MSc Data Intensive Physics at Cardiff Uni: Fees 2026 Dates & Requirements

Cardiff University Data Intensive Physics is a one-year, full-time Master of Science (MSc) course in Cardiff, Wales, starting on 28 September 2026. It requires a UK 2:1 honours degree in astronomy, astrophysics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics or a related physical science. Cardiff accepts an equivalent international degree, while its India postgraduate guidance is approximately 55% to 60%, subject to final equivalency review. Overseas tuition is GBP 30,700 (INR 39.35 Lakhs) with a GBP 2,500 deposit (INR 3.20 Lakhs).

The MSc combines data analysis and computational methods with physics specialisms, then applies them in a 60-credit summer research project. It suits Indian applicants targeting doctoral research or technical scientific work. Applicants should assess whether they can handle 120 taught credits before the project because the intensive format offers no separate placement year.

• Core study includes Applied Machine Learning, Principles of Machine Learning, Data Science and Advanced Techniques in Physics and Astrophysics.
• Electives cover areas such as quantum statistical mechanics, particle physics, laser physics, general relativity and gravitational-wave modelling.
• External summer projects may involve an industry or research partner while retaining a Cardiff academic as the primary supervisor.

Also Check: Cardiff University postgraduate admission

Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Fees and Living Costs 2026

The September 2026 overseas fee is confirmed for the one-year full-time MSc. The course page lists the deposit separately beside the tuition figure.

Target-cycle fees: The figures below apply to international students joining Data Intensive Physics in September 2026. They exclude accommodation, food, visa costs, health charges, travel and personal spending.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of GBP 1 = INR 128.16 as of 21 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: Cardiff University current Data Intensive Physics course fee schedule.

• Arrange the full GBP 30,700 (INR 39.35 Lakhs) tuition before relying on a scholarship that is not currently available.
• Keep the GBP 2,500 (INR 3.20 Lakhs) deposit separate in your cash-flow plan because Cardiff lists it as a distinct payment item.
• Reserve funding beyond tuition because the one-year course includes a summer research project and visa-related costs.

Cost of Living in Cardiff for Data Intensive Physics Students

Cardiff’s official calculator gives a university-accommodation scenario with an en-suite room, a 40-week contract and nine months of spending.

The estimate is a planning baseline for this postgraduate course, while the separate Student visa maintenance amount is covered in Section 7.

Source: Cardiff University living-cost calculator; the published scenario uses university accommodation, an en-suite Talybont North room, a 40-week contract and nine months.

The calculated tuition is GBP 30,700 (INR 39.35 Lakhs). The nine-month living illustration is GBP 11,743.20 (INR 15.05 Lakhs). Together, they equal GBP 42,443.20 (INR 54.40 Lakhs).

The Student visa fee is GBP 558 (INR 71,513). One year of health surcharge is GBP 776 (INR 99,452), bringing the calculated commitment to GBP 43,777.20 (INR 56.10 Lakhs).

Private accommodation is separately estimated at GBP 1,125.91 monthly (INR 1.44 Lakhs) and GBP 13,510.92 for nine months (INR 17.32 Lakhs).

Check Out: UK accommodation and living-cost guidance

Key insight: Cardiff’s confirmed tuition and official living estimate create a calculated GBP 43,777.20 (INR 56.10 Lakhs) before flights and personal costs. Secure the full funding plan before paying the deposit.

Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Admission 2026

Admission requires a relevant UK 2:1 honours degree or an equivalent international degree. Cardiff names astronomy, astrophysics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics and related physical sciences as suitable backgrounds.

A UK 2:1 means an upper-second-class honours standard. Cardiff’s general India guidance is approximately 55% to 60% for recognised postgraduate study, but the university makes the final equivalency decision.

Academic Eligibility for Data Intensive Physics

The course expects quantitative or physical-science preparation because the taught stage includes machine learning, data science and advanced physics.

• Map transcript modules to mathematics, physics, programming and data analysis before submitting an Indian degree for equivalency review.
• Upload interim evidence promptly when the final certificate is pending because the course uses first-come, first-served admissions.
• Use signed and dated employer references only when professional experience directly demonstrates readiness for the quantitative curriculum.

English Language Requirements

The course-specific requirement is IELTS 6.5 overall with 5.5 in each subskill. IELTS means International English Language Testing System, and every component minimum must be met.

PTE Academic means Pearson Test of English Academic, while TOEFL iBT means Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test. Cardiff accepts both through its postgraduate policy, but the TOEFL scale changed after January 2026.

Cardiff’s postgraduate English requirements list the accepted tests, Indian school-English rules and exemption routes.

• Prepare for the 5.5 IELTS floor in every subskill because a higher overall score cannot repair a missed component.
• Choose TOEFL only after confirming which post-January 2026 scale Cardiff will apply to your submitted score.
• Ask Cardiff to assess an English-medium degree exemption before omitting a recognised test certificate from the application.

Tip for Indian students: The 55% to 60% guidance is only an equivalency screen. Match your transcript to the named physics and quantitative subjects, then arrange ATAS and English evidence separately.

Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Application 2026

Applications for September 2026 are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Cardiff normally closes applications at the end of August, but it may close sooner when all places are filled.

The course starts on 28 September 2026 and has no fixed decision date. Cardiff says it reviews applications against the entry requirements before making an offer.

Application Stages and Timing

The published course window contains one rolling application stage rather than separate international rounds. The deadline has no published time of day, so the Cardiff application portal controls the cutoff.

• Upload the degree certificate and transcripts, or interim evidence when the final qualification is pending.
• Provide IELTS or another accepted English qualification, including the expected test date when the result is pending.
• Add signed and dated employer references when professional experience is being used instead of a relevant degree.
• Keep ATAS and visa funding tasks separate because meeting the academic criteria does not complete immigration preparation.

How to Submit a Strong Application

Use Cardiff’s current Data Intensive Physics MSc page to open the application route and recheck the live closure notice.

Explain the physics, mathematics or computational problem you want to study during the summer project. This makes the application more specific than a general statement about interest in data science.

Applicants without a directly relevant degree should connect professional evidence to coding, modelling, numerical analysis, laboratory work or research delivery. Employer references should confirm the technical work rather than only job title or length of service.

Application tip: Treat the end of August 2026 as the latest published window, not a guaranteed closing date. Submit a complete file early because Cardiff can stop accepting applications when places fill.

Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Scholarships 2026

Cardiff confirms one course-specific India Scholarship for Data Intensive Physics in the 2026/27 cycle. The award is for eligible India-domiciled students holding an offer and meeting the published conditions.

The recorded application deadline was 31 July 2026 and the conditions deadline was 20 August 2026. Both dates had passed on the research date, so the award is not available as confirmed funding for a new application now.

Cardiff’s India Scholarship page lists Data Intensive Physics among the eligible 2026/27 programmes. It states that no separate scholarship application is required when the offer and eligibility conditions are met.

The published scholarship value is GBP 6,000 (INR 7.69 Lakhs), but it should not reduce your budget until Cardiff confirms your award under the applicable terms.

• Budget against the full GBP 30,700 (INR 39.35 Lakhs) tuition because the 2026 scholarship deadlines have passed.
• Keep evidence of India domicile, the course offer and any deposit condition because automatic consideration still depends on the published eligibility rules.
• Recheck the scholarship page if Cardiff announces a later cycle because the amount, eligible programmes and deadlines can change.

Read More: UK scholarships and funding options

Scholarship reality: Cardiff’s confirmed India award is GBP 6,000 (INR 7.69 Lakhs), but its 2026 application and conditions deadlines have passed. Fund the course without assuming this discount.

Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Placements 2026

Cardiff does not publish a course-specific salary, placement rate or graduate employment percentage for Data Intensive Physics. The course page instead identifies doctoral research, technical, development, engineering and science-education directions.

The summer project is a career asset, but it is not a guaranteed placement. Cardiff says the number and nature of external projects vary each year and depend on student choice, supervision and project requirements.

Official Outcome Evidence

The table separates the course’s stated destinations from evidence that would measure typical graduate outcomes. This distinction matters because the MSc is suitable for both research and technical decisions.

Source: Cardiff University Data Intensive Physics course page; destinations are course-level statements, not graduate outcome rates.

Return on Investment for Indian Applicants

Return on investment (ROI) means the career or research value received for the money committed. The calculated academic-year budget is GBP 43,777.20 (INR 56.10 Lakhs) before flights and personal costs.

• The calculated GBP 43,777.20 (INR 56.10 Lakhs) commitment excludes personal spending, so stress-test an education loan against the full budget plus a reserve.
• The 60-credit project can produce research evidence, so ask about project themes and external-partner availability before treating it as employability value.
• The 120 taught credits must be completed before the project, so assess your quantitative preparation and keep part-time income outside the core funding plan.
• No typical salary or placement rate is published, so request destination evidence from the School before using UK employment as the repayment assumption.
• The Graduate Route provides 18 months for relevant graduates from 2027, so reserve its visa costs and build a job-search plan before the window begins.

Gross salary is not take-home pay because tax and other deductions reduce repayment capacity. Use the GOV.UK income tax estimator when testing any future salary scenario.

ROI reality: Data Intensive Physics offers a research project and technical training, but the calculated GBP 43,777.20 (INR 56.10 Lakhs) cost has no course-specific salary evidence. Choose it for a defined research or technical pathway, then fund the uncertainty.

UK Visa for Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Students 2026

For September 2026, budget a Student visa application fee of GBP 558 (INR 71,513) and an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) of GBP 776 per year (INR 99,452). The IHS funds access to National Health Service healthcare during the relevant visa period. Cardiff is outside London, so the separate maintenance requirement is GBP 1,171 monthly (INR 1.50 Lakhs) for nine months, or GBP 10,539 (INR 13.51 Lakhs).

• The Student visa permits up to 20 hours of work per week during term, but the 180-credit course makes part-time income an uncertain funding source.
• International students using any visa need Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance for this course, so complete that requirement separately from the Student visa application.
• Relevant graduates from 2027 may use an 18-month Graduate Route costing GBP 937 (INR 1.20 Lakhs) plus GBP 1,552.50 (INR 1.99 Lakhs) IHS.
• The general Skilled Worker threshold is GBP 41,700 (INR 53.44 Lakhs), settlement normally requires five qualifying years and taught MSc dependants are generally restricted.

Check Out: UK Student visa requirements and costs

Visa reality: The 18-month Graduate Route creates a defined post-study work window, but it does not guarantee sponsorship. Keep the GBP 10,539 (INR 13.51 Lakhs) maintenance evidence separate from Cardiff’s living estimate.

Cardiff Data Intensive Physics Ranking 2026

Cardiff University is placed in the 201 to 250 band for Physical Sciences in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

Times Higher Education, or THE, groups physics with chemistry, mathematics, statistics, astronomy, geology and environmental sciences in this table. The result is therefore institution-level context rather than a ranking for the Data Intensive Physics MSc.

Read More: Cardiff University subject ranking details

Honest take: The 2026 Physical Sciences band provides broad subject context, but it cannot establish a course salary, placement rate or admission probability.