Understanding factors for undergraduate degree qualification choice in a Scottish University physics program

Undergraduate physics students in the United Kingdom generally have the opportunity to pursue one of two degree qualifications: a bachelor's degree (BSc) completed in three or four years or a Master of Physics honours degree (MPhys), an integrated masters done instead of the BSc, completed with one additional year beyond the BSc. While employers outside of academia typically do not fully understand the difference between the two degree qualifications, within academic systems, a masters level qualification is a de facto requirement for those students who wish to pursue a PhD in the UK making it a potential barrier for continuing along such a pathway. While students can choose which qualification to pursue as early as their first year, over the course of their degree, many students will choose to switch into or out of the MPhys degree program. Over the course of four years, overall enrollment in the MPhys program typically grows peaking in year four then dropping off. We wish to understand why students who initially intend to pursue an MPhys at the start of year four choose instead to graduate with a BSc. We present historical longitudinal data of student degree choices as well as findings from student interviews exploring what factors contributed to their decision making.