How does nature work? How can we use its concepts? By making models and formulating natural laws, we can describe and predict the natural world.
Physics is a 'hard' science: it is concerned with hard figures,
precise and pure measurements. These are used to produce models and
explain natural phenomena.
The Bachelor's programme in Physics lasts three years. During your
first year, you will study basic subjects such as mechanics,
special relativity, and electricity & magnetism. You will also
take practical courses. During this year, you can choose between
four tracks:
- Biophysics & Medical Physics
- Energy & Environmental Physics
- Nanophysics
- Particle Physics
Employability
Physics graduates have excellent opportunities on the job market. You can work as a researcher at a company or an institute, or for example as a consultant, because you will have the analytical skills that are both needed and wanted to solve complicated questions in such environments.
CoursesCourse Catalog > |
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Calculus 1 (for Physics) |
Calculus 2 (for Physics) |
Computational Methods 1 |
Electives semester 1: Introduction Astronomy; Medical Physics and Biophysics; Introduction to Energy and Environment; Introduction to Nanophysics; Physics of Modern Technology; Physics of the Quantum Universe |
Electricity and Magnetism |
Linear Algebra (for Physics) |
Mathematical Physics |
Mechanics and Relativity |
Physics Laboratory 1 & 2 |
Physics Laboratory 2 |
The Groningen science and engineering programmes stand out for their academic excellence. The work pace in the first year is generally high and the courses contents demanding. The first year curriculum concentrates on laying a sound basis for our engineering and natural science disciplines. This allows our students to choose their specialization tracks already in the second half of the first year.
Talented and highly motivated students have the opportunity to
receive a Bachelor's degree in Physics as well as a Bachelor's
degree in Mathematics. This normally requires one additional year.
More information can be found here:
https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/double-degree-mathematics-physics
Credits per year: 60 ECTS; most courses are 5 ECTS.
Programme options |
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Nanophysics (track) Nanophysics is the study of materials on nano scales (one billionth of a metre). Some materials are known to have very special properties on these small scales. The application of nanophysics is gaining in importance, for example in processing polluted water into drinking water. |
Particle Physics (track) An introduction to the smallest constituents of materials. It deals with 'fundamental' questions such as Where is anti-matter in the Universe? You will also study practical applications for nuclear energy and medical applications such as MRI. |
Energy & Environmental Physics (track) This track involves the study of energy consumption, its consequences for the climate and what can be done about this. Physics in its purest form, and at the heart of society. How are greenhouse gasses generated and what effects do they have? How can we make better use of alternative energy sources? |
Biophysics & Medical Physics (track) Biophysics & Medical Physics is a track where you learn how fundamental physics is used to understand life from the nanoscale to the size of humans. Furthermore, physical techniques for diagnosis and treatment in health care are discussed. For example, how does a CT scan or a PET scan work? What does radiation do, and what are its side effects? |
Exchange: All our science and engineering programmes offer study abroad possibilities at a number of partner institutions. Our partners include top-100 universities in Europe (for example in Germany, UK, and Sweden) and in the USA, China, South-East Asia, and South America. Our exchange programmes have a typical duration of one semester and count toward your final degree.
wiskunde B + natuurkunde
wiskunde B + natuurkunde
wiskunde B + natuurkunde
Specific requirements | More information |
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language test |
Language proficiency certificate for English (except for applicants with a Dutch pre-university education (VWO) as well as the exemptions listed on the language exemptions webpage). More info: https://www.rug.nl/fse/programme/admissions/bsc/language |
other admission requirements |
Before you apply! When you cannot fulfil the vwo requirement, due to deficient profile or if you want to be admitted on the basis of a successfully passed first year of HBO or colloquium doctum, you need to submit an additional admission request via the Admission Board Bachelor programmes. Please go to this website for more information. Please note! The admissions procedure is independent of the matching procedure. Information about the matching procedure can be found here |
More information about matching: https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/matching
Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
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Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
More information about matching: https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/matching
Specific requirements | More information |
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additional subject |
Sufficient background knowledge in Mathematics and Physics is required. The Admissions Board will determine whether your background knowledge in these subjects is sufficient to start the Bachelor's degree programme of your choice. |
language test |
You will need to submit proof of English proficiency in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Please find our English language requirements (exemptions, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and more) on this page: https://www.rug.nl/fse/programme/admissions/bsc/language |
other admission requirements |
Please note! The admissions procedure is independent of the matching procedure. Information about the matching procedure can be found here |
Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
---|---|---|
Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
Research, advising or teaching… there are many fields open to you! Physics consists of a broad Bachelor's programme, after which you can specialize with a Master's degree programme. You can then pursue a career in business or continue in the academic world.
If you opt for the business sector, you could pursue a career in industry, helping to develop technological innovations. Automation companies also like to employ physicists. The SME sector, consultancy and engineering firms are also increasingly looking for physicists.
Once you have your Master's degree, you could find employment with research institutes such as TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) and the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute). You can also carry out PhD research at a university.
Large organizations such as banks and insurance companies like to employ physicists because of their analytical skills. As a physicist you can formulate a model to describe, predict and solve an issue. This is useful in positions that involve conducting analyses. There was a period during which McKinsey, the global consultancy firm, preferred to recruit only physicists!
Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials
Basic research on materials is directed towards unravelling the relations between the properties that determine their functionality and their chemical composition and structure. The quest for in-depth understanding of these constitutive relations often leads to unexpected boundaries signifying fundamental gaps in our knowledge. Although the structure-property relationship is in itself a truism, the actual linkage between (micro) structural aspects in a material and its physical/chemical properties is elusive. The reason is that various properties are determined by the collective behaviour of molecules, atoms and electrons and their behaviour may be extremely non-linear on different time and length scales.
The classic materials triangle concerns an integrative approach in the three aspects of structure, property and chemical composition. The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials adds an extra dimension to this traditional view by an unconventional linkage to the field of biomolecular sciences, which includes the design aspects as well.
The aim of the Van Swinderen Institute for Particle Physics and Gravity is to study the fundamental forces of Nature with implications for our Universe. These investigations connect through close similarities in physics from Planck-scale physics (quantum gravity) via sub-atomic scales (particle physics) to cosmic dimensions. There are both theoretical as well as experimental efforts in more specialized topics such as the test of fundamental symmetries and forces, LHC and Beyond the Standard Model physics, holography, string theory and inflation.
ESRIG - Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen
Although ESRIG is a Research Institute, bundling strengths leads to new educational possibilities as well in the Master phase the Energy and Environmental Sciences (EES) programme has been operational for several years, under responsibility of IVEM and CIO. At present, this programme offers two tracks: The IVEM track ("Energy and Environmental Sciences"), and the CIO-track ("Experimental studies of greenhouse gases and climate history"). The IVEM track will be extended by elements of SSG research. The CIO-track will be enforced and broadened by the other experimental groups inside ESRIG.
As ESRIG is the central institute for energy and environmental studies, ESRIG scientists take the lead in both the track design and the actual teaching.