Undergraduate & honours qualifications

Bachelor of Science Honours in Physics

Qualification code: 98918
NQF level: 8
Total credits: 120
SAQA ID: 101063
APS/AS: 60
Purpose statement:
The primary purpose of the qualification is to provide Hons BSc graduates with the knowledge, specific skills and applied and theoretical competence in a number of Science fields to provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and valuable contributions to society. A second purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa (and other countries) with graduates in a number of learning fields in order to ensure that the leadership base of innovative and knowledge-based economic and scholarly activity is widened. A third purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa (and other countries) with people who can perform a constructive role they need to play as intellectual leaders in their society.
This qualification will be presented online only.

Who can register?

  • Applicants (new applicants & Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification) may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online. Unisa reserves the right to not process and / or to cancel your registration if it is found that you were incorrectly admitted to a qualification. 
  • Re-registering students may register for the 2024 academic year once the registration period opens.

Please note: Should you wish to start a new qualification, please apply online for the alternative qualification during the prescribed application period.


How to choose your modules

Each Unisa qualification is structured in such a way that you need to pass a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time in order to graduate.

  • Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. You want to register for Module B, but have not yet passed Module A. You must then register for both Modules A and B simultaneously. You may NOT cancel your registration for Module A unless Module B is also cancelled.

  • Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, you must pass Module A before you may register for Module B.

You may not register for more than the allowed maximum number of credits / modules per academic year and / or semester: 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

The maximum number of credits do not include supplementary and / or aegrotat examinations from a previous semester. Modules taken for non-degree / non-diploma purposes also count towards the maximum number of credits allowed.

You must take your available time into consideration when choosing your modules, as this will impact your academic performance. You need approximately

  • 6 to 8 hours per week for semester modules.
  • 4 to 6 hours per week for year modules.

Click here for more information on managing your studies.

Curriculum for this qualification

While you are deciding on the modules for which you will be registering, write down the module names and codes so that you have something to refer to when completing your registration.

Please click on the modules below to see further information (eg semester/year module, NQF level)

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A.
HRPHY82 - Physics Honours Research Methods and Project Co-requisite:PHY4806 & PHY4807
PHY4801 - Advanced Mathematical Methods
PHY4802 - Electromagnetism Co-requisite:PHY4801
PHY4803 - Quantum Mechanics I Co-requisite:PHY4801
PHY4804 - Quantum Mechanics II Co-requisite:PHY4803
PHY4805 - Statistical Physics Co-requisite:PHY4801
PHY4806 - Advanced Solid State Physics Co-requisite:PHY4801
PHY4807 - Nuclear Physics Co-requisite:PHY4801