Physics

The three-year degree program in Physics provides adequate mathematical knowledge for understanding the course topics, knowledge and understanding of Classical Physics (Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electrodynamics, and Optics), basic knowledge of English, Chemistry, Computer Science (computer structure, networks, programming languages, etc.), the fundamentals of Modern Physics (Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Physics, Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics, Matter Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology), and operational knowledge of modern laboratory instruments and experimental data acquisition, processing, and analysis techniques. The program also offers elective courses to acquire knowledge in other fields of physics and skills for application in the workplace. It has a single curriculum and aims to provide students with the knowledge needed to pursue both master's degrees in physics (and other disciplines) and to train graduates who can enter the workforce thanks to their ability to apply the physics method to solve real-world problems. The program is delivered through lectures, exercises, significant laboratory experience, and internships at the numerous research laboratories and research institutions in the region with which the program collaborates. Trieste is characterized by a very high concentration of organizations, research institutions, and research institutes operating in various fields of physics, including the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the Istituto Officina dei Materiali (Institute of Materials) and the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR-IOM and CNR-INO), the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS), the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, and the Regional Meteorological Observatory of Friuli Venezia Giulia (ARPA and OSMER FVG). The "Luciano Fonda" University College offers merit-based scholarships to physics students. The Bachelor's Degree in Physics belongs to the Physical Sciences and Technologies degree program. Students who pass the Bachelor's Degree exams and successfully defend a thesis on a topic of interest to the world of research, industry, or education earn a Bachelor's Degree in Physics, which is a first-level academic degree similar to the English Bachelor's Degree or the French Licence. The Bachelor's Degree has agreements with European universities as part of the Erasmus Program for study periods abroad. The Bachelor's Degree program is open to all students, meaning there is no set enrollment limit. Students with a high school diploma or other legally equivalent qualification are eligible. Classes begin with a two-week preparatory course, which covers basic mathematics and physics topics. At the end of the course, students take a locally administered, non-selective test to verify their basic knowledge. A failed test does not preclude enrollment. The vast majority (approximately 90%) of graduates are overall satisfied with the Physics degree program in Trieste and would enroll in the same program again.