Degree course in Physics

Course Name

PHYSICS

Course Code

LM15

Class (Ministerial code)

LM-17

Website

https://www.fisgeo.unipg.it/fisgejo/index.php/en/

Field(s) of study

ISCED Area 05 – Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics

Qualification award

Master Degree

Level of qualification according to the NQF and the EQF

EHEA Second cycle; EQF Level 7 (per le lauree magistrali)

Length of programme / number of credits

2 years / 120 ECTS

Language of Teaching

Italian/english

Mode of study

blended

Didactic centre

Perugia

Programme director

Gianluca Grignani

Access to the course

open access with assessment of personal competencies

Specific admission requirements

Formal Requirements Italian First cycle qualification (Laurea) or foreign equivalent in the same or related subject area, with possible extra work if required competences are lacking.

Evaluation of specific subject knowledge on entry

Verification of the possession of the curricular requirements with the methods indicated in the academic regulation of the course of study Foreign students are required to take a test to verify their proficiency of the Italian language, except Erasmus Incoming students, Exchange Students and students in mobility as per the Cooperation Agreement

Profile of the programme

The Master's Degree course in Physics provides a training path differentiated into five curricula: Astrophysics and Astroparticles, Condensed Matter Physics, Medical Physics, Elementary Particles Physics and Theoretical Physics. In each curriculum basic lessons are taught in theoretical physics, condensed matter physics, elementary particles physics and physics of many-body systems, as well as proposing experimental studies with an appropriate laboratory. The student will complete his training path by choosing courses that characterize the selected curriculum and that will allow him to deepen one or more research areas. A strength of the entire course is the master thesis to which 34 ECTS credits are dedicated, associated with an external internship of 8 ECTS to be carried out at high-level research institutions in Italy or abroad. It is possible to carry out the thesis work in the context of national and international collaborations at national (INFN, CNR, Trieste Synchrotron), and international (CERN in Geneva, ILL in Grenoble, KEK in Japan, NBI in Copenhagen) research laboratories.

Programme learning outcomes

The course aims to a training in Physics that provides the necessary knowledge suitable for the inclusion of the student in all the higher-level activities that are characteristic of physicists in modern society. At the end of the training process, the student will have advanced knowledge in the most important areas of modern physics: nuclear and subnuclear physics, physics of complex systems and macrocosm physics, also having adequate methodologies developed by theoretical physics in these areas. The Master in Physics programme will allow the graduate to apply his knowledge in Physics to the description of physical phenomena in complete autonomy, with particular regard to the analysis of data obtained with experimental methodologies and the use of theoretical methods for the interpretation of experimental data and for the construction of mathematical models.

Qualification requirements and regulations

Admission to the final test for the achievement of the qualification will require that the student has acquired all the credits foreseen in the study plan for training activities other than the final test. The final test for the achievement of the qualification is public and consists of the presentation of a thesis work to a special commission. The thesis, usually of an experimental nature, engages the student during the second year of the course and contains original results. The preparation of the thesis is aimed at developing in the student the ability of synthesis and autonomous organization of his research work.

Examination regulations and grading scale

Assessment is normally an oral or written exam; in some cases there are intermediate exams during the course. The grades for subject exams are measured in thirtieths (0-30 scale), the minimum grade is 18/30 and the maximum grade is 30/30. The maximum grade can be enhanced with “cum laude” (30 cum laude), in case of excellence. Grades are given by an exam commission of at least two teachers, whose President is the chair of the subject. The main exam sessions are held in January/February, March/April, June/July, September/October. Students may retake exams, if not passed. The University provides an ECTS Grading Table, which shows the actual distribution of the examination and final grades among students for each degree program. The final degree evaluation is expressed in one hundred and tenths (0-110 scale), the minimum grade is 66/110 and the maximum grade is 110/110. The calculation of the final grade of each candidate keeps into account the average of the grades obtained in the subject exams, as well as the quality of the work performed in research or in the final thesis which is discussed in public before an exam commission. “Cum laude” (110 cum laude) may be added to the maximum grade if the exam commission decides unanimously.

Obligatory or optional mobility windows

It is possible to carry out internship activities abroad, within Research Bodies, Universities and companies operating in the sector, thanks to the Erasmus program, centrally supported. The mobility windows are not temporarily rigid, although it is preferred that the Students use them during the 2nd year of the course.

Work-based learning

The training course of the Master's Degree in Physics provides an 8 ECTS internship for each of the five curricula. Mostly, the traineeships are carried out in preparation for the final test, both at Italian Institutions affiliated with the Department of Physics and Geology, in particular the INFN, the CNR and the ASI, and abroad, at large research centers, such as CERN in Geneva, the ILL in Grenoble and the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. The activities are carried out under the supervision of a tutor who draws up a final report concerning the activity in which the student participated. In addition, contacts are in place with the Perugia Hospital, where students are addressed for traineeships that can also be subjects for the realization of the thesis.

Occupational profiles of graduates

Graduates of the class carry out professional activities in the fields of technological applications of physics at an industrial level (e.g. electronics, optics, computer science, mechanics, acoustics, etc.), laboratory activities and services related, in particular, to radiation protection, environmental control and safety, the development and characterization of materials, telecommunications, remote controls of satellite systems, and participation in the activities of public and private research Institutions, and in all areas, including unscientific ones (e.g. economics, finance, security), which requires the ability to analyze and model complex phenomena with scientific methods. An important career opportunity is that of the doctorate in Italy or abroad for a further deepening of the knowledge in physics and for starting a scientific research career. Teaching in secondary school can be one of the employment opportunities of graduates.

Free-choice training activities