Physics (Applied and Engineering Physics) Technical University of Munich

The Master of Science in Physics (Applied and Engineering Physics) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is a two-year, high-level, international graduate programme offered by the School of Natural Sciences. The programme is designed to give students insights into current trends and new developments in modern physics, profiting from the cutting-edge research carried out at the Department of Physics, which covers a very broad spectrum: particle detectors, science of light, nanosciences, soft matter science, applied solid state physics, medical engineering, and energy sciences.

An essential part of the programme is represented by the special courses, which reflect the current research at the Department of Physics. In addition, there are elective courses from the fields of informatics, chemistry, and electrical or mechanical engineering. The curriculum reflects the strategic location of the Department of Physics, embedded in TUM Campus Garching and closely connected with several Max Planck Institutes and other important research centres in the area.

The first two semesters are dedicated to advanced and specialised lectures, lab courses, and seminars. During the second year, the research phase, students are integrated into a research group in the Department of Physics or at adjunct institutes, where they end up writing their theses.

The programme is fully taught in English. Having successfully completed the programme, students will be awarded the "Master of Science" degree in Physics (Applied and Engineering Physics) from TUM.

The Master's programme is divided in two parts: a first year of advanced studies and a second year of research (https://academics.nat.tum.de/en/msc/ph/curriculum).

Advanced studies (first year, two semesters):

• 10 ECTS Theoretical physics
• 30 ECTS Special courses
• 10 ECTS Advanced lab courses and student seminar
•  3 ECTS Soft skills course
•  8 ECTS Elective, non-physics courses from the fields of mathematics, informatics, chemistry, and engineering

There are elective catalogues for all the mentioned areas.

Research phase (second year, two semesters):

• Master's seminar (literature research and specialisation)
• Master's training (methodology and project planning)
• Master's thesis
• Master's colloquium (defence of the Master's thesis)

The students are members of a research group for the whole year.

From the beginning of their studies, students are supervised by a mentor who helps them to find the focus of their studies and to compose an individual plan of studies. Moreover, they also receive support from the academic counsellors for the Master's programmes.

Bachelor's degree in physics (or equivalent)

In order to figure out whether your Bachelor's studies are sufficient for admission to our Master's programme, please find relevant information about the application and the prerequisites on our website: https://academics.nat.tum.de/msc/ph/bewerbung. One ECTS accounts for 30 hours of work within and outside the classroom; a conversion will depend on how credits are defined in your university. Please be aware that special attention is paid to the theoretical physics courses, condensed matter physics as well as to nuclear and particle physics. In our experience, engineering studies typically do not suffice for admission.

For your convenience, in order to avoid misunderstandings given the different structures of study programmes around the world, it is required that you attach to your application the description of the contents of the courses you have taken at your university.

Please refer to this page for more details: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees.

In order to cover personal expenses while studying in Munich, we recommend a budget of at least 900 EUR per month.

Please refer to the following page for more information: https://www.studentenwerk-muenchen.de/en/international/international-students-in-munich/in-preparation/cost-of-living/.

A limited number of student work positions (earning around 400 EUR per month) are available. Please contact the research groups directly to find out about these opportunities as these positions are not managed centrally.
https://www.tum.de/en/studies/during-your-studies/living-and-working/jobs-and-internships

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here.

There is only a limited number of funding opportunities available: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees-and-financial-aid/scholarships/.

Our Alumni & Career office supports TUM students throughout all stages of their career planning: from tracking their profile and hunting for a job to successful managing their career entry – and beyond.

It’s not easy to find a place to live in Munich – but it’s not impossible either! The Technical University of Munich (TUM) supports students and staff in their search for accommodation by providing personal advice, in-house listings and useful information to ensure that you can quickly find a place to call your own.

For more information, see: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/during-your-studies/living-and-working/accommodations.