Prerequisites for the admission.

The degree program in Physics is not restricted access, but admission is subject to the possession of a secondary school diploma or other equivalent qualification obtained abroad and recognized as appropriate in compliance with the legislation in force. Part time enrolment is also permitted. Aptitude for successfully following the degree program in Physics is assessed through a test or interview to ascertain the possession of the minimum requirements for enrolment in the degree program. The assessment shall be based on mathematical topics covered in the secondary school curriculum which are considered to be prerequisites for physics studies, including analytical geometry, the solution of equations and disequations, trigonometry, logarithms and exponential functions. The subjects will be agreed with the secondary schools and type tests disseminated in schools to allow the students to selfevaluate prior to enrolment. Enrolment to the degree program is not subject to the passing of the entrance exam, as preparatory courses in mathematics are organized within the study program for students immediately prior to the start of the first year of studies, as well as an individual tutoring service to help students complete any additional learning requirements during the first year. Tests to assess the additional learning requirements will be carried out during specific sessions organized during the first year of the program. Enrolment to the second year is however subject to the fulfillment of the additional learning requirements.

Educational goals

The three year degree in Physics has a strong methodological basis, and is divided between a balance of mathematical, theoretical and experimental physics subjects. In order to ensure a solid grounding which guarantees student mobility towards other universities and access to 2nd cycle degree programs in Class LM17 (Physics), the local learning outcomes of the threeyear degree program in Physics include the acquisition of general knowledge of mathematics and numeric calculus (mathematical analysis; numerical analysis; geometry) and basic chemistry, general knowledge of basic physics (classic physics: mechanics, thermodynamics and fluid physics, electromagnetism; classic physics laboratory, data acquisition and statistical processing of experimental data), general knowledge of theoretical physics and mathematical physics (mathematical methods for physics; analytical mechanics; introduction to quantum physics), general knowledge of matter physics (introduction to matter structure). Links with the university research activities and other research activities conducted in cooperation with businesses and technology transfer centers offer teachers the possibility to continuously update their competences and therefore the knowledge they transmit to students. In order to assure this link and offer a chance for guidance towards the 2nd cycle degree program, the Physics degree program curriculum may be structured in a number of specific paths. The choice of subject areas and the range of the relative credits aims to allow the university to run, replace and/or modify the significant curricula of the Physics degree without modifying the degree program structure. In order to assure the harmonization of studies among threeyear Physics graduates, the difference between the various curricula is no more than 12 18 CFU. Currently, for example, considering the active research projects, two curricula are available, one oriented to “Microphysics and matter structure” and the other to "Geophysics and Spatial Astrophysics", with an accent on geophysics.

Communication skills

Students will broaden their knowledge of foreign languages through exchange programs and the recognition of learning activities carried out abroad; they will be able to work in groups and present the results of their work in public seminars and written reports. As far as the ability to work in groups and report group work results is concerned, written and oral communication skills will be assessed through a final dissertation, usually concerning the period of internships, which shall be produced by the students at the end of the study program and presented orally to a specific final examination board.

Making Judgements

Students will broaden their own curriculum by selecting specific physics topics, such as the physics of materials, environmental and atmospheric physics, instrumental and spectroscopic techniques, and be able to apply such knowledge to develop experimental procedures or theoretical analyses concerning consolidated basic or industrial research problems in order to achieve improvements; they will have made contact with the professional and research worlds through a short internship which allows them to put into practice their group working skills and ability to apply their own knowledge to specific problems. The students’ ability to make judgments will be assessed through their individual course work and the short internship.

Learning skills

Graduates will be able to carry out bibliographic research using physical and technical literature, also written in English; they must be able to autonomously study new physics topics. The above learning skills will be assessed in exams set at the end of some course units in the third year of the program and through the production of a final dissertation which usually requires the students to consult scientific texts and documents in a foreign language and the personal study of subjects which are not included in the core teaching activities.

Knowledge and understanding

Solid understanding of the main theories of classical physics and understanding of the most important methods for measuring the dimensions of classical physics; elementary knowledge of the foundations of modern physics; Elementary knowledge of physics also in more specific sectors. The ability to apply the above knowledge and understanding will be assessed through exams set in the core courses in classical physics, introduction to modern physics and physics laboratory, as well as the exams set in the elective courses laid down in the student’s individual study plan.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Ability to assess the analogies and differences between physical systems and apply problem solving techniques to new problems; ability to autonomously conduct experiments; ability to statistically process experimental data and product written technical reports on experiments; ability to develop a model of a simple physical process or system and critically review the model following comparison with experimental data; ability to understand and apply the main mathematical methods of analytical and numeric calculus; ability to use computer tools and autonomously develop elementary calculation programs. The ability to apply the above knowledge and understanding will be assessed through numerical exercises and practical laboratory and computer work within the core physical and mathematics courses, the production of written reports on laboratory work and by passing the exams set at the end of the courses.