Project Course in Applied Physics

Aim

The course aims to provide advanced knowledge in conducting technical development projects within applied physics. The students are given an insight into the real engineering world by engaging in a project to develop a practical product, prototype, or software with major opportunities for innovation and application of skills from prior courses.

This means that the student is expected to be able to do the following after completing the course:

• Analyze and evaluate knowledge from various disciplines related to applied physics to develop solutions to complex problems in new contexts.
• With a high degree of independence, plan and execute projects using a project model from requirements specification to final presentation, including management, group collaboration/teamwork, and technical problem-solving.
• Document and present the project results in a technical report and oral presentation consistent with modern engineering projects.
• Document a life cycle assessment (LCA) that considers relevant aspects of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.​
• Reflect on and consider sustainability aspects in the planning and implementation of a project.​
• Show the ability to act based on life cycle analysis to influence the surrounding society (locally, nationally, or globally) to create a more positive impact (socially, economically, sustainably, etc.).

Content

The project course serves as an umbrella for a variety of projects in the main field of study of Applied Physics. Projects may be either experiment- or theory-oriented, and application focused. The specific projects may vary from year to year. Examples of project topics are sensor systems, computational physics, materials science, medical technology, and quantum technology. For information about current projects, see Studieinfo and the tab ‘Additional documents’. Within the course, the students will have the possibility to get new knowledge as well as apply prior knowledge for advanced applications of scientific and industrial relevance.

A number of project specific, introductory lectures, workshops, and/or laboratory work in the beginning gives basic knowledge for the project work. Lectures cover the background, methods, market needs and demands, and theoretical knowledge necessary for the project. Exercises and practical activities are offered to complement the lectures.

The course includes a common entrepreneurship part as well as lectures on the CDIO initiative and, for respective project, the project model that is used.