This is a guide to help you plan your schedule. At the beginning of each section there is a link where you can find more detailed information.
For english speaking students there is also an Introduction for master students.
Important information in advance
If you are new to TU Dresden, you should activate your ZIH account, which gives you access to almost all of TU Dresden's online services. Information on this can be found on the semester form you received when you enrolled.
important Bei Fragen hilft dir der Fachschaftsrat weiter und vermittelt dir den richtigen Ansprechpartner
Study schedule
Important for the study schedule are the Study documents with study regulations, module description, study schedule and examination regulations. The study schedule specifies when which modules should be taken on time. The master's degree is essentially divided into two parts:
- The first year, in which you listen to lectures, attend seminars and exercises, and complete internships. The respective modules are explained in more detail below and are concluded with various examinations (written examinations, reports, lectures and oral examinations).
- The second year, which is entirely dedicated to research and consists of "Scientific Work" and the Master's thesis.
Examination Office
For questions concerning the administrative side of exams you can contact the examination office of the Master of Physics. In any case, you have to stop by to register for your specialization examination, the scientific work and the master thesis.
The first year
Compulsory courses (key concept lectures)
Since the summer semester 2024 the list of all lectures can be found on the study portal "selma„
For experimental physics and theory there is one lecture with exercise and one tutorial. These briefly summarize the basics from the bachelor's degree in different areas of physics and deal with more advanced topics that are intended to clarify the common concepts from different areas of physics.
The lectures start in the winter semester and are 90 minutes each either once or twice a week, alternating weekly. One important part of this module are the self studies. You should spend a good amount of time on repeating the topics from the bachelor lectures and expand the knowledge from the lecture with literature studies.
In the summer semester, there are so-called tutorials in which your initiative is required in the form of presentations and discussion and which are intended to support you in your self-study for the major final examinations. They discuss important focal points of the topics covered and provide an orientation as to which questions may be asked in the exam.
Both the key concepts of experimental physics and the theoretical physics, usually, are completed after one year by taking a oral exam. In this exam you can be asked questions to all topics discussed in the lecture. These exams take 45 minutes and make up 13% of your final grade each. If you want to take one of these exams you have to get in touch with the teaching person you want to be examined by and agree on a date with them.
As in all other courses, attendance is not compulsory for these modules. Therefore, you can take the exam even if you have not yet attended the tutorials in the summer semester or if you have only attended the tutorials and not yet the lecture when you start your studies in the summer semester. If you take an oral exam early (i.e. after one semester, instead of after one year), the exam counts as a free attempt. You can then retake it "for free" at the regular date, i.e. improve your grade at the second attempt. For this you have to register directly at the Examination Office .
Specialization
To specialise your physical knowlegde you have to choose one field of physics. You can choose between the six (technically only five) big research fields of the TU Dresden. Each of these fields offers a multitude of lectures, which can be found on "selma" und "Compulsory field Qualifications".
When you have chosen a specialisation field, you can gather Credit-Points (CP) in this specialisation. You need 12 SWS (weekly semester hours) in total from both lectures and exercises, which can take place in both the winter and summer semester. You do not have to provide a proof you visited these lectures!
It is best to look at both the lists of winter and summer semester to plan how you want to get the necessary CP. Most lectures are only offered once per year.
important Another part of this module is the lab-course or theoretical tasks worth 4 SWS. If possible you should try to already finish this in the first semester, since it is a mandatory requirement to take the oral exams at the end of the first year. You can get informations about the registration at the institute of your specialisation.
You have to choose two of the specialisation lectures you have taken, which are marked with "VW" or "VWm", in which you want to be examined in. You should take this exam after the first year. This exam takes 45 minutes and is worth 26% of your total grade.
You can apply for the exam with a professor of your choice from the field of specialization, just talk to him/her towards the end of the lecture. The date can be chosen freely and must be communicated to the examination office. If you take the exam after the first semester, this is also a free attempt and you can repeat the exam in the second semester to improve your grade. If you have heard lectures from two different lecturers and would like to take an exam on them, you should contact both of them and ask if they will take the exam together.
Non-physical elective
The non-physics elective offers you numerous choices to think outside the box. You can choose a minor from the Minor Catalogue Master In your minor you will find a multitude of lectures to choose from, where you have to be examined in some way. The way the grade is comprised depends on the minor and is explained in the catalogue. The grade of your minor contributes with 13% to your total grade.
Please note that the times of the minor subject can overlap with compulsory courses and specialization lectures. Therefore, please inform yourself in time on the homepage of the minor subject lectures when they will take place and whether you have to register online for the exercises in advance (tip: just call the secretary's office if the website is not up to date yet).
Hauptseminar
In the Hauptseminar (which is best taken in your specialization) you have to give a presentation on a scientific topic and listen to the presentations of the others. The topics are given out by the relevant institutes and are also available in the course catalouge . The registration is managed by the institutes.
The second year
For the second year with scientific work (WArb) and master thesis (MA) there is a helpful guide by the examination office.
Scientific work (WArb)
The WArb is directly linked to the master's thesis to give you a year-long research phase.
WArb and MA can be applied for with a professor, junior professor, university lecturer or private lecturer who is a member of the physics department.
Attention: If you have found a place for WArb and MA, please check if your supervisor is also eligible as an examiner. Please note the tipps from the Audit Committee on "possible supervisors/examiners"
Your best bet is to apply at the same place where you heard your specialization lectures and ask for a topic for WArb and MA. If you do not know which institutes offer master theses that fit your interests and skills, it is best to ask the lecturers of your specialization lectures or the physics departements Student Advisor .
The scientific work is completed with a 45-minute, ungraded presentation and is the prerequisite for the master's thesis.
Master thesis
You must start working on your Master's thesis no later than one month after taking the last examination (usually the scientific work). In contrast to the Bachelor thesis, the Master thesis does not have a colloqium.
Topics of the Master lectures
The Master lectures in experimental and theoretical physics for one repeat the known topics of the bachelor lectures but also expand this knowledge and add new topics. In the experimental physics lecture mostly new knowledge is provided and the exact topics strongly depend on the teaching person. In the theoretical physics lecture a lot of topics from the bachelor studies are repeated and expanded upon. Unfortunately for those lectures no official scripts exist or if they do, they are available only in german. Down below you can find a list of the topics of the bachelor lectures which can be used for self studies and exam preparation.
Quantum Theory I
- Limits of the Classical Theory
- The „old“ Quantum Theory
- Origins of Wave Mechanics
- SCHRÖDINGERS Wave Mechanics
- Quantum Systems in One Dimension
- DIRAC-Formalism
- Quantentheory of Angular Momentum
- Symmetries
- Central Potentials
- Approximation Methods
- Density Operator
- Consequences and Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
- Theoretical Electrodynamics
- Microscopic electrostatics
- Boundary value problems in electrostatics
- Macroscopic electrostatics
- Microscopic magnetostatics
- Macroscopic magnetostatics
- Linear conductors in static fields
- Electrodynamics
- Electromagnetic waves
- Relativistic Formulation of Electrodynamics
- Retarded fields
- Lagrange formalism for fields
- Mathematical basics
- Theoretical Mechanics
- Kinematics
- Newtonian Mechanics
- Newtonian Mechanics for Multi-Particle Systems
- Lagrangian Mechanics of First and Second Type
- The Central Force Field
- Kinematics of the Rigid Body
- Dynamics of the Rigid Body
- Linear Oscillations
- Hamilton Mechanics
- POISSON-Brackets and Canonical Transformation
- Relativistic Kinematics
- Relativistic dynamics
- Hamilton-Jacobi theory
- Nonlinear dynamics
Quantum Theory II
- Indistinguishable Particles and Second Quantisation
- Relativistic Quantum Theory
- Scattering Theory
- Field Quantization
Statistical Physis and Thermodynamics
- Fundamentals of Statistics
- Basic Concepts and Fundamental Axioms
- Density Operators
- Entropy
- Ensembles
- Connection to Thermodynamics
- Fundamentals of Thermodynamics
- Basic Concepts and Fundamental Principles
- The Laws of thermodynamics
- Thermodynamic Potentials
- Statistics and Thermodynamics
- Applications
- Ideal Quantum Gas (General)
- Ideal Bose Gas
- Ideal Fermi Gas
- Phase Transitions
- Non-Equilibrium Statistics
- Limits of the Fundamental Postulate
- Master Equation
- H-Theorem