概要
Physics and Philosophy at Oxford is a joint course with UCAS code VF53 and a standard A*AA offer including Mathematics and Physics. It runs as a 3-year BA or 4-year MPhysPhil, combines physics with philosophy from Year 1, and requires the ESAT for 2027 entry.
なぜOxfordでPhysics and Philosophyを?
Oxford’s Physics and Philosophy course is built as a genuine joint undergraduate course: students study physical theory and philosophical argument together from the start. The official course structure starts with classical mechanics, special relativity, mathematical methods, general philosophy, introductory philosophy of physics, logic and probability in Year 1.
Section 01
下のマップで自国をクリックすると、出願に必要な情報（受け入れられる資格、要求スコア、英語要件、現地の文脈）が表示されます。
International Applicants
Pick a highlighted country to see the admissions-test, score, and English-language requirements that apply for applicants from that country.
Section 02
| Qualification | Typical Offer | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level | A*AA | Physics, Mathematics required. Further Mathematics recommended. |
| Advanced Placement (AP) | Either four APs at grade 5, including any subjects required for the course you are applying to, or three APs at grade 5, including any required subjects, plus a score of 32 or above in the ACT or 1470 or above out of 1600 in the SAT. | Mathematics, Physics required. |
Section 03
MAY — AUG
Build the application
Start the UCAS form, choose Physics and Philosophy, decide whether to name a college or make an open application, develop the personal statement, and organise the academic reference.
01 JUN — 28 SEP
Register and book the ESAT
UAT-UK account creation, access-arrangement and bursary requests open on 1 June 2026 at 3pm UK time; the ESAT booking window runs from 20 July to 28 September 2026 at 6pm UK time.
01 SEP — 15 OCT
Submit UCAS
Completed UCAS applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026. Oxford applications must be submitted by 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026.
12–16 OCT
Sit the ESAT
All Physics and Philosophy applicants must take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test during the 12-16 October 2026 test window. In mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, UAT-UK lists ESAT availability only on 12-13 October 2026.
MID NOV — EARLY DEC
Watch for shortlisting outcome
Oxford normally sends interview invitations or shortlisting outcomes from late November and into early December, depending on subject and college timing.
EARLY — MID DEC
Attend online interviews
Shortlisted candidates should expect online academic interviews in early to mid-December 2026. Physics and Philosophy applicants are assessed through Physics interviews and one or more Philosophy interviews.
12 JAN
Receive Oxford decision
Shortlisted candidates for 2027 entry will receive the outcome of their Oxford application via UCAS on 12 January 2027, with colleges following up directly later that day.
MAY — JUN
Reply to offers
UCAS reply deadlines vary depending on when all choices have made decisions. For 2027 entry, UCAS lists 5 May 2027 if all decisions are received by 31 March, and 2 June 2027 if all decisions are received by 12 May.
AUG
Results and confirmation
Conditional offer holders should expect confirmation activity around UK results in August 2027.
MAY — AUG
Build the application
Start the UCAS form, choose Physics and Philosophy, decide whether to name a college or make an open application, develop the personal statement, and organise the academic reference.
01 JUN — 28 SEP
Register and book the ESAT
UAT-UK account creation, access-arrangement and bursary requests open on 1 June 2026 at 3pm UK time; the ESAT booking window runs from 20 July to 28 September 2026 at 6pm UK time.
01 SEP — 15 OCT
Submit UCAS
Completed UCAS applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026. Oxford applications must be submitted by 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026.
12–16 OCT
Sit the ESAT
All Physics and Philosophy applicants must take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test during the 12-16 October 2026 test window. In mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, UAT-UK lists ESAT availability only on 12-13 October 2026.
MID NOV — EARLY DEC
Watch for shortlisting outcome
Oxford normally sends interview invitations or shortlisting outcomes from late November and into early December, depending on subject and college timing.
EARLY — MID DEC
Attend online interviews
Shortlisted candidates should expect online academic interviews in early to mid-December 2026. Physics and Philosophy applicants are assessed through Physics interviews and one or more Philosophy interviews.
12 JAN
Receive Oxford decision
Shortlisted candidates for 2027 entry will receive the outcome of their Oxford application via UCAS on 12 January 2027, with colleges following up directly later that day.
MAY — JUN
Reply to offers
UCAS reply deadlines vary depending on when all choices have made decisions. For 2027 entry, UCAS lists 5 May 2027 if all decisions are received by 31 March, and 2 June 2027 if all decisions are received by 12 May.
AUG
Results and confirmation
Conditional offer holders should expect confirmation activity around UK results in August 2027.
Section 04
All applicants for 2027-entry Physics and Philosophy must take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test, known as the ESAT. The required ESAT modules are Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
Oxford applicants must sit the October sitting, and the ESAT test window is 12–16 October 2026. UAT-UK account creation, access-arrangement requests and bursary requests open on 1 June 2026 at 3pm UK time, and the October 2026 test booking deadline is 28 September 2026 at 6pm UK time.
Oxford’s admissions-tests page says that from 2026 Oxford will use admissions tests owned and managed by UAT-UK, and Oxford Physics lists the ESAT as required for Physics or Physics and Philosophy.
For international applicants, the ESAT gives Oxford another standardised way to compare applicants from different qualification systems. It should be treated as a major comparative tool alongside grades, interview performance and contextual information.
The test is delivered through Pearson test centres in a worldwide network. In mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, UAT-UK lists ESAT availability only on 12–13 October 2026.
ESAT完全対策ガイド | 試験形式・採点・戦略・練習リソース。
ESATガイド →Section 05
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Question Types You’ll See
Physics and Philosophy interviews are online academic interviews combining maths/physics problem-solving with philosophy or joint-course discussion.
For 2027 entry, Oxford has not centrally published an exact per-interview duration or panel-size rule for Physics and Philosophy; applicants should follow the timing and joining instructions sent by their college. The interview window is early to mid-December 2026.
The academic focus is mathematical problem-solving, physics reasoning, physical intuition, precise mathematical expression, independent thinking, philosophical analysis, argument construction and motivation for the joint course. In practice, it helps to prepare by explaining unfamiliar problems aloud rather than memorising polished answers.
The most useful interview practice is slow, explicit reasoning. We recommend working through physics and mathematics problems on a whiteboard, then switching to short philosophical arguments where you identify premises, conclusions and objections.
無料のPhysics and Philosophy面接練習問題バンクで本番さながらの問題を練習しましょう。
無料練習問題 →
Section 06
Decisions for Physics and Philosophy are driven chiefly by evidence of academic potential in mathematical physics and philosophy. The ESAT is central to the scored Physics process, while interviews test problem-solving, reasoning aloud, physical intuition and philosophical argument.
Final decisions are made through college and departmental academic judgement, using ESAT and interview evidence alongside grades, predictions, reference, personal statement, contextual data and individual circumstances.
No single part of the application should be treated as a guarantee. A strong application usually makes the same academic case in several ways: serious mathematical physics, careful argument, and the ability to respond well when a tutor changes the problem.
Our recommendation · weighting of admission factors
Oxbridge Mentors recommendation, drawn from observed offer patterns. University of Oxford does not publish official weightings — exact balance varies by college, course and year.
Section 07
For Physics and Philosophy, the personal statement should show why the joint course makes intellectual sense. We recommend choosing one or two problems where physics and philosophy genuinely meet: measurement, spacetime, probability, causation, scientific realism, explanation or the status of mathematical models.
Avoid writing a Physics statement with one paragraph of Philosophy added at the end. The official course includes Philosophy of Physics from the first year and compulsory Philosophy of quantum mechanics in the third year, so the connection needs to be more than decorative.
A good paragraph might start with a calculation, model or physical idea, then explain the philosophical question it raised. Reflection matters more than volume.
専門家による一行一行の解説付き完全例文を見る。
Physics and Philosophy PS例文 →Section 08
Project work is useful because this course rewards applicants who can connect formal reasoning with interpretation. We recommend choosing one project you can explain in detail rather than collecting many unrelated activities.
Broad project ideas include a quantum measurement project comparing a two-state system with Copenhagen-style, many-worlds and decoherence-based interpretations. Another option is a relativity and simultaneity project using Lorentz transformations and spacetime diagrams. A third option is a probability project comparing statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics and Bayesian reasoning.
Section 08
Other supercurricular work should support the same academic story. Use it to build fluency, not to pad a list.
These activities support the application. They are not a substitute for strong mathematical physics and clear argument.
Problem-solving practice can use BPhO, Isaac Physics, Oxford Physics resources and official ESAT preparation material.:
Mathematical fluency should focus on calculus, vectors, mechanics, graph interpretation and algebraic manipulation.:
Philosophy reading is stronger when you map arguments into premises, conclusions, objections and replies.:
Physics modelling can involve small computational or spreadsheet models of oscillators, decay, orbital motion or statistical systems.:
Discussion practice should include explaining problems aloud and responding to hints.:
A reading log can record one idea understood, one equation or argument reconstructed, and one question to investigate next.:
Section 08
Competitions are not required. Done well, they can stretch problem-solving and proof habits.
None are required. One or two done well beats five half-attempted.
Section 09
Year
01 / 04
1
Foundations
The first year builds core physical and mathematical tools alongside introductory philosophy and logic. Students begin the philosophy of physics thread early, linking foundational questions about matter, motion, space, time and knowledge to the physics curriculum.
Year
02 / 04
2
Core development
Second year deepens the physics core through thermal physics, electromagnetism, quantum physics, mathematical methods and practical work. Philosophy teaching focuses on philosophy of science and the philosophy of special relativity.
Year
03 / 04
3
Branching and advanced core
Third year introduces significant choice while retaining compulsory philosophy of quantum mechanics. Students choose physics core topics and extra subjects or projects, alongside a philosophy paper option.
Year
04 / 04
4
Advanced specialisation
The fourth year brings students to research-level work through three units chosen from Physics and Philosophy lists. Students may specialise in Physics, Philosophy, or continue with a combination that includes advanced Philosophy of Physics; some may instead apply to transfer to the Mathematical and Theoretical Physics fourth year leading to MMathPhys.
Section 10
Use three kinds of preparation. First, check the Official Oxford Physics and Philosophy course page, the Oxford Physics ESAT page and UAT-UK ESAT preparation materials so that your subject preparation matches the current course and test requirements.
Second, build a small reading spine rather than a long list. The Feynman Lectures on Physics gives a conceptual and mathematical bridge into university-level physics; Philosophical Issues in Quantum Theory and Absolute and Relational Space and Motion: Classical Theories connect quantum theory, mechanics, space and time to philosophical interpretation.
Third, practise actively. Use official ESAT preparation materials, the Oxford Physics resource page and BPhO-style problem solving to strengthen mathematical fluency, then write short explanations of where the physical model raises an interpretive question.
Section 11
13 colleges offer this subject. around a fifth of applicants submit an open application. typically around a third of successful applicants receive an offer from a college they did not specify of places come through the pool.
The listed colleges are Balliol, Brasenose, Hertford, Lady Margaret Hall, Magdalen, Merton, Oriel, Pembroke, St Catherine’s, St Edmund Hall, St Hilda’s, St Peter’s and Worcester.
Applicants can name a college or make an open application. Open applications are assigned to colleges or halls with relatively fewer applications for that course in that year.
Oxford does not operate Cambridge’s Winter Pool, but shortlisted applicants may be reallocated between colleges so each college interviews roughly the same number of applicants per place for that course. Typically, around a third of successful applicants receive an offer from a college they did not specify.
College choice shapes your living and tutorial community, but it should not be treated as a way to game admissions. Oxford states that all colleges are academically strong, no college is an easy route in, and tutors have no preference between direct and open applications.
Section 12
Treat the percentages as an indicative employment-profile proxy, not a precise course-level destination split. The real admissions point is that this degree trains both quantitative reasoning and argument.
Section 13
Oxford states that grades are considered in the context in which they have been achieved. Oxford’s contextual data policy for UK undergraduate admissions considers school information, neighbourhood information, care experience, free school meals since age 11 and additional widening participation indicators.
For Physics and Philosophy, contextual review is especially relevant where a school has limited Further Mathematics provision, because Further Mathematics is helpful but not required for admission. The official course page also states that if an applicant’s qualification is not accepted, further study is needed to meet admissions requirements.
International applicants should not send transcripts, certificates or test scores to Oxford at the point of application unless requested. Oxford normally asks for evidence only if an offer is made.
Watch & Learn
学生ブログ・模擬面接・講義体験・入試アドバイス。
Official-style overview video with tutors and students discussing the undergraduate Physics and Philosophy course.
Student-focused video showing what a typical Physics and Philosophy day may look like at Oxford.
Discussion of realism, quantum mechanics and the Everett interpretation, featuring Oxford-linked philosophers and physicists.
David Tong explains quantum fields and why modern physics treats fields as more fundamental than particles.
A college-level video explaining the Physics and Philosophy interview process.
All videos are the property of their respective creators.
Further Reading
専門講師が推薦するSupercurricular読書リスト・ウェブサイト・ツール。
