Goals
The main goal of the Master is the advanced training in the area of Theoretical Physics, as well as an introduction to research in this field.
Achievement of the Master degree implies direct admission to the Ph.D. phase of the Programme. The training provided complies with the standards
of the most prestigious Master programmes in Europe and North America. The versatility of its contents results in the development of
wide-ranging skills, which put our students in a position of advantage to pursue a variety of careers beyond the academic/scientific environment,
such as employment in the broader technological or financial sectors, Information Technology, medical research and many other areas requiring
advanced scientific training and the capability to tackle problems in a creative way.
Distinctions awarded
The Programa Oficial de Posgrado in Theoretical Physics has been consistently awarded since its inception the prestigious Mention of Quality
by the Spanish Ministry for Education and Science (MEC). This distinction provides a preferential treatment to students applying for MEC fellowships
to fund their Ph.D. work within the Programme.
Referencia de la Mención de Calidad: MCD2006-00374
Admission profile
The Master is addressed at students holding a Spanish "Grado" or "Licenciatura" degree in Physics, a
Bachelor level degree in Physics from any country within the European Space of Higher Education, or any equivalent degree from any country outside
the ESHE. Admission criteria are flexible, and degrees outside Physics may be considered provided the candidate is endorsed by an advisor and
possesses an adequate training and background. The final decision concerning admission is taken by the Management Committee of the Programme (Comisión de Dirección y Seguimiento del Programa de Posgrado), following the principles specified below..
Admission criteria
Admission of students to the Programme will be essentially based in an appraisal of the candidate's CV,
including his/her academic record and references from their home institutions, to be carried out by the Comisión de Dirección y Seguimiento del Programa. The Committee will consider all applications taking into account the training and background of the candidates, and has within its capacities
the possibility to decide whether additional training is required before admission. Personal interviews may be also requested.
Organisation and Schedule
Credits. 120 ECTS split into two academic terms, each of which consists of two semesters.
Indicatively, the first year consists of 60 compulsory credits, obtained from courses (54 credits) and
specialised seminars (6 credits). Its main goal is to provide advanced training in Theoretical Physics, and includes, in particular,
knowledge of computational techniques with a broader applicability. The second year consists of 24 compulsory credits (16 from courses, 8 obtained by completing a Master Thesis) and 36 flexible ("optativo") credits. The latter can be obtained in two different ways. Option A consists of taking the subject Introduction to Research, plus 18 credits in advanced monographic courses. Option B consists of 36 credits in advanced monographic courses,
and is advised for students who are not planning to pursue a Ph.D. after taking the Master degree. In all cases, it is possible to obtain
"optativo" credits from courses from other Master Programmes.The Master Thesis will consist of original
research work carried out by the student (option A), or bibliographic work on a topic of current interest in Theoretical Physics (option B).
The indicated arrangement is flexible, and students will be individually advised by the Programme Committee on specific solutions that may
suit their interests and constraints. In particular, "first year" subjects can be taken during the second year and vice versa, and the students
may opt for (although they are not encouraged to) concentrating more subjects than indicated within a given semester.
The list of subjects offered by the Programme follows (compulsory=OB; optativa=OP), indicating the
corresponding number of credits:
- Quantum Field Theory I (8c, OB)
- Gravitation (8c, OB)
- Nuclear Structure (8c, OB)
- Advanced Topics in Mathematics (6c, OB)
- Quantum Field Theory II (8c, OB)
- Cosmology (8c, OB)
- Standard Model of Fundamental Interactions I (8c, OB)
- Standard Model of Fundamental Interactions II (8c, OB)
- Experimental High Energy Physics (8c, OB)
- Seminars in Theoretical Physics (6c, OB)
- Quantum Field Theory III (6c, OP)
- Computational Physics (6c, OP)
- Introduction to Lattice Field Theories (6c, OP)
- Introduction to String Theory (6c, OP)
- Introduction to Supersymmetry (6c, OP)
- Physics Beyond the Standard Model (6c, OP)
- Advanced Cosmology (6c, OP)
- Introduction to Research (18c, OP)
- Master Thesis (8c, OB)