Energy and Materials Physics * (Master)

Energy efficiency and sustainable energy supply are cornerstones of the energy transition. They also require new ways of developing materials for energy conversion and energy storage. In particular, the research and control of fundamental physical and chemical processes and mechanisms of action, often on an atomic scale, is a prerequisite for technological breakthroughs, for example in the development of new and efficient materials for photovoltaics and rechargeable batteries.

Graduates of the Master's degree course in Energy and Materials Physics have excellent career opportunities. Industrial activities, mostly in research and development, represent the main job market for most graduates. A large proportion of graduates also find employment in public institutions such as universities and research institutes. In addition, graduates of this degree course, with its scientific orientation and focus on energy-related and material physics content, are particularly well qualified for a wide range of jobs in high-tech and energy-oriented growth industries. The job market opportunities in the field of physics/physical technologies are among the best of all academic professions.

The new Master's degree course in Energy and Materials Physics offers the unique opportunity to study materials physics and materials chemistry of renewable energy technologies in depth and with a broad range of topics. The course focuses in particular on photovoltaics, batteries, fuel cells and solid-state sensors as well as the fundamentals of solid-state physics required for these. Participation in research projects as part of research internships and Master's theses prepares students for work in industrial and university research. Materials science, economics and law subjects closely related to the core topic of energy broaden the course and qualify students for a wide range of activities in industry and public authorities.

In their interdisciplinary training for a Master of Science (M. Sc.), students benefit from the special opportunities offered by a small university, such as personal supervision. The expertise in solid-state physics at Clausthal University of Technology, the latest large-scale research equipment for material synthesis and characterization and the special opportunities offered by the Energy Research Centre of Lower Saxony (EFZN) and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute in neighbouring Goslar as well as the new Clausthal Centre for Materials Technology (CZM) provide ideal conditions for a versatile and research-oriented course of study.

Specialist areas:

• Solid state physics
• Semiconductors and energy-functional interfaces
• Photovoltaics
• Fuel cells and chemical energy storage
• batteries
• Solid-state sensors
• Nanostructures and nanomaterials
• Materials for energy technology
• Research internships

Interdisciplinary qualifications:

• Management
• Energy law, energy and environmental economics
• Scientific work

Thesis:

• Six-month Master's thesis

The aim of the Master's degree course in Energy and Materials Physics is to provide a broad and in-depth education in materials physics and materials chemistry with close links to renewable energy technologies. Special study focuses are photovoltaics, batteries, fuel cells and solid-state sensors, which are supplemented by other freely selectable topics from the field of energy and materials. The material and system skills that students acquire in these specializations require, among other things, in-depth training in solid-state and semiconductor physics, which is also taught in the corresponding modules of this degree program. This not only gives students a comprehensive understanding of physical and chemical energy conversion processes with particular relevance for current renewable energy technologies, but also provides them with materials science skills for future energy technologies. The photovoltaics module not only covers the current generation of solar cells on the basis of solid-state physics, but also concepts and realizations of future 3rd and 4th generation solar cells as well as photoelectrochemical concepts for solar energy conversion. By working on research projects as part of a research internship during their studies, students gain in-depth knowledge of current and future materials and energy technologies, practise scientific working methods and are prepared for activities in industrial and university research. Materials science, economics and law subjects closely related to the core topic of energy broaden the course and qualify students for a wide range of activities in industry and public authorities.

Phone: +49-5323-72-2322
E-mail: ba.emph@tu-clausthal.de
Institute for Energy Research and Physical Technologies
Leibnizstraße 4
38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld