1. Welcome as a student at the Faculty of Physics

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For the first time Student's Guide of the Faculty of Physics of Warsaw University is published in its English version (also as a book). It is our hope that the Guide will be useful to students of all the European universities, which are involved in collaboration with us within the frames of Tempus Phare and Socrates/Erasmus schemes. We believe that one day some of the students may come to Warsaw to spend study periods in our Faculty.

In the last few years our educational offer has been significantly enriched to include more programmes and specialisations so everyone can select a curriculum which best fits his/her interests. Some of the courses are taught at three different levels and thus students with different backgrounds can find suitable paths. Beside the well established MSc and PhD programmes in physics and astronomy we offer the BSc programme in physics which can be optionally continued towards MSc degree and the College of Physics Teachers programme.

The variety of offered curricula is challenging not only to academic teachers - the Faculty members but also to students who now may choose their individual ways of reaching BSc or MSc degrees. Within each of 16 MSc and 5 BSc degree specialisations available students choose various elective courses. In fact, every student can create his/her own professional profile. In the 1998/99 Student's Guide you can find contents and scopes of the majority of courses. For the complete information we should wait until the next year.

In the 1998/1999 academic year we will introduce a modified credit system fully equivalent to the European Credit Transfer System as suggested by Socrates/Erasmus scheme. Our system is described in the Guide and the credits assigned to each course are shown in curricula. The curricula have been organised to conform to Socrates/Erasmus standards such as course numbers and codes.

The modernisation of educational model in the Faculty of Physics is continuing. We are open to your advice and suggestions. Especially, we count on responses from these Universities which collaborate with us within several European projects.

We hope that your interaction with the Faculty of Physics of Warsaw University will be fruitful and interesting and it will stimulate your interest in studying physical laws of the Universe which surrounds us.

Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow
Dean