Understanding the world, shaping the future: discover how studying physics helps you answer the big questions of the universe with curiosity, logic and a love of experimentation – and why physics opens doors to many future industries.
Students learn in a practical manner at the department and are supported by outstanding researchers. Topics are taught in a clear manner and, as part of their final thesis, students are part of an international research group.
Unique in Frankfurt: the wide range of elective courses. This allows students to pursue their individual interests. Their studies can thus be designed to be comprehensive and personalised.
A green campus with a modern physics building, comfortable study rooms and state-of-the-art laboratories offers ideal conditions for research-oriented study. Our own accelerator, FRANZ, and strong links to GSI and CERN are further advantages.
A degree in physics teaches skills that are in demand in many industries. Graduates work wherever there is a need for precise analysis, modelling and innovation. Find out more about possible career fields for physicists:
Physicists develop new materials, sensors and detectors in public and private research departments, e.g. for solar power systems or space missions. They accompany innovations from the initial idea to its application. Possible career fields include:
Medical technology: In medical technology, physicists work on modern imaging techniques such as MRI, CT and PET. They improve resolution, reduce radiation exposure through sophisticated algorithms and calculate precise dose distributions for tumours in radiation therapy. In diagnostics, they also develop so-called lab-on-a-chip systems that enable complex blood tests to be performed within a few minutes.
Aerospace: In aerospace, physicists develop satellites, measuring instruments and navigation systems, for example. They calculate flight paths, optimise propulsion systems, model aerodynamics and analyse radiation in space. Typical fields of application are research centres (e.g. space agencies, institutes), aerospace companies, satellite communication, navigation (GPS/GNSS) and space weather monitoring. Possible career profiles: development engineer for sensors and instruments, systems engineer in satellite projects, mission analyst, flight mechanics specialist or data scientist for space missions.
Materials development: In materials research, physicists investigate how substances behave at the atomic and microscopic level and use this knowledge to develop new materials for technology and everyday life. They analyse semiconductors, superconductors, lightweight construction materials and functional materials using methods such as X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and spectroscopy. Areas of application include electronics, battery technology, aerospace, medical technology and the energy industry. Possible careers: Development engineer for new materials, specialist in surface and thin-film technology, laboratory and characterisation expert, or researcher in industrial and public research laboratories.
Energy technology: In energy technology, physicists work on the energy supply of the future. They model power grids, optimise solar and wind farms, develop storage technologies (e.g. batteries, power-to-X) and investigate materials for more efficient power plants and fusion facilities. Areas of application include energy companies, grid operators, manufacturers of energy systems, research institutes and engineering firms. Possible careers: Development engineer for photovoltaics or wind power, expert in grid stability and load flow, researcher in fusion energy, simulation expert for energy systems or specialist in energy and climate scenarios in consulting and politics.
Physicists are particularly sought after in business and industry because they can analyse complex problems in a structured manner and solve them with mathematical precision. Possible career fields include:
Consulting: In consulting, physicists solve complex optimisation problems for companies, from supply chain logistics to digitalisation strategies. They model production processes, forecast demand curves and analyse market and risk data using simulations and statistics. Areas of application include strategy consulting, technology consulting and management consulting. Possible professions: data analyst in consulting, process optimiser, strategy consultant for technology projects or project manager for digital transformation.
Financial sector: In the financial sector, physicists work as quantitative analysts (‘quants’) on risk management, derivative pricing and high-frequency trading. They model stock price movements using stochastic processes (similar to particle trajectories), calculate option prices according to Black-Scholes and develop algorithms for automated trading strategies. Typical employers include investment banks, insurance companies, hedge funds and fintech companies. Possible careers include risk manager, quantitative developer, algorithmic trader or portfolio optimiser.
High-tech industry: In the high-tech industry, physicists develop core technologies such as sensor technology, optics and semiconductors for smartphones, wearables and IoT devices. They optimise lasers, displays, camera systems and microchip components by simulating light, electrons and material properties. Employers include electronics, optics and measurement technology manufacturers. Possible careers: optical engineer, sensor developer, semiconductor process engineer or system architect for high-tech products.
IT & data science: In IT and data science, physicists build machine learning models, analyse big data and develop simulations for predictive analytics. They recognise patterns in huge data sets, e.g. for autonomous driving, recommendation algorithms or fraud detection, and optimise algorithms with physical intuition. Areas of application include tech companies, digital agencies and research. Possible careers: data scientist, machine learning engineer, algorithm developer or big data analyst.
Patents: Physicists also work in industrial property rights. As patent attorneys, they analyse technical innovations, examine novelty and inventive step, and draft patent applications or expert opinions.
In the education sector, physicists pass on their knowledge and make complex concepts understandable. Possible career fields include:
Schools: Physicists teach physics at general education schools and vocational schools, conveying abstract concepts in a clear and experimental manner.
Universities: Physicists work as scientists at universities in basic and applied research, from quantum physics to astrophysics. They run laboratories, supervise students and publish groundbreaking results. As university lecturers, they teach physics in lectures, seminars and practical courses at universities and technical colleges. They develop teaching materials and guide students through bachelor's and doctoral theses. Possible professions: professor, postdoc/research group leader or head of large-scale experiments.
Physics education: In physics education, physicists research how physics can be taught most effectively. They develop experiments, digital learning platforms and teaching concepts for schools and universities. Possible careers: Professor of physics education, developer of physics teaching materials or consultant for education ministries.
Science communication: As science journalists, they write for specialist journals or popular science media, produce explanatory videos or documentaries, and organise formats for knowledge transfer. In museums or other extracurricular learning venues such as planetariums, they develop interactive exhibitions on topics such as black holes or quantum computing.
Edutainment: Physicists develop learning apps, serious games or digital learning platforms, using modern physics teaching methods to make learning processes more effective.
Physicists also work in government institutions, where they make an important contribution to society and infrastructure. Possible career fields include:
Weather and climate services: They develop prediction models based on large amounts of data and continuously improve the accuracy of weather and climate forecasts. Employers include the German and European weather services.
Environmental and radiation protection authorities: In environmental or radiation protection authorities, they review safety standards, assess risks and develop scientifically sound decision-making bases.
Ministries: In ministries, they contribute scientific expertise to political decisions, are responsible for digitalisation and technical infrastructures, and work in specialist departments.
In addition to their physical expertise, physics students acquire universally applicable soft and hard skills that precisely meet the requirements of the above-mentioned industries. These skills make physicists problem solvers for challenges of all kinds and enable them to excel wherever logic, data and innovation are required.
Real phenomena are translated into models, approximated and critically reviewed (e.g. movement, flow, signals, random processes) – a core competence for industry, finance and data science.
Methods Simulations, evaluation of large data sets and visualisation are part of everyday life: programming languages (e.g. Python, C/C++), numerical algorithms and scientific computing are practised in a practical manner.
Laboratory practicals teach students how to use modern measurement methods, lasers, detectors, electronics and vacuum technology, as well as error analysis and uncertainty estimation.
From noise in measurement data to fitting procedures: students learn to critically evaluate data, interpret it statistically and present results in a comprehensible manner.
In laboratory practicals, project seminars and final theses, small teams plan, experiment, simulate and present – similar to what they will do later in R&D or interdisciplinary industrial projects.
Minutes, reports, presentations and posters train precise, target-group-oriented communication – important for any future career, not only in science.
Challenging content and long-term projects train perseverance, frustration tolerance and independent working – skills that are highly valued in job applications.
Are you still unsure if studying physics or biophysics is the right choice for you? Try out the Online Study Choice Assistant (OSA)!
The bachelor's degree in physics is an open-admission program. Information about applying, admission, and enrollment, as well as the link to the application portal, can be found on the main website of Goethe University.
Department of Physics
Head of Physics Learning Center, Pupil Communication, AI Contact Person
