Today

The department of physics stands for up to date, top-level research and committed teaching in a modern, inspiring environment. Due to its 35 professors and 6 institutes, the department offers excellent study conditions for its currently 1300 students. 2005, the department moved to a spacious new building at the Campus Riedberg. Since then, all institutes of the department of physics have been spatially united, which were previously spread over several locations in Bockenheim and Rebstock. The Campus Riedberg contains all the departments of the natural sciences of the Goethe Universtität Frankfurt, as well as other external research institutions, like the Max-Planck-Institutes for Biophysics and for Brain Research and the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS).

Teaching and research are supported by the six institutes of the department which focus on the following fields of research: 
Institute for Applied Physics: Accelerator physics and plasma physics
Institute for Biophysics: Molecular biophysics and membranes
Institute for Physics Education: Development of teaching concepts, empiric research about experiments
Institute for Nuclear Physics: Experimental heavy ion and nuclear physics in accelerators
Institute for Theoretical Physics:  Nuclear and particle physics, condensed matter, atomic and astrophysics
Institute of Physics (Condensed Matter): Condensed matter physics, quantum optics and micro structuring

The great variety of physics in Frankfurt offers students a comprehensive education in both fundamental physics and in important fields of the application of modern physics, especially in computational physics and simulations. For this reason, our graduates also have excellent career prospects for computer-related tasks in corporate consultancy and banking, in addition to the classical fields of work in industry, research centers and schools.

The study guidelines for the Baclor and Master courses of studies offer a great deal of freedom in terms of minor subjects like mathematics, chemistry, biology or computer science, but also economics, legal studies and philologic subjects. These minor subjects offer students a chance to complement their fields of interest and increase their job prospects. Introductory lectures are complemented by practical work and tutorials. A clearly structured curriculum allows for an efficient study plan, even for those students who start studying in the summer semester. Students are supported in their curriculum choices by an intensive central study counselling. In addition, students may establish a mentoring relationship with a lecturer at the beginning of their studies. These mentors may be contacted whenever students are in the need of help with organising their studies or when they encounter other study-related problems. 

Two special features of Frankfurt's physics studies are intensive teaching in theoretical physics starting in the very first semester and - in higher semesters - the close connection between teaching and current research areas of the institutes. The course of studies also includes a three-month Bachelor's and a six-month master's thesis, which cover tasks from an ongoing research project and are generally conducted in a research group. This way, students have access to state-of-the-art methods and devices and intensive support by the research group allows for a swift course of studies.

Graduate programs for advanced, in-depth studies of doctorates and post-docs serve as a basis for advancements and successes in their reseach. This offer is effectively supported by graduate colleges, special research areas of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Association), scholarships and international exchange programs. Extensive external funding for the department enables the purchase of modern research equipment, trips to international conferences, and the employment of students  to carry out tasks in research projects and tutorials.

Literature (german):

100 Jahre Physik an der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main 1914-2014 - 100 years of physics at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main 1914-2014 
Hrsg: Klaus Bethge , Claudia Freudenberger

Otto Stern
von: Horst Schmidt-Böcking und Karin Reich und Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt