Physics, Materials science - Master Programme

Students on this Master programme study material growth and properties and how properties are linked to material structure. The physics and chemistry courses in the programme gives a fundamental understanding of how material properties is linked to atomic and molecular structure. Also, the programme practise investigating materials using advanced techniques in spectroscopy, diffraction and microscopy.

In your studies you will be introduced to and potentially use two world-leading research facilities in Lund: the synchrotron radiation facility MAX IV Laboratory and the forthcoming neutron source ESS (European Spallation Source). The Master’s programme has a flexible structure and enables the combination of theory and computation with an experimental approach.

The programme is strongly linked to research with close connections to research teams in materials science. All teaching staff on the Master’s programme are researchers, so the courses are continuously adapted to current research. There is a high proportion of teacher-directed learning. The language of instruction is English.

Programme structure

The programme includes two compulsory courses, one in quantum mechanics and one on quantum physics in research and society. During your first year of study, you will also have the opportunity to choose between a number of other courses focusing on physics and chemistry of surfaces, spectroscopy and the quantum description of matter, scanning probe microscopy, modern X-ray physics and statistical mechanics.

During your second year of study, you will continue to increase your expertise based on your own preferences. The degree project is equivalent to either 30 or 60 credits and is carried out in a research group.

Career prospects  

Materials science is an important subject in many areas of research and development, which means that there are several possible career paths available after graduation, depending on your own specialist interest. The Master’s programme provides a good basis for research studies in physics and physical chemistry, but you can also choose to work in business and industry. You can work on issues connected to astrophysics, communications technology, life science or energy, for example. Both research facilities, the MAX IV Laboratory and ESS, also contribute to new opportunities on the labour market. These major laboratories need qualified staff with expertise in materials science and physics, as well as the technical methods used in experiments in these facilities.