Master of Physics (Leuven)

The master students will grow into independent and critical scientists. Masters of physics will have developed sufficient knowledge and skills to participate in competitive national or international PhD programmes. Moreover the acquired research methodology will prepare the student for employment as a scientist in any chosen profession.

The curriculum is constructed in a way that the student can specialize in an area of choice by joining one of the research groups of the department. This specialization can be in the field of nuclear physics, condensed matter physics ortheoretical physics. A major part of the curriculum consists of research resulting in a master thesis. The subject of the thesis is chosen by the student during the course of the second semester of the 1st Master year and students join a research team from the 3th semester onwards.

The students can choose an option to prepare themselves better for a future in research or in industry or society related fields.

In the option "research" the student can take courses from another research specialization than its major one, which can be accompanied by an internship in one of the research teams of this minor discipline. As such our students have the possibility to broaden their knowledge in at least two scientific disciplines (in physics or a related field), which is invaluable when a further research career in or out of academia is considered.

In the option "Physics for society" students can choose for an internship of a full semester in a company or they can take courses from the LCIE Entrepreneurship Academy who wants to prepare academics for entrepreneurschip.

The Erasmus programme of the European Union offers an excellent opportunity for Belgian students who would like to combine their study with experience outside the KU Leuven. All research groups of the department have a network of European collaborators and we advise interested students to integrate this exchange with their thesis research during their second Master year. Choices concerning the Erasmus programme need to be made in December of the 1st Master year. Address the Erasmus coordinator to obtain specific information on this European programme !

At the end of the Master programme the student:

* has a broad knowledge of modern physics;
* has specialized in one of the following important areas of physics: solid-state physics, nuclear physics, theoretical physics or physics of soft matter;
* is familiar with the most recent developments in the research area of the chosen specialization of the master thesis;
* is able to carry out research in a professional and multidisciplinary research team under the supervision of experts;
* is able to independently solve advanced physics problems by choosing the appropriate experimental
and/or theoretical method, develop the method and report on it in a correct way;
* has developed the literature research skills to be able to process and present insights and results from international scientific research to both specialists and peers;
* is able to reflect critically, communicate and discuss the social role and the ethical dimension of scientific research in general and physics research in particular;
* has mastered scientific English to such a level that he/she can deliver written and oral reports;
* is able to use the scientific methodology in his/her own learning process while acquiring new concepts inside as well as outside physics. This is a vital skill for lifelong learning.
* has insight into the role of physics research in the society of the twenty-first century
* is able to place a contemporary discussion on physics research into a historical framework and formulate his/her own opinion.