Focus Areas in the physics program
The Physics Department in Göttingen offers a unique variety of physics topics that you can study and explore in depth. In the master's program, you can choose between five areas of study, which also reflect our main areas of research:
Even though you must choose an area of study when applying, you can change it later, and you can also include modules from other areas in your program. In addition, there are modules that are assigned to multiple areas due to their interdisciplinary nature. In the master’s program, you must select 26 credits from your area of study, including at least one seminar.
Click on one of the areas of study to explore the courses offered for the first year of the Master’s program in Physics.
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Here you'll find information on how to apply and enroll
- B.Phy.1551 Introduction to Astrophysics (English / 8 C / 6 SWS)
- B.Phy.1551 Introduction to Astrophysics (English / 8 C / 6 SWS)
- B.Phy.1541 Introduction to Geophysics (German / 4 C / 3 SWS)
- Physics of Stellar Atmospheres (Prof. Dr. Stefan Dreizler)
- Physics of Galaxies (Prof. Dr. Wolfram Kollatschny)
- Introduction to Solar System Science: The Central Star (Dr. Hardi Peter)
- General relativity Theory (Prof. Dr. Laura Covi)
- Physics of the Sun, Heliosphere and Space Weather - Key Knowledge (Dr. Volker Bothmer)
- Physics of Stellar Atmospheres (Computer based tutorial, Prof. Dr. Stefan Dreizler)
- Introduction to Solar System Science: The Planetary System (Dr. Thorsten Kleine)
- Active galactic nuclei (Prof. Dr. Wolfram Kollatschny)
- The First Billion Years (Prof. Dr. Jens Niemeyer)
- Quantum field theory (Prof. Dr. Laura Covi)
- Physics of the Sun, Heliosphere and Space Weather - Effects and Applications (Dr. Volker Bothmer)
- Current topics in theoretical physics (Prof. Dr. Steffen Schumann)
- B.Phy.1561 Introduction to Physics of Complex Systems (English / 6C / 6 SWS)
- B.Phy.1571 Introduction to Biophysics (English / 6 C / 6 SWS)
- Dynamics of Living Systems (Prof. Dr. Timo Betz)
- Theoretical Biophysics ( Prof. Dr. Jörg Enderlein)
- Introduction to Biophysics ( Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics (Hon. Prof. Dr. Helmut Grubmüller, Prof. Dr. Bert de Groot,)
- Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience: Collective dynamics of biological neural Networks I (Prof. Dr. Fred Wolf, Dr. Michael Wibral, Prof. Dr. Tim Golisch)
- Optical Measurement Techniques (Dr. Holger Nobach)
- X-ray Optics, Imaging & Microscopy (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Structure Analysis of Biomolecular Assemblies (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Critical Analysis of Research Articles (Prof. Dr. Timo Betz)
- Special Topics in Cell Mechanics (Prof. Dr. Timo Betz)
- Social Networks and Societal Dynamics (Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- Current Topics in Theoretical Biophysics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Klumpp)
- How to give a really good talk at a conference (Prof. Dr. Sarah Köster)
- Hands-on laboratory training on cell culture techniques (Practical exercises, Prof. Dr. Sarah Köster, Dr. Ulrike Rölleke)
- X-ray physics (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Statistical Biophysics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Klumpp)
- Cell Mechanics (Prof. Dr. Timo Betz)
- Differential Forms for Physicists (Prof. Dr. Jörg Enderlein)
- Statistical machine learning (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Dynamics on networks: from random walks to glasses and epidemics (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Biomolecular Physics and Simulations (Lecture + Practical, Hon. Prof. Dr. Helmut Grubmüller, Prof. Dr. Bert de Groot)
- Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience: Collective dynamics of biological neural Networks II (Prof. Dr. Fred Wolf, Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- Machine Learning, hands-on (Dr. Matthias Schröter)
- Processing of Signals and Measured Data (Dr. Holger Nobach)
- Image Processing and Reconstruction for biomedical Imaging (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Current Topics in Theoretical Biophysics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Klumpp)
- Nanolithography and Nanofabrication (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Critical Analysis of Research Articles (Prof. Dr. Timo Betz)
- Special Topics in Cell Mechanics (Prof. Dr. Timo Betz)
- Introduction to Theoretical Neuroscience (Prof. Dr. Fred Wolf, Dr. Andreas Neef)
- Living Neural Networks (Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- Statistical Physics of Living Systems (Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- How to present a really good poster at a conference (Prof. Dr. Sarah Köster)
- Hands-on laboratory training on cell culture techniques (Practical exercises, Prof. Dr. Sarah Köster, Dr. Ulrike Rölleke)
- Learning Systems: From Neural Networks to Societal Dynamics (Hackathon, Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- B.Phy.1531 Introduction to Materials Physics (German / 4 C / 4 SWS)
- B.Phy.1521 Introduction to Solid State Physics (German / 8 C / 6 SWS)
- B.Phy.1522 Solid State Physics II (English / 6 C / 6 SWS)
- Thin Films - Science and Industrial Demand (Prof. Dr. Jasnamol Palakkal)
- Materials Physics I: Microstructure-Property- Relations. The physics of topological defects in materials. (Prof. Dr. Christian Jooss)
- Physics of Semiconductor Nanostructures (Dr. Malindretos, Prof. Dr. Michael Seibt)
- Introduction to solid state theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Blöchl)
- Physics of Modern Semiconductor Devices (Dr. Malindretos, Prof. Dr. Michael Seibt)
- Structure Analysis of Biomolecular Assemblies (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- X-ray Optics, Imaging & Microscopy (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditts)
- Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Solid State Physics II (Prof. Dr. Stefan Mathias)
- Quantum transport in nanoscopic systems (Prof. Thomas Weitz)
- Hands-on density functional theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Bloechl)
- Current topics in theoretical physics (Prof. Dr. Steffen Schumann)
- Advanced solid state theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Bloechl)
- Dynamics on networks: from random walks to glasses and epidemics (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Statistical machine learning (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Quantum matter: fundamentals, topology and superconductivity (Prof. Thomas Weitz)
- Image Processing and Reconstruction for biomedical Imaging (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Classical-quantum connections in theoretical physics (Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Nanolithography and Nanofabrication (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt)
- Hands-on density functional theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Bloechl)
- B.Phy.1511 Introduction to Particle Physics (German / 8C / 6 SWS)
- B.Phy.1512 Particle physics II - of and with quarks (6 C / 6 SWS)
- M.Phy.5807 Particle Physics III - of and with leptons (6 C / 6 SWS)
- Particle Physics 3 - Physics with and of Leptons (Prof. Dr. Stan Lai)
- Physics of the top-quark (Prof. Dr. Arnulf Quadt)
- Advanced topics in particle physics (Prof. Dr. Arnulf Quadt)
- Physics of the Higgs boson and electroweak symmetry breaking (Prof. Dr. Stan Lai)
- Interactions between radiation and matter - detector physics " (Lecture + Tutorial, Prof. Dr. Jörn Große-Knetter)
- CERN School of Computing (Prof. Dr. Arnulf Quadt)
- Hadron Collider Physics (Prof. Dr. Arnulf Quadt)
- Physics of particle accelerators (Prof. Dr. Arnulf Quadt)
- Statistical methods in data analysis (Prof. Dr. Arnulf Quadt)
- Statistical machine learning (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- M.Phy.5401 Advanced Statistical Physics (6 C / 6 SWS)
- B.Phy.5402 Advanced Quantum Mechanics (6 C / 6 SWS)
- Advanced Quantum Mechanics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Kehrein)
- Advanced Statistical Physics (Prof. Dr. Marcus Müller)
- Methods of Computational Physics (Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Introduction to solid state theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Blöchl)
- General relativity theory (Prof. Dr. Laura Covi)
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics (Hon. Prof. Dr. Helmut Grubmüller, Prof. Dr. Bert de Groot)
- Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Seminar on Symmetries and Group Theory in Physics (Prof. Dr. Salvatore Manmana)
- Social Networks and Societal Dynamics (Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- Advanced Computational Physics (Computational lab course, Prof. Dr. Stefan Klumpp, Prof. Dr. Steffen Schumann, Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Current topics in theoretical physics (Prof. Dr. Steffen Schumann)
- Advanced solid state theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Bloechl)
- Hands-on density functional theory (Prof. Dr. Peter Bloechl)
- Quantum field theory (Prof. Dr. Laura Covi)
- Dynamics on networks: from random walks to glasses and epidemics (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Statistical machine learning (Prof. Dr. Peter Sollich)
- Statistical Biophysics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Klumpps)
- Biomolecular Physics and Simulations (Lecture + Practical, Hon. Prof. Dr. Helmut Grubmüller, Prof. Dr. Bert de Groot)
- Classical-quantum connections in theoretical physics (Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Current Topics in Theoretical Biophysics (Prof. Dr. Stefan Klumpp)
- Statistical Physics of Living Systems (Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
- Advanced Computational Physics (Computational lab course, Prof. Dr. Fabian Heidrich-Meisner)
- Learning Systems: From Neural Networks to Societal Dynamics (Hackathon, Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann)
Astro/Geophysics
You have to pass the following modules in your master programme, in case that you didn‘t pass and count it for your Bachelor degree:
Astrophysics
Geophysics
Courses for your first academic year
Winter Semester 2026/27
Lectures:
other courses:
Summer Semester 2027
Lectures:
Biophysics/Physics of Complex Systems
You have to pass the following modules in your master programme, in case that you didn‘t pass and count it for your Bachelor degree:
Courses for your first academic year
Winter Semester 2026/27
Lectures:
Seminars:
Other courses:
Summer Semester 2027
Lectures:
Seminars:
other courses:
Solid State Physics / Materials Physics
You have to pass the following modules in your master programme, in case that you didn‘t pass and count it for your Bachelor degree:
Courses for your first academic year
Winter Semester 2026/27
Lectures:
Seminars:
Summer Semester 2027
Lectures:
Seminars:
other courses:
Particle Physics
You have to pass the following modules, in case that you didn‘t pass and count it for your Bachelor degree:
In addition you have to pass at least one of the following modules and count it for your master programme, in case that you didn‘t pass and count it for your Bachelor degree:
Courses for your first academic year
Winter Semester 2026/27
Lectures:
Seminars:
Summer Semester 2027
Lectures:
Theoretical Physics
You have to pass the following modules in your master programme, in case that you didn‘t pass and count it for your Bachelor degree:
Courses for your first academic year
Winter Semester 2026/27
Lectures:
Seminar:
Other courses:
Summer Semester 2027
Lectures:
Seminar:
Other courses: