxford has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means Oxford published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The themes, the proposal or statement formats, the contact guidance and the interview descriptions are on Oxford's pages for 2027-28 entry. Oxford has not published the following cycle.
This guide states none of them. Oxford publishes them per cycle on each course page; read the page again when it shows 2028-29.
Shortlist two of the six courses, read the project lists and draft a statement or proposal for each against its own word limit.
Support
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published course themes and planning the applicant's own proposal; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
No. Oxford's Department of Physics runs six separate DPhil courses, and a page for a single DPhil in Physics returned page not found on 1 November 2026. Choose the course whose themes match your research.
Oxford's Astrophysics page says that if you apply to multiple physics DPhil courses, there may be differing requirements or word counts. Check each page.
Astrophysics asks for a statement of purpose of up to 1,000 words. Particle, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary, Theoretical, and Atomic and Laser Physics each ask for a research proposal of up to 500 words.
Condensed Matter Physics says you should identify a willing supervisor before applying. Atomic and Laser Physics encourages contact. Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Theoretical Physics say you need not contact the department.
The Particle Physics page says no GRE or GMAT scores are sought. This guide did not check the GRE line on every page.
This guide did not read Oxford's funding sections and states no funding. Check the course page and the department's funding information for the cycle you apply in.
Students and families
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.
