You will need to answer this question for yourself. To help you, we will provide some information.

• Would you like information on compulsory and elective courses, or the requirements for the final state exam? Information about the current programme structure will help you find your way around the website. The course structure is the result of long-term optimisation, with changes now only occurring in detail.
• You can gain an overview of the field through the Proseminar and Seminar on Particle and Nuclear Physics. The Proseminar is designed to help students choose their specialisation and thesis topic, while the Seminar is the department’s main seminar. If some of the topics seem difficult to understand initially, don’t worry — you will learn as you progress through your studies.
• Bachelor’s and Master’s theses are closely linked to the research activities of Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics staff in theoretical and experimental particle and nuclear physics. Supervisors often come from the Institute of Physics and the Nuclear Physics Institute, both of which are part of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
  
  Experimental particle physics

  
  Experimental nuclear physics

  
  Neutrino physics

  
  Astroparticle physics

  
  Particle theory

  
  Theory of many-body systems

  
  Particle detectors
• You or your parents may be interested in knowing what a typical career in fundamental physics research involves. While working on your thesis, you will most likely become involved in international collaborations and visit laboratories abroad, such as CERN or DESY. You will present your results to the faculty, and potentially to an international audience.
• You can advance your scientific career by undertaking doctoral studies, which entail fewer lectures and more independent research. You will be expected to produce results that are suitable for publication in international journals.
  You will probably attend a ‘summer’ or ‘winter’ school, which are one- or multi-week educational events held in the Czech Republic or abroad. When working on international experiments in particular, you will spend a considerable amount of time studying at foreign institutes. If you work hard, you will be rewarded with the successful defence of your PhD thesis.
  After this, you may wish to continue with postdoctoral positions, which typically last a year or more. Eventually, you may wish to start looking for a permanent position in the Czech Republic or elsewhere.
  A university position typically involves teaching duties and progression through the ranks, from assistant professor to associate professor to professor. Positions at the Academy of Sciences or similar international laboratories offer more time for research, although teaching responsibilities may also be involved.
  Your financial situation will depend on the grants and projects you work on. Over time, you will become responsible for obtaining your own funding. Gradually, you will begin to supervise your own students, starting with Master’s projects and progressing to PhD theses.
• A long-term career in this field depends on intellectual appeal, support and development opportunities. Particle and nuclear physics has developed rapidly over the past fifty years, and there are still many open questions in this field. Large experimental facilities typically take 10–20 years to design, after which they are used for a similar period with various upgrades. The ATLAS experiment at CERN’s LHC, for example, has been in preparation since the early 1990s, began operation in 2007, and is now undergoing major upgrades to enable further years of research.
• Even if you decide to move away from the ‘standard path’ at any point, you can still put the knowledge, experience and work habits you have gained to excellent use. You will be trained to solve complex problems and unexpected challenges, and to communicate effectively with international partners. You will naturally use advanced computing tools and quickly adapt to new technologies. It is highly likely that you will find a position in which your abilities and experience will be recognised — and rewarded.
• You will receive training in how to handle unexpected challenges, and you will also have the opportunity to participate in some of them.

• Map of IPNP Activities [cz]