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Degree Course in

Physics

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Course Overview

The duration of the International Master of Science in Physics (MSc in Physics) at DFA is of two years. During the course of the MSc in Physics at DFA, students have the opportunity to extend and strengthen topics and know-how learnt during the BSc programme in Physics, in specifical subfields of physics, both fundamental and specialistic. The MSc programme also offers courses in related subjects within selected subfields of mathematics and computer science.

Educational objectives of the programme include:

  • the development of autonomous study and learning skills and the ability to integrate knowledge;
  • the application of understanding and problem-solving skills to new or unfamiliar issues, inserted in broader research- or work-related contexts;
  • the development and practice of the ability to communicate, in a clear and unambiguous way, the knowledge and results achieved;
  • solid foundations for continuing one's studies in research doctorates or second-level masters or specialization schools.

The programme includes lectures, exercises and practical laboratory activities.

The preparation of the degree thesis is a fundamental moment of the Master's Degree Course in Physics, in which the student, through the guidance of one or more teachers, deepens in an original way a topic of particular current interest in physics or its applications. The preparation of the degree thesis may include a period in companies or external bodies, research groups and laboratories of the University or research institutions, both in Italy and abroad. Due to the fundamental role that the degree thesis plays in the development of knowledge and the formation of skills, a relatively high number of credits (30-40 CFU) is reserved for the preparation of the final exam.

Learning outcomes are scrutinized throughout the duration of the programme via oral interviews, written tests, practical tests, and reports on the various activities carried out. Finally, they are verified in a more comprehensive and organic way in the evaluation and discussion of the degree thesis.

The Master of Sciences in Physics, lasting two years, is divided into six curricula:

The first five Curricula reflect the different lines of research in which the professors of the Department of Physics and Astronomy "Ettore Majorana" (DFA) are involved, in close synergy with research bodies and companies operating in the area (INFN, INAF, CNR , INGV, ENEL, STM, ARPA-CT, ASP-CT). This synergy, which is also expressed in the direct involvement of various researchers of the aforementioned research institutions in the teaching provided, has the added value of allowing a transfer of knowledge in frontier issues to the new generations. A sixth Curriculum, Nuclear Phenomena and Their Applications (NUCPHYS), was established in the Academic Year 2027/2018 within a Joint Erasmus Mundus Master Programme. This programme (duration: two years, for 120 ECTS) is offered by a consortium of Universities in Spain, France, and Italy, together with 16 research centers/companies as associated partners. The programme affords an international degree title, recognized in the countries of the consortium Universities.

Besides, the structure of the MSc in Physics in six Curricula proves especially useful in view of the three PhD programmes available at DFA (Physics, Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Complex systems in physics, social and economic sciences, biology and life sciences).

More information on the International MSc in Physics can be obtained, upon request, by contacting the Students Office (e-mail: dfa.didattica@unict.it).