Admission requirements

Notes on the application process

If, at the time of application, proof of the first degree qualifying the applicant for a profession is not yet available, the application will be considered under the precondition that 80% of the credit points attainable for the degree have already been achieved based on completed module examinations or the final thesis and the colloquium (if applicable). A certification from the awarding institute of higher education (examination office) serves as proof of the above-mentioned academic achievements. You can find the appropriate form on the Admissions Office website.

General information about the degree program

© Amac Garbe

The Master’s degree program in Physics is taught primarily in English. Students may decide if they want to take their examinations for the seminars, practical courses, basic subjects and specialization subjects in English or German. The language of instruction and examination in the non-physics minor subjects is either English or German and is based on the current courses offered in the minor course catalogue. The program can be started in the winter semester or the summer semester. The degree program aims to consolidate insights into interrelations within physics as well as connections to neighboring disciplines.

Collaboration with other subject areas in the natural sciences, technology and the humanities in 12 minor subjects, each with multiple elective topics, guarantees a diverse profile for acquiring a basic understanding of topics in other subject areas and the necessary skills for interdisciplinary work. In one of 5 areas of specialization in physics, students receive a complete overview of established knowledge, new developments and unsolved problems. During the conclusive one-year research phase, they acquire the necessary skills to become acquainted with current topics in physics, to design and conduct experiments or theoretical methods in this field, to categorize the results and to draw conclusions for application to technical developments and scientific progress.

Study contents

An overview of interrelations within physics is provided by the compulsory modules, Experimental Physics and Theoretical Physics. Experimental Physics discusses common principles of solid-state, molecular, atomic, nuclear and particle physics and their different characteristics on various energy scales. Theoretical Physics combines different methods of theoretical physics to produce as complete a theoretical description of physical phenomena as possible.

The elective “non-physics supplementary courses” provide an understanding of issues in another subject area and the skills necessary for interdisciplinary work. These include the minor subjects of mathematics, biomathematics, chemistry, biology, molecular bioengineering, computer science, philosophy, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, business administration, and economics.

The Physics Specialization elective compulsory module offers a specialization beyond the established knowledge in current topics of research in one of the five specialization areas of “applied solid-state physics and photonics,” “solid state and materials physics", “soft condensed matter and biological physics,” “particle and nuclear physics” and “theoretical physics.” These typically constitute the special areas in physics from which a topic is chosen in the advanced scientific seminar.

In the Scientific Work module in the first half of the one-year research phase, students apply their theoretical and methodical knowledge to solving a scientific problem in one of the six specialization areas. In the second half of this research phase, they work independently on a scientific research topic as part of their Master’s thesis.

Stay abroad

Would you like to spend a semester abroad? Whether it is a semester, an internship or a language course abroad, you will definitely benefit from the international experience. You can improve your subject and language skills, establish new contacts, make friends, get to know other cultures, and much more. You can find more information on the International Office’s website.

Occupational fields

Basic or industry research, application-based development, technical and administrative planning, quality assurance, consulting, sales, teaching and management (e.g. at teaching and research facilities), in industry and at public authorities

Study documents

The official announcements of TU Dresden include all published regulations . Please use the search bar to find the document you need: Official proclamation

The regulations are also available on each institution’s website.

Contacts

Admissions Office

Faculty of Physics

International Office

Additional information