Why physics at MU?
Why study at our university
Quality of teaching
You will be taught by the same people who perform expert research, publish scientific works and write textbooks.
Practical experience
Everyone has the opportunity to participate in research; a placement abroad is a condition rather than an exception.
Individual approach
Smaller numbers of students allow for an individual approach in tuition, something that cannot be expected in disciplines with hundreds of students.
Reputation of the university
The Masaryk University has an excellent reputation in our country and abroad, which you may find beneficial when looking for a job.
Graduates in practice
As holders of a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, you will be familiar with the basics of experimental and theoretical physics and you will be ready to continue with the Master’s programme in Physics.
Thanks to the universal nature of knowledge achieved in the field of physics, you will be able to work in a variety of institutions performing fundamental and/or applied research. In the same way, you will be able to apply for jobs outside the field and you will be able to use your skills from physics, mathematics and information science as well as the ability to combine them, developed when studying our Physics programme.
The graduates from the follow-up Master’s degree programme have found jobs in companies such as Honeywell, On Semiconductor, Super Hard Materials, TESCAN or Thermo Fischer Scientific. Many of our graduates also continue studying at PhD level, e.g., at the University of Amsterdam, University of Dundee or Heidelberg University.
What students say about the studies
“Already since my childhood I wanted to find out how the world works; that is why I decided to study physics. And I am happy with the decision. I appreciate the goodwill of teachers who constantly have to explain something to us - they are strict but do it with love. Perhaps the biggest positive surprise was the powerful mathematical apparatus we have acquired during our studies and which is the basis for all physics.”
Martina Bártová
A Physics student
“I have always enjoyed physics and when I discovered astronomy at the end of secondary school, it immediately became my passion. I did not hesitate to use the opportunity of studying astrophysics at one of the most prestigious universities in the Czech Republic. At school, I appreciate the direct contact with observation technologies as well as the individual approach. I was also pleasantly surprised with the willingness and friendly attitude of older students and teachers, which contributes to an encouraging environment for learning. In the coming years, I would also like to take the opportunity to travel abroad.”
Kristína Kallová
An Astrophysics student
“I found biophysics interesting for the idea of interconnection between disciplines, or the application of physics to live systems. Only later I started to understand everything more deeply and found out that these are mainly disciplines of chemistry and physics complementing each other. I was also surprised with the attitude of lecturers and their openness. At the university, I like the individual personal life where I can take care of myself. And in terms of my studies, I appreciate the variety and available opportunities, where for example Erasmus is a great way to broaden one's oulook.”
Zlatica Kalužná
A Biophysics student
The stories of graduates
“I started studying at the Masaryk University in 1997, after completing the Vídeňská grammar school with a natural sciences specialisation. I chose Physical Electronics at the Faculty of Science, which attracted me with a range of experimental methods and also wide application in practice. Still during my doctoral studies in 2006 I started working for FEI (since 2016, Thermo Fisher Scientific), a Brno-based company that followed up on the successes of the Tesla company in the field of electron microscopy. I could apply my knowledge acquired at the university in studying the plasma physics already during the first years of working, when in cooperation with other colleagues we developed and implemented the method of plasma cleaning of our microscopes, which is still successfully used today.
In the course of the following seven years, I went through several areas of production engineering. At the end of 2013 I left Brno in the position of head of department of production engineers and moved to our parent company in the US, in the state of Oregon. In the US, I am now working as the Director of Operations and I am responsible for the operation of all of our manufacturing plants in the US. Production in the US is focused, in particular, on customers in a constantly evolving semiconductor industry that brings extreme pressure on innovation and quality. In addition to the knowledge of physics that helped me, in particular, in the early stages of my career at Thermo Fisher, studying at the Masaryk University also gave me a good knowledge of the English language, presentation skills and the ability to solve complex problems not only at home, but also when studying abroad.”
Mgr. Zdeněk Frgala, Ph.D.
Director of Operations, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hillsboro, USA
“In 2007, I started studying General Physics at MU, and continued with the follow-up Plasma Physics programme. From 2012 I was a PhD student of Plasma Physics under the tutelage of Prof. Petr Vašina at the Department of Physical Electronics (from 2023 Department of Plasma Physics and Technology). In my thesis, I examined the topic of transfer of PVD technologies developed in MU laboratories to industrial installations. This was in cooperation with Platit a.s., a technology company based in Šumperk, Czech Republic in which I found my job of an R&D engineer after defending my thesis in 2016. Since 2017, I have been an R&D engineer at the Platit headquarters, namely Platit AG in Selzach, Switzerland.
Studying physics at the MU gave me deep theoretical knowledge, which I could use afterwards at the department when addressing real physical problems relevant to the development of new technologies. In my current position of an industrial R&D engineer, I can honestly appreciate excellent communication skills and above-standard relations between the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology and its industrial partners.”
Mgr. Radek Žemlička, Ph.D.
A graduate in Plasma Physics
"I completed the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Astrophysics and spent beautiful 5 years at MU. Now I am continuing with my PhD studies in Heidelberg, Germany, where I am trying to develop further what I learned in Brno. I focus on studying and use of the properties of RR Lyrae variable stars; they are used to map cosmic distances."
Zdeněk Prudil
A graduate in Astrophysics
The story of Jakub Bělín + a few tips for students
I studied the Medical Physics Bachelor’s study programme at MU. I was able to get an insight into what was going on at the Faculty of Science, because in addition to physics and mathematics we also learned a lot in chemistry and biology. This helped me understand that I enjoyed general physics the most, and therefore, for my Master’s degree studies, I took up Theoretical Physics.
Both, my Bachelor’s and Master's degree theses were dedicated to optics - digital holography in my Bachelor’s and the Talbot Effect together with the closely associated theory of self-imaging in my Master’s thesis. During my first year of Master’s degree studies I visited the University of Glasgow for a summer internship. During my two-month stay I wrote two papers, one of them published already before my final exams. And because I was awarded a scholarship for outstanding study results each year, participated in a research project and also took part in the ÚDiF theatre of physics, I was admitted to PhD studies at the University of Glasgow.
I keep focused on optics also in my PhD studies. In my research I study the theory of invisibility using lenses as well as the optical simulation of curved spaces. In the meantime, I continue examining the Talbot Effect and also study the topology of optical vortices in Bessel beams and how they can be used as optical traps. But it is not only research, I teach at the lab and also travel around the world quite often - participating in conferences, meeting my colleagues in Rochester or Exeter and I also like to come back to Brno, where I spent several beautiful years!
If you are also interested in studying physics at Masaryk University, I highly recommend it. For the first-year students, I have a few recommendations: Most importantly, go deep and try to understand what you study. Sometimes it may not be clear what all the maths stuff (derivatives, integrals, matrices, etc.) is good for, but it will be useful when you approach the more interesting areas of physics, such as theoretical mechanics, electrodynamics, quantum theory or general relativity. Then you will understand it was worthwhile learning the matrices. In your third year, do not hurry with the topic for your Bachelor’s thesis. Look around to see what people are working on, ask your older colleagues what their supervisors were like - to get an overview and then you can decide what has the best prospects for you. And don’t be afraid to come up with your own topic - it is your work and you are writing the thesis, so why not make it enjoyable?
If there is an opportunity of going abroad for an internship, do not hesitate! In your CV it will be equally valuable as your working experience, and if you are successful, you may finish with a lot of new contacts and also a publication, which may help you when you apply for your PhD studies. And, of course, you have the chance to see foreign countries and gain new experience.
Finally, do something above the requirements of your studies. Your CV should include “extra activities” as evidence of your ability to communicate and cooperate with others and your other interests. There are plenty of options to choose from (theatre of physics, university orchestra, ...).