MSc. in Engineering Physics, research focus

Programme content

The Master of Science in Engineering Physics allows students with a strong interest in both the fundamental sciences and engineering to pursue a programme at the intersection of science and technology.  It is a multidisciplinary programme with a broad scope that spans scientific research, fundamental and applied physics, and engineering. 

COURSE PROGRAMME

The Master of Science in Engineering Physics is a two-year programme, taught in English. The 1st block is composed of mandatory courses in applied physics (specifically, electronics and materials, fluids, and solids), mathematical and numerical methods (including high-performance scientific computing), and experimental methods.  The 1st block also includes an integrated project dealing with physical modelling and scientific computing, in which students work in small groups on the implementation of a high-performance scientific computing code, as well as an integrated project dealing with experimental methods, in which each student individually designs and carries out an original experiment.

The 2nd block is composed of elective courses and the master's thesis.  The course programme contains a broad range of elective courses in the areas of electronics and materials, fluids, solids, mathematical and numerical methods, and experimental methods.  The course programme guides students in their choice of elective courses by proposing several coherent groups composed of three or four elective courses.  Students are asked to choose one of these options as part of their choice of elective courses.  The master's thesis can be carried out in a research team at the university, in a research centre, or in industry.

Overall, the course programme offers a unique and personalized curriculum at the crossroads of scientific research, the fundamental sciences, and engineering.

PROFILE

The Master of Science in Engineering Physics allows students to acquire a multidisciplinary profile combined with a specialisation in a more specific domain of engineering physics.  Owing to their broad scope, the mandatory courses of the 1st block provide students with a multidisciplinary profile.  Through the choice of their elective courses and the topic of their master's thesis in the 2nd block, students can complement their multidisciplinary profile with a specialisation in a more specific domain of engineering physics.   

The program is particularly well suited to allow students to develop a specialization in one of the following areas:

Electronics and materials at microscopic and nanoscopic scales

This domain addresses a range of engineering applications including micro- and nano-electronic devices, opto-electronics, the physics of materials for electronic devices, and the physics of materials for the storage and conversion of energy. Several mandatory courses of the 1st block already contribute to developing this specialisation, such as the courses Semiconductor devices, Physical chemistry, and Introduction to the physical chemistry of nanomaterials. Students seeking to specialise in this domain can take in the 2nd block the option Electronics and materials (comprising the courses Nanoelectronics / Optoelectronics, Superconductivity, Physics of electrical insulating materials, and Electrochemical energy conversion and storage).  The course programme offers several other elective courses that are complementary and that students can take to develop in-depth knowledge of numerical simulation of electronics and materials at microscopic and nanoscopic scales (Modelling and design of electromagnetic systems, Quantum modeling of materials properties, ...), as well as of experimental methods for the manufacturing and characterization of nano-devices and materials (Nanofabrication: principles and techniques, Electronic microscopies, ...).

Fluids

This domain is concerned with the physics of complex fluids and flows. This includes fluids and flows over a range of spatial and temporal scales spanning microfluidics, industrial flows, aerospace flows, environmental flows, geophysical fluid dynamics, ... and physical phenomena such as turbulence, pattern formation, viscoelasticity of polymer solutions, behaviour across scales, transport in flows, and the occurrence of chemical reactions in flows.  Several mandatory courses of the 1st block already contribute to developing this specialisation, such as the courses Microfluidics and Continuum mechanics.  Students seeking to specialise in this domain can take in the 2nd block the option Fluids (comprising the courses Complex fluids and non-Newtonian flows; Irreversibility, instabilities and chaos; and Geophysical fluid dynamics - part 1).  The course programme offers several other complementary elective courses, oriented towards physical phenomena and modelling (Turbulent flows, Aerodynamics, ...), numerical simulation (Computational fluid dynamics, Turbulent flows, ...), experimental methods (such as the use of the university's wind tunnel in Aerodynamics), aerospace fluid dynamics (Aerodynamics, Aerothermodynamics of high-speed flows, ...), and environmental fluid dynamics (Fluvial hydrodynamics, ...).

Solids

This domain concerns the physics and mechanics of solids, including the mechanics of large deformations of solids, fatigue, fracture, and the multi-scale mechanical behaviour of biological materials with a hierarchical structure.  Several mandatory courses in the 1st block contribute to the development of this specialization, such as Continuum mechanics and Advanced solid mechanics. Students wishing to specialize in this domain can take the option Solids in the 2nd block (including the courses Large deformation of solids; Fracture mechanics, damage and fatigue; and Mechanical properties of biological and bioinspired materials). The course program offers several other complementary elective courses, such as Theory of vibration, Quantum modeling of materials properties, and New methods in computational mechanics and physics.

Computational physics

This domain brings together physical modelling, mathematical and numerical methods, and algorithms and software development to carry out numerical simulations with physics-based models on high-performance computers.  This covers a broad range of scientific and engineering applications, including computational solid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, computational electromagnetics, multi-physics and multi-scale simulation, molecular dynamics simulation, and first-principles simulation that seeks to solve models from quantum mechanics.  Several mandatory courses of the 1st block already contribute to developing this specialisation, such as the courses Modelling with partial differential equations, High performance scientific computing, and Multiphysics integrated computational project. Students seeking to specialise in this domain can take in the 2nd block the option Mathematical and numerical methods (comprising the courses New methods in computational mechanics and physics, Deep learning, and a course in numerical optimization).  To complete their programme, students can then include elective courses in an area of applied physics.  Several elective courses dedicate specific attention to numerical simulation in the areas of solids, fluids, and electronics and materials, such as Large deformation of solids; Fracture mechanics, damage and fatigue; Computational fluid dynamics; Turbulent flows; Fluvial hydrodynamics; Modelling and design of electromagnetic systems; and Quantum modelling of materials properties.  The course programme also offers several other elective courses that are complementary and that students can take to develop in-depth knowledge of mathematical and numerical methods (Uncertainty quantification and stochastic modelling, Introduction to machine learning, CAD & Geometric Algorithms, ...).

TAKING ELECTIVE COURSES OUTSIDE THE COURSE PROGRAMME

As part of their choice of elective courses, students can choose up to 10 credits from the entire course programme of the University de Liège (other than the courses already contained in the programme of the Master of Science in Engineering Physics).  This includes courses taught at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and courses taught at the Faculty of Sciences.  The choice of such courses outside the course programme of the Master of Science in Engineering Physics is subject to the approval of the President of the jury.  An indicative, but not exhaustive, list of courses that students could find of interest includes Introduction into polymer physics including plasturgy, Microelectronics and IC design, Kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms, Project in inverse modelling: from field to algorithms, Data assimilation and inverse methods, Advanced topics in systems and control, Physics of materials for energy, and Microstructure of materials: characterization techniques.   

Learning outcomes

The Master of Science in Engineering Physics offers in-depth training in fundamental and applied physics, mathematical and numerical methods, and experimental methods.  It relates the fundamental study of physical phenomena to engineering applications and innovation.

The courses in applied physics deal with physical properties and processes at different spatial and temporal scales, ranging from the microscopic world of microelectronics, nanomaterials, and microfluidics to macroscopic scales of solid mechanics. Owing to the multidisciplinary approach, students learn to solve problems in different fields, as well as multi-physics problems involving complex interactions between physical phenomena. The courses in mathematical and numerical methods and those in experimental methods provide students with a strong background in these transversal methods for the sciences and engineering, and their application as tools for gaining understanding of physical phenomena and solving engineering problems. 

In addition to these fundamentals, the programme stimulates students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations, effective presentation and communication skills, language skills (full English), teamwork skills, and management skills, as well as the ability and curiosity for life-long learning and addressing new problems and innovation.

Through the programme, the student will acquire:

• the ability to innovate, apply new technologies, and exploit recent scientific discoveries to develop cutting-edge engineering applications;
• in-depth knowledge in fundamental and applied physics, encompassing physical properties and processes at different scales, ranging from the microscopic world of microelectronics, nanomaterials, and microfluidics to macroscopic scales of solid mechanics;
• in-depth knowledge of mathematical and numerical methods including high-performance scientific computing;
• the ability to design and carry out original experiments;
• the ability to identify, in an engineering application, relevant physical phenomena and their interaction;
• cross-cutting skills required to solve engineering and physics problems, taking into account practical, technical, and economical constraints;
• the ability to lead a multidisciplinary project and establish links between domain specialists;
• the ability to present results in a clear and well-structured manner, orally or in writing;
• the ability to work effectively in a group.