Study Plan
The master degree in Astrophysics and Cosmology is organized in two curricula:
- theory and modelling (A),
- observations, experiments and interpretation (B).
All course units are on a 6 ECTS (48 h lectures) basis. The first semester of the first year aims at providing students with the basis of modern physics/astrophysics and applied mathematics.
Mandatory courses include: General Relativity, Mathematical and Numerical Methods, Astrophysics Lab, Fundamentals of Modern Physics or Fundamentals of Astrophysics and Cosmology (depending on the student background at the Bachelor level).
These are supplemented by a specific course according to the chosen curriculum. During the second semester the student will take a total of five courses, two chosen in list of three for each curriculum, two from a broader list plus an entirely free option. This will ensure that in constructing the his/her own study plan, the student has enough freedom to follow at best his/her interests and inclinations.
In the final year all courses are placed in the first semester and the second is entirely devoted to the master thesis.
One course, different for the two curricula, is mandatory, another one is to be picked up from a suggested list and the remaining one is a free option.
Students are required to pass a final examination at the end of each course, usually in the form of an interview. The final thesis consists in a written essay which must contain original contributions in a research field chosen by the student among those suggested by researchers at Department of Physics and Astronomy or at affiliated research institutions.
We call attention that the compulsory course of Astrophysics Laboratory 1 is split into two channels about high energy instrumentation and infrared and optical instrumentation (see the syllabus in https://en.didattica.unipd.it/off/2024/LM/SC/SC2490 for details). Students must choose one of the two options, according to their preference (not depending on any alphabetic criterion or curriculum choice).
Study plans should be filled out online through Uniweb.
The procedure is available on the dates established for each academic year (indicativly in the months of November and April).
For information:
The study plan submission procedure will be open from March 26 to April 23, 2025.
If you are a first-year student, please note that you will be able to fill in your study plan only for your current first year, so you won't be able to include any activity mentioned on the second year list at the moment.
If you are a second-year student, if you haven't completed the procedure last November, you have to fill in the study plan with the exams you have chosen for the second year; you can also make changes to your current study plan, if necessary.
The deadline to submit your study plan is Wednesday 23rd April 2025. We remind you that after this date it won't be possible to change your study plan until the next procedure will open, in November 2025.
Please be also reminded that:
- completing and updating your study plan is mandatory for all students (first and second year);
- you will be able to take only the exams that you have included in your study plan;
- it won't be possible to make any exception to this regulation, so we strongly invite you to organize the summer session of exams with great attention, especially in case of necessary credits for scholarship, residence permit renewal, graduation etc.
List of Course units
FIRST YEAR
First semester
- Mathematical and Numerical Methods
- General Relativity
- Astrophysics Laboratory 1: high energy instrumentation OR Astrophysics Laboratory 1: infrared and optical instrumentation
- Advanced Astrophysics (curriculum A) OR Observational Astrophysics (curriculum B)
- Fundamentals of Modern Physics OR Fundamentals of Astrophysics and Cosmology
Second semester
Two course units among:
- Theoretical Cosmology(curriculum A)
- Radiative Processes in Astrophysics(curriculum A)
- Theoretical Physics (curriculum A)
- Stellar Astrophysics (curriculum B)
- Astrophysics of Galaxies (curriculum B)
- Observational Cosmology (curriculum B)
Two course units among:
- Multimessenger Astrophysics
- Astroparticle physics
- Gravitational Physics
- Nuclear Astrophysics
- Celestial Mechanics
- Subnuclear Physics
- Astronomical Spectroscopy
- Planetary Astrophysics
- Galactic Dynamics
- Astronomical Interferometry
- Any course belonging to the curriculum course group. For example, a student enrolled in curriculum A, can choose any of the three courses of curriculum B as an elective course, or even complete the triad of exams in her/his own curriculum. Reciprocally, the same applies to the case of a student enrolled in curriculum B.
One free-choice course unit
SECOND YEAR
First semester
- Compact Object Astrophysics (curriculum A) OR Astrophysics Laboratory II (curriculum B)
One course unit among:
- Fluid and Plasma Dynamics
- Exoplanetary Astrophysics
- Cosmology of the Early Universe
- Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium
- High-Energy Astrophysics
- Astro-statistics and Cosmology
- Any course belonging to the curriculum course group. For example, a student enrolled in curriculum A, can choose Astrophysics Laboratory II from curriculum B as an elective course, or even complete the couple of exams in her/his curriculum. Similarly, a student enrolled in curriculum B, can choose Compact Object Astrophysics from curriculum A as an elective course, or even complete the couple of exams in her/his own curriculum.
One free-choice course unit
Second semester
Master Thesis (42 CFU-ECTS)
