Physics, B.Sc.

The course that leads to the Bachelor of Science in Physics qualification is designed first and foremost to provide a broad, scienceoriented general education in physics. The curriculum therefore covers a broad spectrum, starting with classical mechanics and electricity and leading on to modern subjects such as nuclear and particle physics, optics, condensed matter physics, nanophysics, and astrophysics. Like all Bachelor’s and Master’s degree courses it is subdivided into modules. The integration of experimental and theoretical physics right from the first semester in the Physics I (Particles and Particle Systems), Physics II (Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism), Physics III (Waves and Quanta) and the Atomic and Quantum Physics modules has been a long-standing feature of Münster’s degree courses in physics. These modules are jointly organised by the teaching staffs from both disciplines. Their purpose is to show from the outset that in physics, the combination of the experimental investigation of nature, the creation of physical models, and the theoretical description of the studied processes on the basis of these models forms a single unit.

Advanced courses dealing with experimental and theoretical physics then follow, notably in the field of experimental physics the modules Structure of Matter and Measuring Technology and Signal Processing, and in the field of theoretical physics in the module Quantum Theory and Statistical Physics. Practice in experimental techniques is the focus of the modules Laboratory Courses I and II, and initial experience in the field of research itself can be gained when students write their Bachelor’s thesis.