You have a lot of freedom in customising your Master’s in Applied Physics.
Within the Master’s in Applied Physics (AP) you will build your expertise within one of the four specialisations. In addition, you can tailor your Master’s with elective courses that suit your interests and ambitions, and you will join one of our excellent research groups during your master’s thesis. This freedom in customising your programme will help you to become the applied physicist you wish to be.
The choice of Ali
“During my Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering at UT, I realised quickly that I was drawn more towards the fundamental field of physics. That’s why I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Physics afterwards. Specifically, I chose the specialisation in Quantum Physics as I find this field very intriguing and in the future, I would really like to share this intrigue with other people as well.”
The choice of Jan Hein
“What I like about my specialisation in Photonics is that you can connect the most elegant, seemingly simple fundamental equations to the more applied field of chip design – which is a vital industry in today’s society. That way, you get to combine fundamental physics with the applied, technical side of it.”
The choice of Stijn
“I chose to follow up my Bachelor’s in Applied Physics with this Master’s, specialising in Materials Science. I guess it’s the high level of abstractness that I like – it feels like a puzzle and, other than in fluid dynamics or optics, it is very difficult to actually ‘see’ what is happening, so you really need the theory to help you understand the situation you’re describing.”
The choice of Eline
"During my Bachelor’s in Applied Physics, here at UT, I was drawn towards the courses on fluid dynamics the most. I think it is a very tangible field of study, with concepts we know from everyday life, like the coffee stain effect or the way blood is flowing through our bodies. I wrote my bachelor’s thesis at the Physics of Fluids group, and it made me want to specialise further in this field, so for my Master’s, I chose the specialisation in Physics of Fluids."
How to compose your Master’s
What your curriculum looks like, depends on the choices you make in composing your Master’s. There are three steps in doing so.
At the start of your Master's, you need to choose a specialisation, in order to build expertise within a specific domain in the field of Applied Physics. This Master’s has four specialisations:
Once you have chosen your specialisation, it is time to think about what the rest of your curriculum should look like. This starts with considering which research group you want to graduate in. Based on this, you will compose your study programme, in order to prepare well for your final thesis.
Elective courses Next to some compulsory courses, which depend on the specialisation you choose, you have a great deal of freedom in choosing elective courses. Some specialisations have pre-selected sets of electives in a specific direction of your interest. You can even choose courses beyond the Master’s in Applied Physics. Think, for example, of the Master’s in Applied Mathematics, Nanotechnology, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or Chemical Science & Engineering!
Are you curious about the electives you can follow? Choose a specialisation and find out!
In your second year, you will do an internship to gain practical experience. There are many options open to you when it comes to choosing your internship. Find out more about internships by choosing a specialisation.
Master’s structure
During your Master’s in Applied Physics (AP), you will collect a total of 120 EC within two years.
European Credit Transfer System
Student workload at Dutch universities is expressed in EC, also named ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), which is widely used throughout the European Union. In the Netherlands, each credit represents 28 hours of work.
Below, you can find the general structure of this Master’s. Which exact courses you will follow at what moment of your Master’s, depends on the choices you make as well as the starting date of your Master’s.
First year
Compulsory courses
20 EC
Quantum Mechanics 2 Mathematical and Numerical Physics Heat and Mass Transfer Small Signals and Detection Ethical and Cultural Awareness
Specialisation courses
20 EC
Each specialisation has its own set of courses. Choose a specialisation and find out which ones.
Elective courses
20 EC
Each specialisation has considerable elective space in which you can choose specific courses of your interest.
Second year
Internship
20 EC
In the first part of your second year, you will do an internship, as preparation for the professional field. You can also choose to go on a longer internship of 30 EC and use part of your elective space for this.
Master’s thesis
40 EC
In the final phase of your master’s, you will join a research group to complete your master’s thesis (40 EC).
