Computational Science, Physics - Master Programme

Advanced computations are increasingly important in research and business. In this Master’s programme you will learn how to study complex processes within physics, and how computational science can contribute to knowledge evolution in society. Computational physics is a branch of computational science in which analytical, numerical and statistical methods are used to analyse and draw conclusions from physics models and large data sets from physics experiments. Examples of focus areas are accelerator physics, cell dynamics, supernovas and environmental and climate change.

The programme will prepare you for a professional career in academia as well as in business and industry. In addition to theory for computational science, there will be an emphasis on obtaining knowledge about the practical tools that are used by professionals in the field, including training your skills in programming. You will get general knowledge and skills of importance for computationally intensive professions, such as problem formulation, searching information, data processing, scientific writing, and presentation techniques.

The Master’s programme gives you specialised knowledge in the field of computational science, while also being interdisciplinary in character. Participating students have a background in maths/physics and an interest in mathematics and programming, but you will take courses alongside students from other specialisations. In this context, there will be a chance to conduct joint projects and degree projects. The programme has strong ties with research. You will be taught by internationally well-recognised researchers, and you will be in contact with several research groups. The programme is taught in English.

Programme structure

You can read this Master’s programme even if you do not have a Bachelor’s degree in physics. In this case, the course structure gives you a general education in physics at first and second-cycle level, focusing on the interaction between numerical methods and theoretical models. If you already have a Bachelor’s degree in physics, you will deepen your knowledge in the subject with a particular focus on areas that require computational science methods.

If you do not have a Bachelor’s degree in physics, the first year of study includes five compulsory courses: modelling in computational science, basic quantum mechanics, basic statistical physics and quantum statistics, atomic and molecular physics and numerical methods for differential equations. If you already have a Bachelor’s degree in physics, you take only two of these courses and build on them with courses such as stationary stochastic processes, advanced electromagnetism, Monte Carlo methods for statistical inference, and numerical simulations of flow problems. The degree project is worth 30 credits.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the programme can embark on several different career paths. The Master’s programme gives you a solid foundation for third-cycle education in the natural sciences, or a career within industry or business. You can thus also choose a career path outside academia and then find attractive jobs in areas where there is a need to solve natural science problems with the help of statistics, data processing or simulations, in industry or in public administration and other organisations.