Physics and Astronomy

Why choose UVic? Undergraduate programs Apply to UVic
Student Daniel Crossley-Wing on a laptop in a UVic lab

Why choose UVic physics and astronomy?

Whether you’re interested in gravity, relativity, quantum mechanics or galaxies, we have a program that's right for you. Daniel Crossley-Wing says UVic's emphasis on lab work gives you the opportunity for hands-on learning.

Undergraduate studies
Graduate student Clare Higgs next to UVic's telescope

Graduate studies

Graduate student Clare Higgs says the expertise at UVic and at NRC-Herzberg mean there is a huge variety of fields to study, and the large physics and astronomy community in Victoria promotes collaboration.

Graduate studies
Woman pointing at an image being projected onto a screen

Current students

At UVic, our students are immersed in dynamic learning that's fueled by research-inspired insights and hands-on experiences in labs, research experiences and co-op placements.

Current students
Woman outside of an observatory

Dynamic research

UVic research benefits from local and international connections and collaborations and has access to world-class equipment and facilities.

Research

Careers in physics and astronomy

Ada Loewen's co-op term in Nunavut with Oceans Networks Canada allowed her to experience what she learned in the classroom first-hand while working on a project that benefited a community.

Career possibilities
Faculty member Dean Karlen in the TRIUMF, Canada's national particle accelerator centre

Meet our faculty

Our faculty and instructors believe the best way to learn, discover and create is by doing. Dean Karlen is the principal investigator on a major expansion to TRIUMF, Canada's particle and nuclear physics research facility.

Our faculty
Julio Navarro at the UVic Observatory

Dark matter halos and the formation of galaxies

Cosmologist Julio Navarro’s revolutionary work, which has influenced our modern understanding of how galaxies form and evolve, has been recognized as a Citation Laureate—the first for a University of Victoria researcher.

Read the Q&A

Service update in response to COVID-19 - Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the Physics and Astronomy general office will have minimal staffing as of September 2020, but all office staff members can be reached via email Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. We continue to take advice and guidance from governments and health authorities concerning the health and safety of our community and will re-open in-person services as appropriate. 

Learn. Inquire. Discover.

Physics allows us to understand the world, from the invisible particles that make up the matter around us, through our sensory experiences, to the unimaginably vast reaches of the universe.

With us, you can engage in research while working with internationally-recognized faculty. Discover the science underlying the technology that has become an integral part of human evolution.

Territory acknowledgment
We acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. 

Find your edge in UVic's Department of Physics & Astronomy

Undergraduate

Students looking at a research poster

Undergraduate studies

Graduate

Student working with equipment

Graduate studies

Research

UVic's telescope

Our research