Programme structure
Programme structure for students attending this study programme from fall 2018
Programme structure 2017
The programme is built up around an individual research project of 60 ECTS credits. The programme also includes six 10 credit courses (theoretical curriculum). A study plan example has been illustrated schematically below.
| 4. semester | Master's thesis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. semester | Master's thesis | Master's course | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. semester | Master's thesis | Master's course | Master's course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. semester | Master's course + 5 HSE courses | Master's course | Master's course | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
At the beginning of the first semester, you have to attend the following two required intensive courses in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE):
- HMS0501 - Safety and Physical Environment
- HMS0502 - Positive Learning Environment
- HMS0507 - Fire Safety
- HMS0505 - Electricity Safety and HMS0503 - Lab safety (compulsory for specific courses)
You are exempted from these HSE course requirements if you have already completed the equivalent HSE courses in relation to a bachelor programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at UiO.
Theoretical curriculum
The Master’s courses can be taken during the 1st, 2nd or 3rd semester depending on when it fits in with the rest of the programme, however, all Master’s courses must be completed and passed before handing in the Master’s thesis.
The following guidelines apply when structuring the content of your Master’s curriculum:
• Courses amounting to at least 40 ECTS credits must be taken on 4000-/5000-level (not 4000-courses that also exist in a 3000-version (“cloned” courses)). Of these 40 credits, at least 20 credits must be from courses with ha “FYS”-code.
• Up to 20 ECTS credits can be courses on 3000-level, in physics and other relevant subjects.
• Up to 10 ECTS credits may be in a special syllabus selected by your supervisor.
• Up to 10 ECTS may be in another academic field. These courses must be approved by the Programme Council.
For students who starts the program from 2016 (1) it is required to finish at least 20 ECTS of experimental courses in their bachelor (2) and/or master degree. Master students who have achieved less than 20 ECTS of experimental courses for their bachelor degree must choose 10 ECTS eksperimental courses for their theoretical curriculum. The following courses are accounted as experimental courses for the masters program:
- FYS4180 – Experimental Methods in Physics (discontinued) ,
- FYS3230 – Sensors and measurement technology (continued) ,
- FYS3240 – Data Acquisition and Control ,
- FYS4420 – Experimental Techniques in Porous and Complex Systems ,
- FYS4550 – Experimental high energy physics (discontinued) ,
- FYS-KJM5920 – Nuclear measurement techniques and instruments (discontinued) ,
- UNIK4330 – Imaging and detection of optical and infrared radiation (continued) ,
- Or choose 4 of the following courses in their theoretical curriculum
- FYS3710 – Biophysics and medical physics (discontinued) ,
- FYS-KJM4710 – Radiation and radiation dosimetry (continued) ,
- FYS4720 – Cellular Radio Biology ,
- FYS4730 – Medical Radiation Physics for Radiotherapy ,
- FYS-KJM4740 – MR-theory and medical diagnostics (continued) ,
- FYS4761 – CT- and X-ray Diagnostic Techniques ,
(1) For students who have been errolled up until Autumn 2015, it is required that they have taken FYS4180 - Experimental methods in physics as part of their theoretical curriculum in their Master’s degree. Exceptions may be granted if the students have:
• Completed FYS3180 - Experimental methods in physics in their Bachelor’s degree.
• One of the following courses in their Master’s curriculum:
1. FYS3230 - Sensors and measurement technology
2. FYS3240 - Computer based instrumentation and micro controllers
3. FYS4260 - Microsystems and electronic packaging and interconnection technologies
4. FYS4420 - Experimental techniques in condensed matter physics
• Or chosen 4 of the following courses in their Master’s curriculum:
1. FYS3710 - Biophysics and medical physics
2. FYS-KJM4710 - Radiation and radiation dosimetry
3. FYS4720 - Cellular radio biology
4. FYS4730 - Medical radiation physics for radiotherapy
5. FYS-KJM4740 - MR-theory and medical diagnostics
6. FYS4760 - Fysikk i medisinsk røntgendiagnostikk
(2) The following courses at Department of Physics, UiO, are accounted as experimental courses for the bachelors Level:
- FYS1210 – Elementary Electronics with Project Work ,
- FYS2150 – Experimental Physics ,
- FYS2210 – Semiconductor Components (continued) ,
- FYS3180 – Experimental Methods in Physics (discontinued)
Special syllabus consists of lectures, books, articles etc. that have relevance to the Master’s thesis in question. It may not include literature that you need to read to understand the research project’s specific problem areas.
Master's thesis
You should choose a supervisor for your thesis during the first semester of the Master’s programme. Information meetings for students, with a presentation of possible Master’s theses, will be arranged.
A Master’s agreement is to be made prior to the beginning of the second semester of the Master’s programme. The preliminary plan is to handed in appr.1 month into 1st semester (1st of September), and the agreement is to be handed in within 1st of December the same semester. Both forms should be delivered to the study coordinator at the Department of Physics for assessment and approval.
In some cases it may be necessary to start working on the thesis already in the course of the first term of the Master’s programme. If that be the case the agreement should be handed in already in the 1st semester.
A Master’s thesis of 60 ECTS credits is the equivalent to 100% work in the second semester. Deadline for handing in the thesis is 15th of May in the fourth semester. These deadlines are final unless the Programme Council has approved otherwise. You may apply for leave of absence, part-time studies or deferred deadline by following the regulations. Please note that as a rule, postponements for handing in are not usually given. The application for part-time studies must be sent to the Programme Council as soon as the Master’s programme has commenced.
You will be examined in the Master’s thesis. This includes a public presentation of the thesis and an oral examination/discussion with examiner and supervisor(s). The grade given on the thesis is based on a complete evaluation of the thesis, presentation and the written work that has entered into the project. The Master’s thesis is assessed with a letter grade.
If you fail to hand in your thesis at the deadline, you may lose your study right at UiO and the entire Master’s thesis is annulled.
Recognition of Master courses from former education
If you are admitted to the Masters Programme and you have completed Master courses outside the University of Oslo, you may apply to have these courses recognised as part of your degree. Please contact the Department of Physics for more information.
Diploma and degree
This programme leads to the following degree: Master of Science in Physics