The Master’s Thesis in Physics is an original, high-level manuscript prepared by the Master Candidate. This part of the work completes the educational path within the Master’s Degree. The student prepares the Thesis under the supervision of one or more Professors (Thesis Advisors). Potential topics for the Thesis are generally found by directly interfacing with Professors who are active in a given scientific field. Depending on the specific research topic, the work can be carried out at the Department of Physics or in other Laboratories or Research Institutions (public or private, in Italy or abroad).
The final exam needed to obtain the Master’s Degree in Physics consists in a Thesis Defence (Viva exam). A few suggestions to prepare your viva exam at best are reported below.
The thesis defense can be done only on precise, given dates (Call dates or ‘Appelli di Laurea’), listed in the Table below. The method to calculate the final resulting mark is reported in this document (in Italian, for information in English, please contact the CdS President).
In addition, please note that a few other, bureaucratic steps are needed (see below for procedures and deadlines).
Start of Thesis Period
Before beginning the work, you need to fill out a few forms. All the forms can be filled remotely, and they will be automatically delivered to the Didactic Secretary in our Department Administration.
To fill out the forms, use your UniPi credentials and access the Google platform by using your institutional (@studenti.unipi.it) email. For more information about login: https://start.unipi.it/gsuite/.
About 9 months before the Call date
About 9 mesi before the Call date, i.e. when you start the Thesis work: fill, sign, scan, and send electronically the form of ‘Inizio Tesi Magistrale’ (MS Thesis Start form): different forms are available to this aim, depending on the exact location where the work will be performed, and by your supervisor (Department Professor, external researchers, etc.).
The following link will guide you in choosing the right form.
Then, fill and send electronically the right form here: Inizio Tesi Magistrale.
Thesis defense
A few other steps are needed before the viva. Some of these steps are required by the central Student Office of the University of Pisa, and some others needed by the Department of Physics. You are required to meet all the different deadlines as explained below (see also the Table below).
For UniPi: at least 30 days before the Call date: submit the official request for graduating (Domanda di Laurea). This is done online through the Alice web portal (www.studenti.unipi.it). Also, take the time to read all the procedural steps at https://www.unipi.it/index.php/laurea-ed-esame-di-stato/item/1616-informazioni-laurea
For the Department of Physics: fill out the forms, that are specific for a given Call date (dates are specified in the Table below). At least 30 days before the Call date, fill out the form named ‘Request for Master’s Degree’ (‘Request Form’), and attach:
- Thesis summary in pdf
- Updated certificate listing taken exams (to be downloaded from Alice web portal)
For the Department of Physics: at least 21 days before the Call date, deliver the final version of your Thesis manuscript, through the link ‘Invio Tesi’ appropriate to your Call (see Table below).
Important note: The thesis submitted in this way is the only version of your manuscript that will be evaluated by the Board and by examiners. No later changes will be accepted to this aim. The manuscript must also be uploaded to the ETD platform, in which eventual typos can be fixed up to 6 days before the Call date (however, typos corrections will not be forwarded to examiners).
For the Department of Physics: at least 15 days before the Call date:
- all the exams foreseen in your Study Plan must have been taken;
- you will need to send, by e-mail at segrdida@df.unipi.it, the following documents:
- self-certification of eventual, further exams taken up to that date;
- copy of the frontispiece of your Thesis. The frontispiece is automatically released when the upload of your Thesis manuscript is completed. The copy of the frontispiece must by signed by your supervisor (digital signature). If your supervisor does not have an available digital signature, she/he must be included in CC in the email to segrdida@df.unipi.it. She/he will be required to send a further email to confirm that she/he is aware of the Thesis submission and that she/he concurs with the decision to submit;
- copy of the receipt delivered when you have filled the questionario laureandi.
For UniPi: at least 15 days before the Call date, you must complete the process described at https://www.unipi.it/index.php/laurea-ed-esame-di-stato/item/1616-informazioni-laurea
For the Department of Physics: at least the day before the Call date, upload the slides of your viva presentation (Link “Invio slide” appropriate to your Call date, in the Table below).
Information on how to request a photographer
For information on how to request a photographer: https://www.unipi.it/index.php/vivere-l-universita/item/11900-scelta-fotografi-per-gli-esami-di-laurea. If you want a personal photographer, you need to send an email with his/her name to segrdida@df.unipi.it at least 15 days before the “Call date”. Afterward, the photographer will take a pass at the reception of the Department of Physics, located in building B, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3. To obtain the pass, the photographer will need to present his/her ID.
Suggestions for your presentation
During the viva, each candidate has a maximum of 35 minutes to illustrate her/his work of Thesis.
We suggest to present about one slide/minute. Presentations with more than 40 slides are discouraged. The candidate can be interrupted by the Board for questions and comments. In any case, the time allocated for each presentation is not above 50 minutes.
The presentation must be understandable also for non-experts. The Board will mainly assess the scientific merit and the quality of the presentation according to the criteria described in this document (in Italian, for information in English, please contact the CdS President).
Final exam calendar and deadlines
|
Call date Master’s Degree* |
Deadline – Thesis summary | Deadline – Thesis manuscript delivery | Deadline – Frontispiece delivery |
Link for sending your Request for Master’s Degree (Request Form) |
Link for delivering your Thesis manuscript |
Link to deliver final viva slides |
Final Viva Schedule |
| 12/12/2022 | 14/11/2022 | 21/11/2022 | 28/11/2022 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | Schedule |
| 27/02/2023** | 30/01/2023 | 06/02/2023 |
13/02/2023 |
Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | Schedule |
| 27/03/2023 | 27/02/2023 | 06/03/2023 | 13/03/2023 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | |
| 22/05/2023 | 24/04/2023 | 02/05/2023 | 08/05/2023 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | Schedule |
| 20/07/2023 | 20/06/2023 | 29/06/2023 | 05/07/2023 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | Schedule |
| 13/09/2023 | 14/08/2023 | 23/08/2023 | 29/08/2023 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | Schedule |
| 23/10/2023 | 25/09/2023 | 02/10/2023 | 09/10/2023 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery | |
| 11/12/2023 | 13/11/2023 | 20/11/2023 | 27/11/2023 | Link | Thesis delivery | Slides delivery |
*The provided date represents only the start date of the examination session. The Master’s Degree examination is spread over multiple days, with the duration depending on the number of registered students.
**Extraordinary session
