Physics

The Undergraduate Course in Physics, consisting of a three-year Bachelorís cycle and a two-year Masterís cycle, is part of the Faculty of Sciences at the Scuola Normale Superiore and is integrated with the corresponding degree programmes of the Physics Department at the University of Pisa. Admission is through a competitive exam with written and oral tests in mathematics and physics (for the first year) or in physics (for the fourth year). The first three years, partially shared with the Mathematics and Chemistry programmes, are designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the quantitative natural sciences and to foster personal growth. Broad institutional courses are combined with an initial introduction to the research areas cultivated at the Scuola. In the subsequent two years, in which students can choose from a more diverse and specialized set of courses, teaching and research become even more closely intertwined. Advanced topics are studied across various branches of physics: from condensed matter to quantum sciences and technologies, from experimental fundamental interactions to theoretical physics and from astrophysics to cosmology. Students also participate in individual research projects with research groups and laboratories on themes in which they are interested (in preparation for the so-called Colloqui, based on a kind of mini-thesis); at the end of the two years, they publicly defend a research topic to receive the diploma. In addition to this educational course, students are also enrolled in the University of Pisa's Bachelor's and Masterís degree programmes in physics. Above all, they experience these intense years of study in close contact with each other and with their lecturers, engaging in a daily exchange of ideas and experiences. The Undergraduate Course in Physics prepares students both for PhD studies and for highly qualified careers in research institutions or private industry, in Italy and abroad.