Space Science and Engineering: Space Science

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

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Good.

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

This MSc provides students with a broad understanding of all aspects of space science and space instrumentation together with specialised training in research methods, directly applicable to careers in academia, the space industry and the public sector. The programme is taught by world-recognised researchers in the field which provides students with access to the knowledge and expertise gained by UCL space scientists over five decades.

UCL’s Space and Climate Physics Department, incorporating the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, is a world-leading research organisation and is the largest university space science group in the UK. Space instruments designed and built by staff in the department have flown, are currently operating, or are in development, for the majority of the major space science missions launched or planned for launch since the late 1950s. Through our teaching we offer students real-world examples of the issues associated with designing and building instruments for space, as well as the opportunity to analyse data collected from those instruments to conduct original research.

It offers a unique environment at the forefront of space science research, where scientists and research students work alongside top engineers building and testing instruments for space, as well as studying the data from these and other spaceborne and ground-based instruments.

The close contact that the laboratory enjoys with space agencies such as ESA and NASA and with industrial research teams encourages the development of transferable skills which enhance job prospects in academic circles and beyond.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, team-based coursework exercises, presentations and tutorials. Student performance is assessed through unseen written examination, coursework, and the individual and group projects.