DIPLOMA THESIS

Diploma Thesis (MSc Dissertation)

The Master’s Thesis (MT) is a core component of the MSc in Computational Physics at AUTH. It offers students the opportunity to conduct original research in computational physics under the supervision of a faculty member.

1. Getting Started

Students may begin their thesis from the 3rd semester, provided they have completed at least 45 ECTS. The first step is to contact a supervisor who must be a faculty member of the MSc programme. Students who have difficulty finding a supervisor may contact their Academic Advisor or the Programme Director. A formal application for thesis registration must be submitted to pmscomphys@physics.auth.gr and is approved by the Coordinating Committee.

2. Conducting Research

Research and code development may take place in the laboratories of the AUTH Physics Department, in research centres (e.g. NCSR Demokritos, National Observatory of Athens), or — depending on the thesis objectives — in private sector facilities. Students have access to the MSc computing cluster (CompuPhys1, CompuPhys2, CompuPhys3, DeathStar) as well as the AUTH High Performance Computing infrastructure. All research must comply with the academic ethics code of the programme.

3. Writing the Thesis

The thesis may be written in Greek or English. If written in English, an extended Greek abstract of at least 1,000 words is required. The document should follow standard academic structure: cover page, abstract (in both languages), introduction, main chapters, conclusions, bibliography, and appendices. A4 format with standard fonts (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial) at 11–12pt is recommended. Templates are available on the programme website.

4. Defence and Submission

Upon completion, students submit a request for the formation of a three-member examination committee. At least two of the three members must be faculty of the Physics Department. The public presentation is announced on the programme website at least 3 days in advance. After a successful defence, students must submit the grading sheet, presentation announcement, and abstracts (150–500 words each, in Greek and English) to the Department Secretariat, and deposit the final thesis with the AUTH Central Library.