The Master’s Degree in Physics ends with the preparation and defense of a Master’s Thesis — an original work carried out under the supervision of one or more advisors. The project can be conducted at the Department or at other public or private institutions, in Italy or abroad, and typically has a duration of around 9 months, including both the research activities and the writing of the final document. The final exam is worth 45 ECTS credits.
Before Starting the Thesis
to begin your Thesis you need to:
- Identify a Thesis topic and a supervisor, e.g. through direct discussions with faculty members in your area of interest, or based on thesis announcements.
- Complete the Thesis Start Procedures. These must be finalized before beginning any activity.
At the End of the Thesis Period
the following steps are required to access the Degree Examination [see the Graduation Exam Registration section for details]:
- At least 30 days before the session, submit the Degree Application and abstract.
- At least 21 days before the session, submit the final version of the Thesis for the Degree Committee.
- At least 15 days before the session, submit the Attachments to the Application.
- At least 1 day before the examination, submit the final version of the Presentation.
Further useful info: Rules for the determination of the Master’s degree mark
Thesis Start Procedures
All the procedures use Google Forms accessible with University credentials. Please log in using your institutional email n.surname#@studenti.unipi.it. For details, visit https://start.unipi.it/gsuite/.
The entire procedure begins by completing a specific form, which must be signed and electronically attached to the “Start of the MSc Thesis” form. The exact template depends on where the Thesis will be carried out and on the advisor’s status. Follow the instructions at this link to download the correct form.
Important. Theses conducted outside UniPi may require specific agreements that are not finalized immediately. Experimental theses may also involve more extended safety and training procedures. Therefore, for experimental and/or international theses, initiate administrative procedures a coupole of months before the actual start to avoid delays.
Graduation Exam Registration
Enrollment in the Degree Examination involves steps for both the University of Pisa and the Physics Department, to be completed well in advance of the session (see the Graduation Sessions table).
| By… | What you need to do |
| 30 days before session |
For UniPi. Submit the Degree Application via the Alice portal, following the instructions on the UniPi “Esame di Laurea” page.For the Department. Complete the “Degree Application” form (link in the Graduation Sessions table) and attach: the thesis abstract in PDF format; the updated transcript downloaded from the Alice portal. |
| 21 days before session |
For UniPi. No requirement.
For the Department. Complete the “Thesis Submission” form (link in the Graduation Sessions table), and attach the Thesis for the committee and reviewers in PDF format(*) |
| 15 days before session | All exams in your last approved Study Plan must be passed by this date.
For UniPi. Upload the attachments to the Degree Application on the Alice portal, as described at the UniPi “Esame di Laurea” page. For the Department. While the requirement to complete all exams by this date remains, it is no longer necessary to send anything to segrdida@df.unipi.it, as the necessary checks will be carried out automatically. |
| 24 hours before the exam |
For UniPi. No requirement. For the Department. Complete the “Slides Submission” (link in the Graduation Sessions table), and attach the presentation in PDF format. |
(*) Important. The thesis must also be uploaded to the ETD (Electronic Theses and Dissertations) portal, as described on the UniPi “Esame di Laurea” page. You may revise the archived version (e.g., to correct minor typos) up to six days before the exam. Differently, for organizational reasons, the committee will evaluate the version submitted via the “Thesis Submission” form.
Recommendations for the Thesis defense
A few suggestions for the preparation of your Thesis defense:
- Duration of the oral presentatoin. Duration of the final viva, each candidate has a maximum of 30-35 minutes to illustrate her/his wotk of Thesis.
- Number of slides. Plan on roughly one “effective” slide per minute; exceeding 40 slides is discouraged. Although you may be interrupted for questions, the presentation may not exceed 50 minutes under any circumstances.
- Evaluation . Il candidato deve preparare la presentazione in modo che sia comprensibile anche ai non esperti del settore specifico e tenere presente che la valutazione della Commissione avverrà sulla base dei tre criteri indicati sul documento Modalità di determinazione del voto di Laurea Magistrale.
Photographers must be accredited [see the guide “Scelta fotografi per gli esami di Laurea”]. To employ a professional photographer of your choice, email their name to segrdida@df.unipi.it within 15 days after the session opens. An “Invited Photographer” pass will be created; collect it at the Department of Physics porter’s lodge (Largo Pontecorvo 3) by presenting an ID, which will be returned when the pass is handed back.
Graduation Sessions and Deadlines
The following table lists upcoming graduation sessions together with key deadlines and links to the forms for submitting the Degree Application, Thesis, and slides.
| Starrting date of the Graduation Session * | Deadline abstract submission | Deadline Thesis submission | Deadline Frontpage submission | Link to apply to the Graduation Exam | Link to submit the Thesis | Link to submit the slides | Commision and session program |
| 17/02/25 | 20/01/25 | 27/01/25 | 03/02/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
| 25/03/25 | 24/02/25 | 04/03/25 | 10/03/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
| 21/05/25 | 22/04/25 | 30/04/25 | 06/05/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
| 17/07/25 | 18/06/25 | 26/06/25 | 02/07/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
| 22/09/25 | **25/08/25 | 01/09/25 | 08/09/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
| 20/10/25 | 22/09/25 | 29/09/25 | 06/10/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
| 09/12/25 | 10/11/25 | 18/11/25 | 24/11/25 | Application | Thesis | Slides | Program |
*The indicated date refers only to the start of the graduation session, as the Master’s Degree Examination may span multiple days depending on the number of candidates enrolled.
**Date subject to change
Last updated on: 30/06/2025