Master's Degree in Master's in Physics of Complex Systems

Academic year 2017-18 | 60 credits | 25 places

New student profile and admission criteria

In accordance with that which is established in Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007 (modified by Royal Decree 861/2010):

  • In order to be admitted to the Master's degree programme in physics of complex systems, applicants must be in possession of an official degree issued by an institution of higher education from a state pertaining to the European Higher Education Area that allows for holders to access Master's-level studies in the issuing country.
  • Additionally, holders of degrees issued by institutions outside of the European Higher Education Area may also access this programme without having to have their degree officially recognized as equivalent to a Spanish degree as long as the university ensures that the degree confirms that the holder has reached a level of training equivalent to that which would be provided by corresponding official Spanish degree programmes and the degree allows the holder to access postgraduate-level studies in the issuing country. Admission via this route in no way implies the official recognition or equivalence of the foreign degree for any effect other than to participate in the Master's programme.
  • Given that English is the language used throughout this programme, and in accordance with Executive Agreement 9617 of 2 November 2010 which sets regulations regarding English language knowledge in undergraduate-level study programmes, students in the Master's degree programme must meet one of the following four requirements:
    • having passed a particular English subject in the undergraduate study programme that allowed access to these Master's studies,
    • passing an English level test or interview,
    • presenting a certificate or diploma, recognized by the UIB, that accredits a minimum level of English language knowledge equivalent to a CEFR B2, or
    • having passed at least 18 credits worth of undergraduate subjects that were taught in English.

This Master's degree programme is especially recommended for holders of degrees in physics, physical engineering, or similar. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the Master's programme, it is also possible for holders of degrees in other disciplines related to the lines covered in this programme to participate.

In accordance with Regulatory Agreement 9386 of 16 March 2010, decisions about the applications presented to the Master's degree programme in physics of complex systems will be made by the programme's studies council, which is made up of the director of the programme, involved professors, and the head of subjects. The studies council will also carry out the necessary procedures in accordance with current regulations and will meet in the 15 days following the application deadline to evaluate applications based on the established requirements (Royal Decree 1393/2007, modified by Royal Decree 861/2010) as well as the criteria indicated below. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of seats available, the studies council will create a waitlist of students, ordered based on their merits, who will be given the opportunity to fill any vacancy in case an applicant who has been awarded a seat renounces their right to enrol.

Students wishing to enter the study programme after the first semester will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the body in charge of the Master's programme, and the university's governing regulations will be followed at all times. In all cases, the decision to admit students will be conditioned on the availability of seats.

The following criteria will be considered for assessing the merits of students who apply to this Master's programme, as will the corresponding accreditation of abilities related to this Master's degree:

  • The academic transcript from previously undertaken study programmes,
  • Professional experience, and
  • A statement of purpose, including a candidate's personal reasons and objectives that have led him/her to apply to this programme.

The academic transcript and professional experience will have a combined weight of no less than 70%. Candidates should present all required documentation, duly accredited when necessary, in accordance with that which is established by the body responsible for admissions.

 

Academic and professional goals

The objective of the Master's degree programme in physics of complex systems is to provide students with an advanced level of specialized and multidisciplinary education, focused on the various areas in which complex systems play an important role, learning how to utilize and apply physics-based methods. This knowledge and training, along with the possibility of taking subjects that serve as an introduction to and offer support for research, aim to put students in an ideal position for applying their acquired abilities to the field of research work.

This Master's degree programme has an exclusively research-based focus and as such is directed toward students who wish to undertake doctoral studies in the field of complex systems. However, although there is no specifically career-focused guidance, some of the techniques and subjects covered in the programme are applicable to certain professional fields, such as, computing, electronics, telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, and they are especially useful in companies with R&D departments.

Access to other study programmes and career opportunities

Holders of the Master's degree in physics of complex systems are able to apply to further postgraduate studies, i.e., those leading to the attainment of a UIB-issued doctoral degree in the technological and experimental sciences programme.

Structure of the study programme

You can find the course syllabi and information on the languages in which classes are taught in the Subjects section.
 
Further information can be found on the following web page: http://www.ifisc.uib-csic.es/master/

Credit recognition

Credits obtained from official university study programmes that accredit the attainment of competences and knowledge associated with subjects in a study programme may be subject to credit recognition as long as the recognized credits are applied to subjects or modules defined in the study programme and no others. Specifically, a maximum of exactly 6 credits will be recognized for the following subjects from other official Master's programmes at the University of the Balearic Islands:

  • Master's degree programme in physics. Subjects: Distributed Computing and Massive Data Processing, and Data Analysis and Simulation in Fluid Dynamics
  • Master's degree programme in human cognition and evolution. Subjects: Research Training into Cognitive and Social Sciences, and The Evolution of Language
  • Master's degree programme in theoretical chemistry and computational modelling. Subjects: Chemical and Molecular Dynamics and Computer Simulation and Modelling, Advanced Electron Structure Theory and Condensed Matter Theory, Quantum Chemistry and Statistical Mechanical Methods, and Mathematical Fundamentals of Theoretical Chemistry.
  • Master's degree programme in biotechnology, genetics, and cellular biology. Subjects: Cell Expression Regulation, Cell Communication, and Conservation Genetics
  • Master's degree programme in information technologies. Subjects: Methods in Probability, Mathematical Treatment of Fuzzy Data, and Digital Communication Systems and Applications.
Credits that students were awarded for classes taken during exchange programmes may also be eligible for recognition. It is possible to recognize classes with contents that do not coincide with those of the elective subjects offered as long as it is explicitly defined in the exchange agreement. 

Final Exam

Public presentation and defence of the Master's thesis.

Evaluation criteria and exams

Assessment criteria and exam information are detailed in the syllabus available for each subject in the Subjects section.

 

Study programme leadership

Dr. Raúl Toral Garcés
Telephone
(34) 971 17 3235

 

 

The body responsible for the academic coordination of the programme includes: the director, Dr. Raúl Toral and the Academic Committee of the degree programme which includes doctors Damià Gomila, Tomàs Sintes, and Pere Colet.