You have an international Bachelor degree and you are thinking to move to Bern to do your Master of Science in Physics? Then you will find the necessary information on this page.
If you are looking for possibilities to do a PhD in Bern, please look through the pages of the institutes of the department and contact the research group leaders directly.
Science in Bern
The department of physics and astronomy at the University of Bern conducts cutting edge research in various fields: astronomy and space research, biomedical physics, climate and environmental physics, experimental and theoretical particle physics, and laser and microwave physics. The work in the department is done within four institutes
where the last consists of the three institutes
Additionally, there are three research centers
Members of the department also participate in two Swiss National Centers of Compentence in Research (NCCR): MUST (Molecular Ultrafast Science and Technology) and PlanetS (origins, evolution and characterization of planets).
In Bern, the masters thesis is considered as a first step towards science and as an important phase in a scientific career, where one learns how "things are really being done". For this reason, we think that it is appropriate to allocate 50% of the credit points to the thesis.
Prerequisites
The Master program is given in English, therefore you need to know the language (even though no language certificate is required). Knowledge of German is beneficial to get contact to locals, but it is not required. You need to have an internationally recognized University Bachelor degree. In order to be admitted, you need to formally apply at the University admissions office by handing in various documents (details see link below). Additionally, you need to pay an application fee. If you are not sure whether your Bachelor degree would be accepted, please contact the physics student administration secretary before submitting the applications for advice:
Detailed information about the application and admission process, the required documents etc. can be found here.
Courses and Program
The Master degree course at the University of Bern takes 3 semesters and comprises 90 ECTS points. It can be started at the fall or the spring semester. A specialization in experimental physics, theoretical physics, or astronomy is possible.
More information regarding the physics masters program can be found here. Please also have a look at the description of the courses for the master program which reflect the main research fields of the department.
