Nagoya University Global COE Program　Quest for Fundamental Principles in the Universe

Physics Minima is a course on “the basics of physics” designed for first and second year students in the master’s course and first year students in the doctoral course. All PhD students must complete the Physics Minima course prior to becoming a PhD candidate and receiving their doctoral degree. Physics Minima consists of two courses, A and B. Physics Minima A is an e-learning-based tutorial of undergraduate level physics, while Physics Minima B reviews a wide variety of topics, ranging from particle physics to planetary science and astrophysics.

Currently, more of our graduate students earned their undergraduate degrees from universities other than Nagoya University, and it is anticipated that this number as well as the number of international students will increase. Thus, our graduate students have diversified educations prior to entering our program. The purpose of Physics Minima A is to ensure that students acquire fundamental scholastic abilities necessary to study physics at the graduate school.

In addition to being flexible and taking examinations online, the e-learning-based tutorial course allows students to learn at their own pace so that each student can focus on his or her individual areas of weakness. Although lectures are not necessarily given, Teaching Assistants (TAs), who are students in the doctoral course that have completed Physics Minima, are available to assist students enrolled in Physics Minima A.

The purpose of Physics Minima B is to ensure that students acquire elementary knowledge necessary to advance research in fields related to the “Quest for Fundamental Principles in the Universe”, especially in the fields of elementary particle physics, astrophysics, and solar terrestrial physics. . Below is the prospective outline of the Physics Minima B curriculum as the actual content is currently being developed.