Curriculum

Our Master programs build the natural continuation to our Bachelor program in physics. All four Master programs convey the academic width which is typical for a physicist. Thus it is assured that our Master graduates are outstandingly qualified for the various tasks in research, development and industry.

Semester 1 and 2 - Advanced Studies

During the advanced studies students take a theoretical physics course from the elective catalog and a number of special courses from the comprehensive offer. These special courses deal with selected topics of modern physics and reach the frontiers of current research – here the diversity of the research activities of our Physics Department is visible and accessible to the students. A student seminar, the advanced lab course and the non-physics elective courses, which give an insight into related sciences of the student's choice (e.g. chemistry, mathematics, informatics, engineering sciences), complete the profile.

The single sections are described in more detail in the following.

For your Master's program in physics you have to pass 40 CP (ECTS) in theory and special courses. 10 CP of these have to be from the theory catalog of your Master's program.

The catalogs for the current semester are:

For your Master's program in physics you have to pass 30 CP (ECTS) in special courses. 20 CP of these have to be from the program specific catalog. Up to 10 CP may (and should) be chosen from the complementary offer (i. e. not from the specific catalog). If you would like to deviate from this rule (if you would like to take less than 10 CP from the complementary offer), this needs to be confirmed by your mentor (by signature on the mentoring form).

After the second semester in the master you must have passed at least 10 CP of the special courses

The catalogs for the current semester are:

Students enrolled in our physics Master's programs have to pass at least 8 CP (ECTS) of non-physics Master courses. They can choose courses from neighboring departments either in physics applications in engineering or medicine or in mathematics and natural sciences. Students can accumulate the required credits taking several modules with less credits each. Towards the final grade, the non-physics courses are always counted as 8 CP -- even if the sum of the accounted modules exceeds this credit number.

The regulations for the corresponding exams are given by the neighboring departments, the exams are organized in TUMonline.

Open, dynamic and steady growing catalog

The catalog of the non-physics courses is an "open catalog" which is dynamic and steadily growing. In case you would like to take a course that does not appear in the catalog, contact the program coordinator at an early stage (before registering for the exam!) and facilitate him the relevant module number (the number of the lecture alone is often not sufficient). If the module is approved, it will be included in the catalog. We strongly recommend students to do this well before the exam of the course takes place! A prerequisite for including a module in the catalog (necessary though not sufficient) is that the module belongs to a Master's program of the neighboring department.

The catalog of the current semester is given on a separat page.

Module Information

Information about the modules is given in TUMonline in the module catalogs of the respective departments (check their cards).

Student seminar

Master's students take at least one student seminar from the broad offer of the corresponding research area in our department. The chosen topic is often related to the Master's thesis.

The offer for the current semester is

Advanced Lab Course

The advanced lab course offers the opportunity to undertake complex physics experiments in our research institutes already during your Master’s studies.

Semester 3 and 4 - Research Phase

The research phase brings the students in direct contact with current Physics research topics from the specific scientific area of the degree program. After a period of vocational adjustment (Master’s seminar and Master’s training) students work on their own research project for the Master’s thesis. An intense supervision during the whole research phase is assured by the large number of senior scientists at the campus Garching and students benefit from the excellent research environment with a broad national and international research network.

  • Scientific work
  • pass/fail requirement

  • Scientific work
  • pass/fail requirement

  • Type of assessment: oral presentation

  • Scientific work
  • Type of assessment: research paper

You can find a more detailed description of the research phase on a seperate sub-page.

"Direct Track" from a Master's Program to the Doctoral Studies

Talented students can continue the Master’s research phase seamlessly with a doctoral project, speeding up their academic career. Already during your Master’s research phase (Thesis) you may become a member of the Department Graduate Center and hence participate in the training program of TUM Graduate School.