Medical Physics, Second Cycle

Medical physicists are involved in three fields: clinical services and counseling, research and development (RD) and teaching. Given the difficulty of medical physicist’s position in medical environment, broad basic knowledge and practical experience are essential. Medical physicists require basic physical and mathematical knowledge, while close cooperation with doctors and other medical staff requires familiarity with basic medical sciences such as anatomy and physiology.

Programme provides, according to The Act of Ionizing Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety in Slovenia, training of a so called authorized medical physics expert, who is "an accredited person with required expertise in the field of physics or technology of ionizing radiation and their use in medicine (hereinafter: the field of medical physics) and is qualified to advise on the optimization, measurement and evaluation of patient exposure, development, planning and use of radiological procedures and equipment, while ensuring and verifying their quality”.

Graduates will be employed mainly by/in:

Oncology Institute,
University Clinical Centers and larger hospitals,
businesses dealing with development and sale of medical equipment,
research institutions in fields of physics and connected scientific disciplines,
higher education.

Main objective of the programme is training of experts in the field of medical physics who will participate in technologically most complex research and treatment in medicine, will perform control of said research, play a key role with their expert advice, supervision, purchasing and introduction of cutting-edge medical technology. The programme will train specialists who will work on further integration of physical sciences in biomedical sciences, particularly in the field of general diagnosis and cancer treatment, as well as engaging in interdisciplinary research in the fields of medical physics, biophysics and biomedical sciences. After completing the programme, experts will be able to critically evaluate new science and comparability of new technologies for transfer into clinical practice.

Study of medical physics provides students with a coherent proficiency in basic knowledge from the field of medical physics (medical imaging, therapy) as well as the ability to connect that knowledge with other, broader areas that are important for a successful diagnosis and treatment of diseases, such as anatomy, physiology or radiobiology. Students acquire skills to solve real work problems such as radiotherapy planning, calibration of instrumentation, quality assurance of medical device operation. Broadness of study provides students with an understanding of the general structure of medical physics and integration with its sub-disciplines, especially physics of radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology physics, physics of nuclear medicine and health physics. During their studies students will learn about information-communication technology and systems used in medical diagnosis and treatment.

Candidates who have successfully finished university degree in first-cycle (under Bologna reform system) or university undergraduate study (under pre-Bologna reform system) may enroll in the Medical Physics programme.

Candidates may enroll in the second-cycle master study programme in Medical Physics if they have completed the following:

a) First-cycle study programme in the fields of physics or mathematics
b) First-cycle study programmes in other study fields if the applicant, prior to enrollment, completes the study load required to continue in the study of medical physics to the extent of 10-60 ECTS - these obligations are determined according to the differences of professional fields and on individual basis determined by the committee for postgraduate studies at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Candidates can carry our these obligations while studying in the first-cycle, in training programs or by passing exams before enrolling in postgraduate studies. Conditions for enrollment are:

at least 3 semesters of physics, of which at least 1 semester of modern (atomic, nuclear) physics (at least 30 ECTS of physics)
at least 3 semesters of mathematics (at least 25 ECTS of mathematics)
at least 3 semesters of physics and technical laboratory (at least 20 ECTS of laboratory)
c) Bachelor's programme (under pre-Bologna reform system) in the fields of physics or mathematics
d) Bachelor's programme (under-pre Bologna reform system) in other study fields if the applicant, prior to enrollment, completes the study load required to continue in the study of medical physics to the extent of 10-60 ECTS - these obligations are determined according to the differences of professional fields and on individual basis determined by the committee for postgraduate studies at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Candidates can carry our these obligations in training programs or by passing exams before enrolling in postgraduate studies. Exceptions can be made and candidates can carry out their missing obligations during 1st year of Master's programme.

Candidates who have completed equivalent education as stated in paragraphs a) to d) abroad also meet enrollment criteria and can enter under same conditions as candidates who have completed their schooling in Slovenia.

In the case of limited admission, candidates will be accepted according to the average grade from undergraduate (first-cycle) study. In the event a candidate is not accepted in a given year, he/she may re-apply in the following school year. Study committee will deal with individual exceptions, taking into account other candidate's indicators of suitability (professional qualifications, practical experience, research activity).

Knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrollment are taken into account both for enrollment conditions as well as for completed study obligations. Candidates with years of working experience in the field of medical physics (in Slovenia particularly from Oncology Institute, Clinical Center etc.) have priority for enrollment. Academic obligations can be reduced up to 30 ECTS for candidates with (at least) 5 years of working experience in the field of medical physics with professional and scientific success (professional and scientific articles, seminars, completed courses, successfully completed projects etc.). Reduction of coursework prior to enrollment is carried out through recognition of related courses from candidate's professional fields. Candidates applying under c) can have their study load decreased by up to 30 ECTS on account of courses already completed which have similar content and scope as courses in the programme of Medical physics.

Changes of enrollment conditions and reduction of study obligations are considered individually based on documented student applications, which are dealt with by study committee for MA studies at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics.

Condition for transition from first to second year is completion of at least 45 ECTS of study load. Study committee for MA studies deals with exceptions individually.

Condition for repeating a year is completion of at least 30 ECTS. Study committee for MA studies deals with exceptions individually.

Transition is possible from:

a) Second-cycle study programme in the fields of physics or mathematics

b) Second-cycle study programmes in other study fields if the applicant, prior to enrollment, completes the study load required to continue in the study of medical physics to the extent of 10-60 ECTS - these obligations are determined according to the differences of professional fields and on individual basis determined by the committee for postgraduate studies at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Candidates can carry our these obligations while studying in the second-cycle, in training programs or by passing exams before enrolling in postgraduate studies. Conditions for enrollment are:

at least 3 semesters of physics, of which at least 1 semester of modern (atomic, nuclear) physics (at least 30 ECTS of physics)
at least 3 semesters of mathematics (at least 25 ECTS of mathematics)
at least 3 semesters of physics and technical laboratory (at least 20 ECTS of laboratory)
c) Master's programme (under pre-Bologna reform system) in the fields of physics or mathematics

d) Master's programme (under-pre Bologna reform system) in other study fields if the applicant, prior to enrollment, completes the study load required to continue in the study of medical physics to the extent of 10-60 ECTS - these obligations are determined according to the differences of professional fields and on individual basis determined by the committee for postgraduate studies at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Candidates can carry our these obligations in training programs or by passing exams before enrolling in postgraduate studies. Candidates must fulfill conditions for the programme into which they are transitioning. Committee for postgraduate studies at Faculty of mathematics and Physics individually determines obligations that must be carried out prior to transition to the new programme and specifies the year into which the candidate may transition.

To complete the program, students must:

pass all exams
undergo final committee exam
produce and defend the master's thesis

• KLASIUS-SRV: Masters education (second Bologna cycle)/Master (second Bologna cycle)
• ISCED: Physical sciences
• KLASIUS-P:
• KLASIUS-P-16: Physics
• Frascati: Natural Sciences
• SOK level: 8
• EOK level: 7
• EOVK level: Second cycle

Upon enrollment candidate selects a mentor in a particular scientific or technical field and chooses courses in the amount of 120 ECTS. Courses are divided into four groups:

Compulsory courses (28 ECTS)
Compulsory professional courses (36 ECTS)
Elective courses (26 ECTS)
Master's thesis (30 ECTS)
In agreement with mentor and programme leader candidate may choose courses from other master's study programmes in second-cycle up to 18 ECTS, not including Master's thesis.