Bachelor Academic Studies in Physics

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY PROGRAMME

The purpose of the study programme is providing the high-quality education to successfully perform academic and professional work in the field of Physics to students who will play a leading role in their area of expertise. The study program guarantees acquiring all the necessary competences for education of professionals. The existence of this degree program is fully justified and beneficial to society as a whole, given the role of modern physics - understanding the physical processes and materials. The physicists are experts necessary in every modern society, as they are the key element in the development of new energy sources, new materials, and new technologies.

They are needed in all areas of modern science and technology in general. Environmental protection, modern medicine, meteorology, astronomy and astrophysics, modern education, as well as in many other areas that cannot be developed without physicists. Moreover, physics, its methods and models are today applied in areas such as the economy, stock market business.

Experts of this profile are able to perform a variety of physical analysis, develop different models, participate in the development of new materials, technologies, energy resources.

A physicist of the high quality academic education has a wide range of opportunities to work for example in scientific and research institutes or development departments in many companies, in quality control, aviation, medical industry, in all companies where the measurement and development of methods of measurement are needed, astronomical observatories, planetariums, hospitals, banks, meteorological observatories, environmental protection institutes, in the government sector, and  in the modern industry in general.

Faculty of Sciences provides education and training to experts in natural and mathematical sciences, which confirms that the existence of this programme complies with the basic tasks and goals of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad.

GOALS OF THE STUDY PROGRAMME

The primary goals of this study programme are obtaining academic and professional competences in physics, and mastering the skills and methods for their acquisition and further development. None the less important are the goals to develop creative abilities and skills to perform various forms of development and application of physics.

The most important general objectives of the study programme are to provide stimulating environment for professional and personal development of students, to use the learning methods to develop analytical, critical and self-critical thinking and approach to address the challenges in an interesting and intellectually challenging way.

The main professional goal is to educate and train professionals to work in diverse and dynamic areas of the profession, as well as to acquire the basic and advance knowledge of the theoretical and experimental principles and methods. Naturally, the ultimate goal is that students obtain the appropriate qualifications which require them to demonstrate knowledge in the field to the level of using the expert literature covering the core knowledge of the topic; to professionally apply their knowledge; to develop skills of defending arguments; to develop the ability to solve problems within the field of studies; to develop the ability to collect and interpret the data; to contemplate on the relevant social, scientific or ethical issues; to be able to report their work to professional and general public; to develop the skills and qualify for further studies.

Professional goals are aimed at providing students with:
- Knowledge of mathematics and mathematical methods that are important for physics
- Broad knowledge of the basics of theoretical and experimental physics
- Basic knowledge of applied physics
- Extensive knowledge and understanding of the structure of the matter and methods for its investigation

- Knowledge of the basic principles of operation and use of modern appliances, equipment and instruments
- Understanding and knowledge of the basic principles of measurement and data processing
- Understanding and knowledge of the basics of modelling
- Development of communication and building appropriate human relations so that they can communicate effectively with other professionals that the encounter in practice
- Understanding the basic role of physics in the modern world

This study programme defines general methods and strategies for acquiring the competencies:

- to acquire knowledge and understanding: accumulation of knowledge is mainly achieved through lectures and various forms of exercises and practice whose purpose is to broaden, clarify and highlight the practical importance of the content provided in class. This part is also includes production of seminar papers at different levels and in accordance with the students’ progress. The program is designed to allow students the freedom to choose their own further orientation in line with their own ambitions and preferences.

- General competencies (ability to analyze, ability of problem solving, integrating theory and practice, synthesis) are mainly achieved through lectures followed by different types of exercises, particularly within the core courses. It is very important to engage students in solving practical problems in the exercise or practice.

- General competences (communication skills through oral presentations and written reports, the use of information technology, the ability to work independently or in a team, integration and evaluation of  information from various sources, effective and continuous learning); Part of these competences is acquired through obtaining other skills. These skills are continually developed, upgraded and improved throughout the programme, especially with the increase of complexity of the seminar papers and practical problems to be solved by students.

- Subject-specific skills such as planning how to solve practical problems, the use of laboratory methods for data collection, data analysis and their critical assessment, preparation of reports, presentation of reports, effective use of computers in practice are mainly achieved through laboratory exercises and producing seminar papers and professional practice.
Taking into account that evaluating students is one of the necessary steps in creating high quality experts in the area, each of the courses provides specific methods of assessment.

COMPETENCIES OF THE STUDENTS UPON GRADUATION

Description of general and course-specific competencies of students
Description of learning outcomes.

By mastering the curriculum, the student acquires the following general skills:

- Analysis, synthesis and forecasting problem solutions and consequences
- Development of analytical, critical and self-critical thinking and approach to problem solving

- Development of communication skills and agility, cooperation with immediate social and international environment
- Application of professional ethics
- Lifelong learning and training
- Creativity
- Applying knowledge in practice
- Work independently or in a team
- Collecting and interpreting data
- Contemplation on the relevant social, scientific or ethical issues
- Mastering the methods, procedures and process of research

By mastering the study programme, the student acquires the following course-specific skills and knowledge:

- Application of standard experimental or theoretical methods for the specific area
- Expanded and integrated knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and/or experimental physics
- Ability for further academic and professional development

- Identification of the core processes and critical thinking

- Ability to use the existing models

- Finding and using the relevant literature and using the core knowledge of the topic

- Critical choice of the relevant literature resources with the help of supervisors

- Ability to professionally apply the acquired knowledge

- Understanding and knowledge of the nature and methods of research in physics

- Detailed knowledge and understanding of the basics of modern physics

- Knowledge, understanding and ability to apply the most important mathematical and numerical methods

- Using computers for the purpose of performing calculations and writing software
- Understanding and detailed knowledge of the most important and traditional experimental methods

- Working under expert supervision

- Knowledge of a foreign language for the purpose of professional communication

- Application of knowledge and understanding in determining the order of magnitude in situations that are physically different but show analogies

- Understanding the ethics related to physics and the responsibility to protect public health and the environment

Additional course-specific learning outcomes resulting from elective modules are:

Module Research – ability to work and provide technical support in various types of laboratories for physics and development 

Module Astronomy with Astrophysics – ability to perform simple work in astronomical observatories, planetariums

Module Medical Physics – knowledge of the operation of the basic and complex medical instruments

Module Physics Meteorology – understanding and mastering the simple methods and models related to the atmosphere

THE CURRICULUM

Опис

Description

The structure of the curriculum includes the timetable of elective modules and courses thereof according to semesters, the number of active teaching hours and the number of ECTS points.

Course description contains the name, type of the course, study year and semester, the number of ECTS points, lecturers’ names, course goals and expected outcomes, skills and competencies, course requirements, course content, recommended literature, teaching methods, methods of knowledge assessment and evaluation and other data.

The curriculum is designed to provide the student with at least 60 ECTS in every study year, which leads to accumulating at least 240 ECTS upon the completion of studies.

This programme includes obligatory courses and elective modules containing obligatory and elective courses.

Besides the obligatory courses, students have to choose some of the elective modules:

• Research
• Medical Physics
• Physics-Meteorology
• Physics-Astronomy with Astrophysics

Elective modules are selected i.e. registered when enrolling in the first year of studies.

- Courses within the elective modules may be obligatory and elective courses.
- The method of selection of elective courses :

Elective courses in this study program are offered in the corresponding semester. Students have to choose at least one of the elective courses offered. Students choose the courses together with the student advisor for the module in question. Student Advisor is always a member of teaching staff and one of the professors.

Elective courses given in a semester (either winter or summer) can be selected in the corresponding semester where they are available. By the end of the studies, at least one option for each elective course must be passed.
Registration of the elective courses is done on the occasion of enrolment of the study year.
- Students cannot choose elective courses from the programmes other than those comprising the group of elective courses belonging to this study programme.