Are you a current student? For the programme of this academic year, check the course guide.
Mathematical Physics
Mathematical Physics will bring you up-to-date in modern mathematical physics, and prepares you for research in one (or both) of the two great fundamental theories of physics, namely general relativity and quantum (field) theory. You can profit from the neighboring departments of astrophysics and high-energy physics, which offer their own Master's specialisation in Particle and Astrophysics, from which you may take some electives.
About this study curriculum
The mathematical topics covered in this track also make sense as pure mathematics and are already very exciting as such—our interest lies both there, supported by our colleagues in pure and applied mathematics, and in applications to the frontiers of fundamental physics. Courses specific to this track are:
- General background for all of Mathematical Physics: Differential Geometry, Symplectic Geometry, Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, Functional Analysis, Partial Differential Equations
- Mathematical General Relativity: Calculus of Variations, Nonlinear Wave Equations, Singularities and Black Holes
- Quantum (Field) Theory: Poisson Geometry, Non-commutative Geometry, Operator Algebras, Quantum Computing, Quantum Information Theory
Course guide
The course overview is an indication of the study programme of the academic year 2025-2026. If you are a current student, please consult the online course guide for your course overview.
Course overview
The structure of the Mathematical Physics track is as follows:
- Compulsory courses (8 EC)
- Track electives (40 EC)
- Other electives (32 EC):
- Mathematical electives (14 EC)
- Master electives (12 EC)
- Free electives (6 EC) - Master's thesis Mathematics (40 EC)
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
For your philosophy course, you can choose one from this list of science philosophy electives.
1:
Total number EC: 8 EC- P1
- P2
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
2:
Total number EC: 8 EC- P3
- P4
3:
Total number EC: 8 EC- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
4:
Total number EC: 8 EC- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
- P3
- P4
5:
Total number EC: 6 EC- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
6:
Total number EC: 8 EC- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
7:
Total number EC: 8 EC- P3
- P4
- P3
- P4
You need to choose courses from different 'categories', indicated with a number. If you are interested in more than one course per category, you can always choose them as elective courses. Some of the courses are taught biennially.
The full Mastermath course schedule can be found on the Mastermath's website.
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4
Besides your track electives, you need to choose up to 32 EC of other electives:
- 14 EC should be Mathematical courses at Master level
- 12 EC can be from any field within or outside of Mathematics at Master level
- 6 EC can be any course at university level
- P1
- P2
- P3
- P4