3. MSc degree studies

Applies to students in physics and astronomy in the academic year 1998/99

MSc studies in the Faculty of Physics are arranged in groups of: core, non-core and English language courses as well as sport activities. Students can obtain teacher’s certificate after completion of courses from the pedagogical group.

Core courses are completed at three stages:

I. preliminary studies during the first two semesters (I year);

II. general studies during the following four semesters (II and III years; some of these courses may be completed during the IV and V years);

III. specialisation studies during the final four or five semesters (depending on specialisation).

NOTE: Duration of stages II and III may be shortened when a student completes all required courses ahead of schedule.

During the preliminary studies a student is obliged to complete the following courses with the corresponding credits (l/w denotes lecture hours per week; c/w class exercise hours per week and p/w laboratory hours per week):

1. 101A Mathematics AI (180h: 6 l/w and 6 c/w., 13 credits)

or

101B Mathematical analysis BI (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 9 credits)

and

103B Algebra and geometry B (60h: 2 l/w and 2 c/w, 4 credits)

or

101C Mathematical analysis CI (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 9 credits)

and

103C Algebra and geometry C (60h: 2 l/w and 2 c/w, 4 credits)

2. 102A Physics AI (150h: 4 l/w and 6 c/w, 12 credits)

or

102B Physics BI (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 12 credits)

or

102C Physics CI (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 12 credits)

3. 104 Principles of experimental error analysis (30h: 2 l/w during the first half of the semester and 1 c/w during the entire semester, 3 credits)

4. A101 Introduction to astronomy I (60h: 3 l/w and 1 c/w, 2 credits) – for students of astronomy only.

1. 105A Mathematics AII (180h: 6 l/w and 6 c/w, 15 credits)

or

105B Mathematical analysis BII (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 10 credits)

and

103B Algebra and geometry B (60h: 2 l/w and 2 c/w, 5 credits)

or

105C Mathematical analysis CII (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 10 credits)

and

103C Algebra and geometry C (60h: 2 l/w and 2 c/w, 5 credits)

2. 106A Physics AII (120h: 4 l/w and 4 c/w, 10 credits)

or

106B Physics BII (105h: 3 l/w and 4 c/w, 10 credits)

or

106C Physics CII (105h: 3 l/w and 4 c/w, 10 credits)

3. 107 Computer programming I (60h: 2 l/w and 2 c/w, 4 credits) - not obligatory for students of astronomy

4. 108 Principles of measurement technique. Introductory laboratory (45h, 2 l/w and 3 c/2w, 3 credits)

5. A102 Introduction to astronomy II (60h: 3 l/w and 1 c/w, 2 credits) - for students of astronomy only.

Mathematics A and Physics A are taught at the most basic level. Mathematics A and Physics A are meant for BSc students and the MSc students who have poor background from secondary school. MSc students in physics who complete Mathematics or Physics on A level are required to pass those courses in the summer semester with a grade 4 or higher. This condition is obligatory for the first year MSc students starting from the academic year 1997/98 (grades of 3 during the first semester are accepted). Mathematical analysis C and Physics C contain a wider range of material than the corresponding Mathematical analysis B and Physics B. Mathematical analysis C and Physics C courses are especially recommended to students who plan to specialise in theoretical physics and who have strong background in mathematics and physics acquired in secondary school.

During the first year semesters are passed separately. To complete the first semester the grades for the courses 101 and 102 have to be obtained and the course 104 is to be passed (with or without a grade). For students of astronomy a grade for the A101 course is required as well.

When at most one examination is failed or at most one pass-grade is lacking a conditional completion of the first semester may be granted. Students are admitted to the second semester only if at least two out of the three courses: 101, 102, 104 are completed.

Students who will not complete the first semester but will receive a recommendation from class assistants may be accepted for participation in a special semester. Courses of this semester are scheduled during the summer semester and are planned to help students with inadequate secondary school preparation. Students who will participate in these courses will remain full time students and after completion of the special semester with a grade 3 will be again admitted to the first year without entrance examinations. Depending on results achieved during the additional courses they will be directed to levels A or B. Persons who will not complete the first semester (neither regularly nor conditionally) and who will not be accepted for the additional courses will be relegated from the Faculty.

For completion of the second semester grades for the courses 105A or both 103B and 105B or both 103C and 105C as well as 106 are required. For astronomy students grades from A102 are required. Additionally, students of physics are obliged to pass with a grade the courses 107 and 108, while students of astronomy are obliged to obtain pass with a grade for the course 108.

Conditional completion of the second semester may be obtained by students who are lacking not more than one examination grade and one pass with a grade (or two examination grades and two passes with grades counting results of the first two semesters, if the missing courses from the first semester have not yet been completed).

Repetition of the first year is possible only for students who attended additional courses and obtained grades 3 from both physics and mathematics. Otherwise repetition is possible in exceptional cases after individual consideration of the Dean.

Students in physics who completed physics and mathematics courses on the level A and obtained grades lower than 4 will be moved to BSc studies starting with the third semester. They have to declare undertaking BSc studies in a selected specialisation not later than September 30^th ‘99. After completion of BSc studies they may continue supplementary MSc studies if all required conditions are satisfied.

During the general studies completion of 1440h corresponding to 120 credits of core courses is required. Courses can be selected arbitrarily from the list shown below and the list of monographic courses having in mind admission requirements for chosen specialisation. The number of completed hours in each of the categories listed below has to exceed a certain minimum. To pass the second stage of studies it is enough to complete 1320h (110 credits) of core courses and monographic lectures (that is 660h per year). The remaining 120h (10 credits) may be completed during specialisation studies.

Courses of general studies are divided into the following categories:

201A Mathematics AIII 120h 10 credits

201B Mathematical analysis BIII 120h 10 credits

201C Mathematical analysis CIII 120h 10 credits

206 Mathematical methods of physics (a) 90h 7.5 credits

207 Mathematical methods of physics (b) 90h 7.5 credits

211 Computer programming II 60h 5 credits

304A Numerical methods AI 75h 6 credits

304B Numerical methods BI 60h 5 credits

312A Numerical methods AII 75h 6 credits

312B Numerical methods BII 60h 5 credits

203 Physics laboratory I (a) 45h 3.5 credits

204 Physics laboratory I (b) 45h 4 credits

210 Electronics, electronic laboratory 45h 4 credits

303 Physics laboratory II (a) 165h 13.5 credits

307 Physics laboratory II (b) 105h 8.5 credits

202A Physics AIII 120h 10 credits

202B Physics BIII 120h 10 credits

205 Physics IV 60h 5 credits

209A Modern theoretical mechanics 90h 7.5 credits

209B Classical mechanics 120h 10 credits

212 Physical experiments under extreme conditions 30h 2.5 credits

213 Physics V 60h 5 credits

301B Quantum mechanics I 120h 10 credits

302A Introduction to nuclear and elementary particle physics 45h 4 credits

302B Introduction to quantum theory of atomic nuclei 60h 5 credits

305A Electrodynamics of continuous media 90h 7.5 credits

305B Electrodynamics and elements of field theory 90h 7.5 credits

306 Introduction to optics and solid state physics 90h 7.5 credits

308 Fundamentals of X-ray and neutron diffraction 30h 2.5 credits

309A Topics in elementary particles physics 30h 2.5 credits

309B Introduction to elementary particle physics 30h 2.5 credits

310 Introduction to geophysics 30h 2.5 credits

311 Introduction to biophysics 30h 2.5 credits

313 Mechanics of continuous media 75h 6.5 credits

314 Physics of relativistic nuclei collisions 30h 2.5 credits

315 Physical methods of environmental studies 60h 5 credits

316A Seminar on modern physics 30h 2.5 credits

316B Seminar on theoretical physics 30h 2.5 credits

317 Microscopy, microdiffraction and microanalysis 30h 2.5 credits

322 Introduction to classical and quantum field theory 45h 4 credits

401 Statistical physics I 90h 7.5 credits

402 Thermodynamics 60h 5 credits

501 Astrophysics for physicists 30h 2.5 credits

A301 Introduction to observational astrophysics 105h 8.5 credits

A302 Statistics for astronomy 120h 10 credits

A303 Selected topics on general astrophysics 75h 6.5 credits

A201 Numerical methods (for students of astronomy) 60h 5 credits

A202 Numerical laboratory (for students of astronomy) 90h 7.5 credits

A203 Computer programming (for students of astronomy) 60h 5 credits

Physics students are obliged to complete 1440h (120 credits) of core courses, with the minimum numbers of hours in the following categories:

Astronomy students are obliged to complete 1440h (120 credits) of core courses, with the minimum number of hours in the categories:

Informatics 120h 10 credits (selected from A201, A202 or A203)

Astronomy students are not obliged to pass Physics laboratories during general studies.

Two weeks before the start of each semester students should declare (using “zapisy” programme in the Computer Centre of the Faculty) which courses they will attend in the coming semester. Students of other faculties who have not their computer accounts in the centre should submit to the Dean’s office written declarations (forms are available in the Dean’s office). A student should consult the selection of courses with his/her supervisor. Dean’s suggestions of possible selections are presented on the Dean’s office message board. These suggestions are especially helpful to students who know which specialisation they want to study in the future. Suggestions take into account requirements of particular Divisions and suggest elective courses, which might be useful for a given specialisation.

To participate in some of the courses a student is expected to complete prerequisite courses (e.g. pass with a grade of Physics laboratory I is necessary for admission to Physics laboratory II). Prerequisites are listed in course tables in curricula which follow in Sections 8-10. In addition to the above core courses students select 150h of elective courses (mostly monographic) from the list of lectures announced before the beginning of each academic year.

The declared number of course hours should be approximately 330h per semester, but not less than 270h and not more than 450h. Only one of the courses with the same course number followed by different letters may be selected.

Fifteen hours per one year may be obtained as a result of participation in symposia or workshops which are recommended for students of a given year by the Dean and Institutes’ authorities.

1. The second and the third years are completed if the required examination grades and passes in core and monographic courses of 660h are obtained each year.
2. During both the second and the third year 60h of non-core courses should be completed.
3. Surplus course hours in a given year is transferred to the next year.
4. To pass the second or the third year conditionally a student has to:
   a) complete 540h of core courses and monographic lectures during a given year;
   b) complete the missing hours during the following year. A student is allowed to complete another course instead of the one in which he/she failed.
5. In case of a repetition of a year, hours completed during the first attempt will credit the repeated year.
6. To complete the second stage of studies it is obligatory to pass examination in English language (see section 3.2).

A student who has completed the preliminary studies and 990h (82.5 credits) of the general studies is allowed to apply (typically after the fifth semester) for admission to a chosen specialisation. Divisions announce preliminary lists of accepted students during the first two months of a summer semester. Divisions are allowed to admit students up to an allotted limit on the basis of an average of grades obtained by a student and/or qualifying interview.

The final acceptance of admission to a given specialisation studies is obtained if:

• preliminary acceptance of a division is obtained;
• a student has completed the preliminary studies;
• a student has completed 1320h of core courses during the second stage of studies;
• a student has completed courses required for admission to a given specialisation.

Nevertheless missing 120h of the second stage may be completed during the specialisation studies.

Students who did not obtain the final acceptation, but completed 1320h, are directed after an interview with the Dean to the Division suggested by the Dean. The Dean can require a student to complete additional courses, which are necessary for admission to a given specialisation. Head of a Division may admit conditionally a student who has not completely fulfilled all the requirements. In such a case a student is obliged to complete missing courses within one year.

During the specialisation studies a student remains under supervision of a head of a Division. A specialisation curriculum is determined by a head of a Division and approved by the Faculty Council. The specialisation studies end when all of required courses are completed and master thesis is written.

During the entire period of studies a student is required to obtain passes for 240 hours of non-core courses. Every year Warsaw University publishes an information booklet containing a list of non-core courses offered by all Faculties. Detailed information about those courses can be obtained from the Dean’s office. In most cases it is necessary to register with a lecturer for a particular course during the first two weeks of a semester. A student may also attend a course which is not on the list provided that he/she obtains Dean’s approval during the first two weeks of a semester. It is up to a student to decide when he/she completes non-core courses. However, we advise that a student starts attending these courses during the second year of studies and completes 60h per year.

Lectures on History of Physics and History of Mathematics (in the Faculty of Mathematics) are credited as non-core courses. Courses in foreign languages (other than English) may be also credited up to the limit of 90 hours. Meetings at Film Academy may be credited up to 60 hours.

The group of pedagogical courses is not obligatory, however completing these courses gives an official teacher’s certificate recognised by all schools in Poland. Courses from this group may be also credited as non-core courses. The group of pedagogical courses contains:

Psychology 90h 7.5 credits

Pedagogy 90h 7.5 credits

Didactics of Physics 120h 10 credits

Placement in a school (after III and IV years) (no credits)

During the first three years of studies students have to pass an examination in the English language at level II in the Foreign Languages School of Warsaw University. To prepare for this examination students may take up to four semesters of English language courses in the School. Students starting their studies in the academic year 1998/99 will attend English language courses beginning with the third semester. Students are allowed to pass this examination without taking the courses. Students who do not take English language courses and who pass the required examination in English are allowed to attend free of charge courses in other languages. In this case they join students from other faculties in the Foreign Languages School.

Students of the MSc studies are required to pass six semesters of sports activities during the first four years of studies. In particular cases this requirement can be waved. The sports activities are organised by the Sports Centre of Warsaw University. These activities can be replaced with participation in academic sports clubs. No credit points are assigned to either English language courses or sports activities.

Informatics 120h (selected from A201, A202, and A203)

w - winter semester

s - summer semester

660h of core courses should be passed during each of II and III years.