Science Faculty

Introduction
Physics concerns with observation and understanding of world phenomena around us, as well as predicting new phenomena. It is not only an exciting intellectual adventure that has allowed us to discover the Theory of Relativity or the Universe origin and evolution. It also plays a crucial role in the development of society, creating the fundamental knowledge necessary for technological improvements which are the driving forces of world economy. Physics concerns the most important issues of practical, environmental and technological character of our era contributing to our life quality improvement. Physics covers a very wide area that includes mathematics and theory, experiments and observations, computing, engineering, material science and information theory. That way, Physics is always present in our daily life. Not just when we switch on or off the light, turn on the radio or make a phone call, but also when we use our modern computers or we go to the doctor for a magnetic resonance, TAC, positron emission tomography, ultrasound scan or laser surgery.
UAM is one of the best Universities in the Physics area. Although the Physics Undergraduate Studies (Bologna Plan) started in 2009, the previous Physics Degree had been taught at the UAM since its foundation in 1968. Hundreds of Physics graduates at this university exercise their teaching and research task in worldwide universities, many of them in very important positions. Currently, there are also five Master programs related to Physics with the Ministry of Education quality mention. You will find further information concerning Physics studies at the UAM Physics website “FISICAHOY”. The research developed at the UAM Physics Departments is of a great quality. The scientific studies carried out by the UAM physicians are of a high level and international relevance. UAM is at the head of Spanish universities concerning their Physics research projects impact. At the UAM Campus there are numerous research institutes, many of them from the Physics area like: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales Nicolás Cabrera, Centro de Microanálisis de Materiales, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia, el Instituto de Física Teórica (UAM-CSIC) and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC). These make the UAM a privileged place for high level research and new scientists training. Furthermore, this has a very positive impact in the teaching quality because the researchers teach those subjects that they know by their work.
In a European setting, the UAM scientific relevance in the Physics area is noted in a study that identifies those European universities with a high level research and Degree studies. This study, aiming to guide those graduated students desiring to carry out a Master or Doctorate Degree, places the UAM in an excellence group within the Physics area. It should be noted that in the 2007 study, in this selected group, in which 24 European universities have been selected, only appears two Spanish universities. You will find this data concerning the UAM excellence in Physics at a European level in “Identifying the Best: The CHE Ranking of Excellent European Graduate Programmes”. In a new 2010 study the UAM is still in the excellence group, as you will see in “Identifying the Best: The CHE Excellence Ranking 2010”.

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