Hello, this is Phil Ratcliffe, professor of Nuclear and particle physics in the Department of science and high technology at the Insubria University in Como. On the occasion of the Open Days for the Master’s degree courses, I shall be presenting the master's degree course in physics here in Como. I shall try to motivate the choice of subject in our department and I shall also outline the course structure and the possibilities offered, briefly mentioning the research areas active here and the opportunities we offer and the future career prospects open to a master's graduate in physics. So why should you want to take on master's studies in physics? Well I would say first and foremost because you particularly enjoy the subject and because you have a strong desire to understand the innermost workings of the world that surrounds you. In fact the master’s course aims to complete and consolidate the understanding and competencies acquired during the first degree and to introduce the students to the world of research at the very forefront. Thus a master's degree in physics can lead to a career in laboratories at research centers or in high-tech companies or entry into the world of finance or insurance and naturally a career in the teaching profession. Now the specific nature of a master's degree is generally shaped by the research activities present in the university in which you enroll. In any case enrollment is open to all students holding a bachelor's degree in physics or similar. Moreover competence in the English language to B2 level is required as allmasters courses are in fact lectured in English and of course there is always the possibility of participating in the erasmus programme. In addition we offer the opportunity of a double degree under the agreement we have with Linnaeus university in Kalmar Sweden. In this case the double degree students spend a semester at Linnaeus university and should obtain 30 credits for the courses followed there. In addition the final master's thesis defense is carried out before an examination committee composed of members from both faculties. For the stay in Kalmar funding is available both by erasmus and from the university. An important service provided for students coming from outside Como is the accommodation available at the Presentation hall of residence which is within comfortable walking distance of the teaching and research buildings. The master’s course structure in Italy calls for students to acquire 120 credits over the two years. In Como students may choose from three available curricula: these are general physics, data science for astrophysics and medical and experimental physics. These 120 credits are divided up as follows: 42 credits or seven courses in the broad areas of experimental and applied physics, theoretical and fundamental physics, microphysics and astrophysics; 12 credits are reserved for related and integrative activities and a further 12 credits may be chosen freely; six credits are to be obtained by a supervised traineeship and the remaining 48 credits are awarded for the thesis work and final presentation. The 42 credits that characterize the course are acquired by taking a selection of courses from the following four areas: - experimental and applied physics which includes scripting and programming laboratory for data analysis, optics with laboratory, non-linear optics, environmental physics, basis of medical physics physical basis of diagnostic imaging, elements of dosimetry, physical basis of radiotherapy, medical physics laboratory, advanced experimental and data analysis techniques in particle and nuclear physics - the area of theoretical and fundamental physics contains quantum physics three, quantum information theory, statistical physics one and two, theoretical physics, geometrical methods in physics, general relativity and physics of dynamical systems - the area of microphysics includes radiation and detectors, laser physics, metamaterials, quantum and semi classical optics, elementary particle phenomenology, solid-state physics, many body physics, collective properties of condensed matter systems - and finally the area of astrophysics offers elements of astrophysics and cosmology, computational astrophysics, time domain astrophysics, artificial intelligence for astrophysical problems The 12 course credits in related and integrative activities are assigned for two courses chosen out of the following: in physics the courses include detection and characterization of optical states, optical signal analysis, applied electronics, aspects of chemical biological radiological and nuclear security; for informatics we have intelligent systems, data mining, models for biological systems; the mathematics area provides analytical and probabilistic methods in mathematical physics a and numerical solutions of partial differential equations a; finally chemistry offers computational chemical physics and nano materials Now as already mentioned there is a compulsory brief period of traineeship accounting for six credits which may be carried out in university laboratories, at research centers or even in high-tech companies. It should comprise though activity not connected with the thesis work. And finally the master's degree thesis itself is based on original and leading research; the student is closely followed and aided by a personal supervisor in an area of theoretical experimental or applied physics adopting advanced computational experimental and or theoretical techniques to address a topic of prime interest to the scientific community. There are six main broad areas of physics research in Como: we have elementary particle physics with both experimental and theoretical activity more specifically photodetectors and their applications and strong interaction or hadronic physics. There are a number of international collaborations including among others experimental activity at CERN in Geneva. Then we have medical physics where the activity is essentially experimental such as use of particle beams for diagnosis and therapy, development of innovative detectors for ionizing radiation, use of nanoparticles for drug delivery. Here collaborations include hospitals and the national center for oncological hadrontherapy. In the area of optics we find experimental and theoretical activity again, specifically laser physics and spatiotemporal structures, ultra-fast non-linear optics and microfabrication, light diffusion by nanoparticles, quantum optics and quantum information. This group too participates in various national and international collaborations. We next come to gravitational physics with essentially theoretical activity on for example the origin of dark energy, the large scale structure of the universe, curved space quantization and analog gravity. Here also with collaborators in Italy and from abroad. Next we have condensed matter physics again with both experimental and theoretical activity specifically magnetism and superconductivity, quantum information soft matter quantum transport, statistical physics, non-linear dynamics and complex systems. This group too counts a number of national and international collaborations. Finally we come to astrophysics with both observational and theoretical activity among which we find extragalactic astrophysics, physical cosmology, numerical astrophysics, time variable phenomena, big data in astrophysics and exoplanets. There are collaborations with observatories nearby and overseas. So where does a master’s in physics from Como take you? Well it opens the door onto a wide variety of possibilities: research activity in the r&d sectors of high tech companies such as in the fields of electronics, telecommunications, medical instrumentation, optics and more, or research for the development of statistical models and for big data analysis in banks, finance or insurance companies and as we have recently discovered in the description of analysis of epidemics. But we should also not forget teaching in high schools for example which in Italy requires undergoing a specific selection procedure as laid out by the ministry of education. And last but not least continuation of studies and research through a PhD in Italy or elsewhere or by a specialization school such as that in medical physics. Well we sincerely hope to see some of you here in september and for any further information queries or doubts please do not hesitate to contact professor Michela Prest at the following email address [email protected] And thank you all for your attention.