Biophysics
Biophysics is a specialisation at the Master of Science Programme (MSc) in Physics.
Modern biological physics or biophysics is a mixture of physics on nano-scale, the physics of complex systems and quantitative biology. The understanding of life and life processes is a key scientific objective as well as a method of developing new disease control tools. In a medical context, physics is used, in particular, for radiation treatments and medical diagnostic imaging. Both areas require in-depth understanding of physics.
Graduates with a specialisation in biophysics have an understanding of the physical characteristics of life's molecular building blocks. You have also learned to develop testable mathematical-physical models of how the individual parts interact to form working feedback systems.
Furthermore, you have built up a solid academic grounding in the border zone between physics and molecular biology, and insight into both biophysical and molecular biological experimental techniques, e.g. single-molecule techniques and super-resolution microscopy.
Study Track
It is a good idea to use your elective and restricted elective courses to design a study track that allows you to study a subject area in depth during the specialisation. You can target your specialisation with the following study track:
However, you can also customise your programme with a mixture of courses and projects which are relevant to you.
Programme structure
The Biophysics specialisation can be structured in two different ways, depending on whether you write a thesis worth 45 or 60 ECTS.
Course of study 1 – thesis 45 ECTS:
Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | Biophysics of Cells and Single Molecules | Dynamical Models in Molecular Biology | Restricted elective course | Restricted elective course |
Restricted elective course | Restricted elective course | Elective course | Elective course | |
Year 2 | Restricted elective course | Thesis | ||
Restricted elective course |
Course of study 2 – thesis 60 ECTS:
Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | Biophysics of Cells and Single Molecules | Dynamical Models in Molecular Biology | Restricted elective course | Restricted elective course |
Restricted elective course | Restricted elective course | Elective course | Elective course | |
Year 2 | Thesis |
One block equals nine weeks and 15 ECTS
Restricted elective courses
Choose your restricted elective courses from the lists below. Click on each course for a detailed description.
NB: The list is based on the academic year 2020/2021 and is therefore only indicative. The final list of restricted elective courses in the academic year 2021/2022 is ready in spring 2021.
- Complex Physics
- Medical Image Analysis
- Applied Statistics: From Data to Results
- NMR Spectroscopy
- Physics of Biological Nonequilibrium Systems
- Continuum Mechanics
- Radioactive Isotopes and Ionizing Radiation
- Advanced Protein Science 1 – Protein Interactions and Sequences
- Experimental X-ray Physics
- Diffusive and Stochastic Processes
- Neutron Scattering
- Applied Programming
- Advanced Protein Science 2 – Protein Structure Determination
- Physics of Molecular Diseases
- Biological Imaging
- Applications of X-ray and Neutron Scattering in Biology, Chemistry and Physics
- Particle Detectors and Beams: Fundamentals and Developments in Physics and Life Science
Curriculum
Curriculum for MSc in Physics.
Curriculum for MSc in Physics with a minor subject.
Shared section of the curriculum for all programmes at the Faculty of SCIENCE.
Course Catalogue
See the course catalogue for the current semester.