At Louvain-la-Neuve
180 credits - 3 years
Day schedule - In French
Programme acronym: PHYS1BA
Francophone Certification Framework : 6
Dissertation/Graduation Project : NO
Internship : NO
Activities in English: YES
Activities in other languages : NO
Activities on other sites : NO

Main study domain :

Introduction

The physicist possesses great capacities of reasoning and abstraction. He.she continually asks questions about the physical world around him.her in order to understand how it works. He.she observes, makes assumptions, formalizes concepts, and writes and solves the equations governing them in order to confront them with observations and experience. Thanks to his.her thorough and versatile scientific training, he.she contributes to the great challenges of the Society of today and tomorrow. He.she is involved in cutting-edge research and the resolution of important questions related to the genesis and evolution of the Universe, the fundamental interactions between elementary particles, quantum optics, statistical physics, origins of the Earth, global climate change, sustainable development, energy choices, etc.

The skills developed by the physicist as part of his.her training, including his.her ability to model and characterize large data sets, can be valued in many professions specific to the realms of today’s physics, such as the supraconductivity, instrumentation and metrology, laser physics, nuclear physics, nonlinear physics, cosmology, astrophysics, astronomy, planetology, geophysics, meteorology, climatology, oceanography and glaciology, or in fields as varied as the medical sciences, space sciences, signal processing, but also actuarial sciences, finance, consultancy, banking and all areas where statistical methods, IT and tools related to artificial intelligence are important. Through his.her teamwork skills, the physicist also develops skills in communication, scientific popularization and management. His.her various skills will enable him.her to contribute to the creation of tomorrow’s jobs.

At the end of your Bachelor studies in physics, you

  • will have received training that will allow you to learn specialized subjects in physical sciences;
  • will be able to deal with advanced physics issues alone or in groups;
  • will be able to analyze and model complex phenomena using your theoretical knowledge and technical skills;
  • will have a sufficient level of English to understand a scientific presentation or read a scientific text in that language.
Your profile

You are curious and interested in understanding the physical phenomena of the world around you. You like sciences, especially physics and mathematics. You appreciate the precision and  rigor of a reasoning. Making assumptions and testing them is your passion. You then have the profile to start Bachelor studies in physics.

You will have the chance to follow a personalized education with internationally recognized teachers. It is better if you already have a good level in physics and mathematics, but you have to know that the teaching restarts almost to zero. It is your desire to invest that will make the difference, we will do everything to help you !

Your future job

The training in physics aims at mastering advanced physical and mathematical tools. It develops skills such as curiosity and scientific rigor, the capacity for abstraction, the modeling of complex physical problems, the sense of precision and experimental measurement as well as the ability to work in a team and to communicate.

Thanks to this versatile training, there are many career opportunities.

One main track is to start a career in research (university laboratories, private laboratories, European Organization for Nuclear Research - CERN, Atomic Energy Commission, Institute for Space Aeronomy of Belgium, Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, Royal Observatory of Belgium, etc.) or in secondary and / or higher education (high schools).

Physicists also find jobs in the private or financial sector. Some of them work in the medical field as a hospital physicist, in the high technology industry (telecommunications, optics, aeronautics, space industry, medical equipment, etc.), in the field of energy, in the field of information technology (big data processing, design of calculation programs, etc.), for banks and insurance companies, in the field of environmental consultancy and in the sector of scientific communication and popularization.

Your programme

The programme of the Bachelor's in physics offers:

  • a basic training in physics, mathematics and chemistry;
  • specialized and advanced teaching units in physics;
  • an understanding of the physicist's specific approach (observe, understand, analyze in a critical and quantitative way and model the physical phenomena of nature);
  • an introduction to digital and instrumental techniques, data sciences and computer science;
  • language (English) and human science teaching units;
  • a lot of practical works (exercises, laboratories and personal or group projects);
  • the possibility to conduct a research work;
  • an additional module or minor of 30 credits.

Once graduated, you will be able to continue your training by following the Master [120] in physics.