What follows is something that may help a little bit the Erasmus Students coming to Trieste, in constructing their Learning Agreement.

If you have trouble, please do contact the Erasmus physics representative Angelo Bassi at bassi@ts.infn.it and he will be more than happy to help you.

Academic Titles

The University of Trieste offers, according to the Sorbonne and Bologna project set forward from the European ministries of educations, two titles: Degree in Physics and Master Degree in Physics.

Degree in Physics "Laurea in Fisica"

A 3 year bachelor (called "Laurea") which requires 180 ECTS.

The academic year is divided in two terms, with a 2 months interval between terms dedicated to individual study and exams.

Courses of the three-year bachelor (LAUREA) degree:

I Year _ 
Mathematical Analysis I (9)
  Mathematical Analysis II (12)
  Geometry (9)
  Computing Laboratory (6)
  Newtonian Physics (10)
  Thermodynamics and Fluidodynamics (6)
  Foreign Language course (3)
  Laboratory I (8)

II Year
 _ Mathematical Methods in Physics (9)
  Introduction to Quantum Physics (8)
  Electromagnetism (9)
Electrodynamics, Optics and Relativity (12)
  Laboratory II (8)  
Laboratory III (7)
  Chemistry (6)

III Year
 _ Quantum mechanics (9)  
Introduction to Condensed Matter (8)
  Statistical Physics (6)  
Introduction to Nuclei and Particles (8)  
Optional Course (6)  
Professional Course (6)  
Apprenticeship (3)
  Optional Course (6)
  Thesis (6)

The Thesis consists of a brief project done under the supervision of a professor of the University of Trieste on a topic of interest either for the research community or the industrial world.

Master Degree in Physics "Laurea Magistrale Interateneo in Fisica"

A 2 year Master (called "Laurea Magistrale") which requires 120 ECTS after the bachelor degree. Students can continue for a 2 year Master Degree in Physics (Laurea Magistrale). The "Laurea Magistrale" degree can be compared to an advanced master in physics or in astrophysics in the Anglo-Saxon system or to the last two years of the New European Educational System as fixed by the Bologna-Sorbonne agreement among the European Ministers of Education in the mid nineties. The "Laurea Magistrale" is two years long and besides a set of courses with their relative exams (as detailed below), it requires the preparation of a  research thesis for a total of 120 ECTS points. For the thesis the students can profit from the interaction and supervision of  the many scientists working in the Trieste Area at various research facilities like the University of Trieste (http://www.units.it/), the laboratories of  INFN (http://www.ts.infn.it/), the ICTP (http://www.ictp.it/), the Elettra Synchrotron Machine (http://www.elettra.trieste.it), the INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Trieste (http://www.ts.astro.it/), INFM (http://www-dft.ts.infn.it/INFM/), OGS (http://www.ogs.trieste.it/) and SISSA (http://www.sissa.it/).

The courses of the training tracks where students of the joint program between University and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) http://www.ictp.it/ are present, are given in English.

The general rules for the admission are specified in https://www2.units.it/stranieri/en. The applicants must reach a minimum level of understanding of basic physics; they must have passed exams in calculus, geometry and informatics for at least 15 credits (15 ECTS), classical physics (dynamics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, acoustics, optics), quantum mechanics, relativity, statistical physics, condensed matter physics, nuclear and subnuclear physics, physics laboratory ( experimental practice and statistical analysis of the experimemental data) for at least 30 credits (30 ECTS) .

This level is verified by a Commission for the admission to the master degree in physics. The members of committee are listed in http://df.units.it/it/didattica/corsi-studio/Organi-della-didattica. The committee evaluates the curriculum vitae, the transcript of records and the syllabus (i.e. the lists of topics covered in each course) of the applicant, and may interview the applicant.

Master degree in Physics consists of five curricula:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nuclear and Sub-Nuclear Physics
• Theoretical physics
• Earth and Environmental Physics
• Astrophysics and Cosmology

All the training tracks consist of some common compulsory courses during the 1st year, other courses characterizing the different training tracks, and other optional courses which, within some limitations, are left to the choice of the student.
For the academic year 2016/17 the common compulsory courses are: 

- Condensed Matter Physics I (6 Credits, I semester, I year)

- Field theory I (6 Credits, I semester, I year)

- Symmetries and Fundamental Interactions (6 Credits, I semester, I year)

- Cosmology I (6 Credits, II semester, I year)

The I semester of the II year includes two courses plus an 'Apprenticeship' and part of the Thesis work. The 'Apprenticeship' include some reading and/or laboratory work which the student privately agrees upon with his thesis advisor in order to better tackle the thesis topic. The II semester of the II year is totally devoted to the thesis work.

Usually Exams consist of an oral and written part. For courses made of two modules the student has to pass for each module a written and oral exam unless the teacher decides otherwise.

The Teaching of the various courses is done at the: DIPARTIMENTO DI FISICA, VIA VALERIO 2, TRIESTE 34127, TEL +39/040/5583378, FAX +39/040/5583350

International study program in Physics: ICTP-University agreement

The University of Trieste with its Department of Physics and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), upon recognizing the extensive possibilities offered by the collaboration between the two institutions, have agreed to cooperate in education in physics at the graduate level.

This international study  program is open to anyone having the equivalent of a  Bachelor degree in Physics or who has completed the first three years of the New European Educational System equivalent to 180 ECTS points (European-Credits-Transfer-System points). Before registration the academic degree will be checked by a committee of the University of Trieste.

The courses will be taught in English and will be offered by scientists belonging either to the University of Trieste or Udine or ICTP. A limited number of fellowships will be awarded to the best students from developing countries.