Program structure

For the first time, three universities from different states are offering a joint degree program in photonics. The aim is to ensure the highest level of education in this forward-looking field by pooling synergies and making targeted use of individual scientific strengths. The Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are thus continuing their long-standing collaboration within the framework of the nationwide graduate school Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP).

The master's degree program in Photon Science and Technology will immerse you in the fascinating world of light. The program, which is offered across the three universities' campuses, provides you with specific skills that qualify you for a career in research. Core modules are taught jointly by faculty from all three universities, and laboratory practicals also take place at all locations. With regard to your specialization during the master's program, you have access to the entire spectrum of research areas at the participating universities.

The program is divided into three sections: in the first semester, the focus is on acquiring basic subject-specific skills and balancing different levels of prior knowledge. Depending on your previous education - bachelor's degree in physics or a natural or engineering science - individual fundamentals are deepened (e.g. quantum mechanics, measurement methods). In the second and third semesters, you will deepen your knowledge of research-relevant content, choose your individual specializations according to your interests and carry out two projects. The program concludes with an independent scientific master's thesis in the fourth semester.

Graduates of the master's degree program in Photon Science and Technology have excellent career prospects. You can embark on a scientific career, for example with a doctorate in the excellent Germany-wide research network of the Max Planck School of Photonics.

Afterwards, both academic and industrial career paths are open to you: there is currently a significant shortage of qualified specialists in industry, so many students receive job offers before completing the program. Graduates are often sought after for challenging and technically demanding positions not only in optics and photonics, but also in telecommunications and laser technology.

• access to cutting-edge research through a unique joint degree master's program at the Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP)
  

• innovative remote lab approaches that have been developed and successfully implemented by the MPSP in recent years

• teaching content is balanced between the three universities
  

• specialist knowledge from all three locations is available to you through compulsory elective areas

• all courses and examinations are held in English

• practical components are integrated into each of the first three semesters

• you can complete the research and practical elements at an institute of the three partner universities, at external research institutions or at research-related companies in the field of photonics
  

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission to the master's degree program in Photon Science and Technology are based on the current admission regulations:

• bachelor's degree
  a bachelor's degree or at least an equivalent degree in a natural science or engineering program at a university, university of applied sciences, university of cooperative education or at a foreign university. The program must have been completed within a standard period of study of at least three years and with a minimum number of 180 credit points (CP) in accordance with ECTS
• pass the three-stage qualification assessment procedure set out in the admission regulations
• minimum knowledge and minimum performance
  • at least 16 ECTS points in the modules "Experimental Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics" and "Experimental Physics II: Electrodynamics / Optics" of the bachelor's degree course in Physics at the University of Jena or modules from other universities in Germany or abroad that are not significantly different from these modules
  • at least 24 ECTS credits in the modules "Linear Algebra and Analytical Geometry I for B.Sc. Physics", "Analysis I for B.Sc. Physics", "Analysis II for B.Sc. Physics" and "Analysis III for B.Sc. Physics" of the bachelor's degree program in Physics at the University of Jena or modules from other universities in Germany or abroad that are not significantly different from these modules
  • at least 8 ECTS credits in the module "Electrodynamics" of the bachelor's degree program in Physics at the University of Jena or modules of other universities in Germany or abroad that do not differ significantly from this module
  • at least 12 ECTS credits in the modules "Basic Physics Lab I", "Basic Physics Lab II", "Basic Physics Lab III", "Methods of Modern Measurement Technology" and/or "Electronics Lab" of the bachelor's degree program in Physics at the University of Jena or modules of other universities in Germany or abroad that are not significantly different

Applicants who did not obtain their first degree at the University of Jena, the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg or the KIT must submit the module descriptions of the modules mentioned.

Language requirements and certificates

For the master's degree program in Photon Science and Technology, you need sufficient knowledge of the English language, which must correspond to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Proof of sufficient knowledge of English

The following is sufficient proof of your English language skills

• your Abitur certificate, if you have taken English for at least five years up to graduation and your final or average grade of the last two years of English lessons corresponds to at least the German grade 4 (sufficient) or at least 5 points or
• a degree from a university with English as the sole language of instruction and examination, whereby English must be the only and official language of the completed degree program noted in the diploma supplement, the transcript of records or the degree certificate
  
• a university entrance qualification from a school where teaching is exclusively in English, whereby English must be confirmed as the sole and official language by the school management

Otherwise, only the internationally recognized English tests listed in the admission regulations of the degree program are accepted as proof. These are

• Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) with at least 82 points in the internet-based test or

• IELTS with an overall score of at least 5.5 or

• University of Cambridge Certificate B2

In addition, certificates other than those listed above may be accepted on request in individual cases. The decision on this is made by the admission commission.

Your application for the degree program starts in the application portal of   Max Planck School of Photonics

• Max Planck School of Photonics
• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

Teaching calendar

Course catalog

• Course catalog current term
• Course catalog current term PDF (English)
• Archive of previous catalogs