Accredited Undergraduate Program in Physics
The Department of Physics of the Univ. of Crete offers a high quality undergraduate program in Physics. The official language of the program is Greek. The program has been formally accredited in 2019 (see certificate here) and it consists of an 8 semester curriculum, with a corresponding load of 240 ECTS. Over the past five years typically 140 students commence their studies every fall and a bit more than half graduate. A brief Undergraduate Program Guide is available here, while the complete list of courses offered with the corresponding syllabi is available here. The general structure of the curriculum consists of three stages.
Introductory stage: (3 semesters) Introductory courses in Physics and Mathematics. The student becomes familiar with introductory physics labs, the use of computers, as well as with at least one foreign language.
Fundamental stage: (3 semesters) Basic courses having as a scope to offer a deeper understanding of subjects such as Classical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics, and Quantum Physics. Similarly, the laboratory experience of the student is also broadened.
Advanced stage: (2 semesters) The student applies the basic knowledge acquired in various fields of physics and technology, and comes into further contact with the research laboratories.
Appropriate choice of elective courses offers students the possibility of a more in-depth knowledge in various fields both applied, such as Microelectronics, Optoelectronics and Lasers, as well as more theoretical such as Fundamental Physics, Astrophysics or Condensed Matter Physics.
Prospectives for a physics graduate:
- With a proper selection of the courses followed, the physics student having an interest in the field of engineering may proceed to become, after graduate studies, a modern engineer, or applied scientist in fields such as telecommunications, electronics, optoelectronics, computational science, materials science, mild energy sources, the environment, and medical technology.
- The physics student may further easily turn, with proper curriculum choices, into some modern directions of chemistry, chemical technology, and biology.
- Career opportunities also arise in seemingly unrelated fields such as scientific and technical journalism, the analysis of economic phenomena, addressing complicated computational problems of modern society, etc.
- For the talented physicist the possibility always exists to pursue graduate studies, and a research career at a university or research center.
