ECTS
120 credits
Duration
2 years
Training Structure
College of Sciences
Language(s) of Instruction
French, English
Overview
Become a researcher in the physics of living matter!
Biological phenomena and systems represent a new paradigm of complex, active, and self-regulating matter, governed by laws that remain largely unknown. To study them, we must draw on the most innovative principles, methods, and techniques in physics. The PhIMV program will prepare you for fundamental and applied research in the physics of living matter.
91%
Success Rate
The Benefits of the Training Program
Some courses are taught in English. Our master’s program trains you in research at the intersection of physics and biology. The language used for scientific publications in this field is English. We therefore encourage instruction in English whenever possible. Consequently, certain specific courses in the PhIMV master’s program may be taught in English, at the instructor’s discretion. Similarly, we encourage students who wish to do so to write their internship reports and present their internship defenses in English.
Objectives
The goal of your program is to acquire the disciplinary skills and mindset of a physicist in the study of complex matter and biological systems, as well as to learn how to engage in dialogue and collaborate with scientists from other disciplines (biology, chemistry, medicine, electronics, bioinformatics, etc.) in research at the interface between physics and the biological sciences.
You will learn about cutting-edge physical technologies used in both public research laboratories and companies operating in the biotechnology, diagnostics, and medical sectors.
You will benefit from an interdisciplinary faculty and a well-established network of research institutions in the Montpellier area, throughout France, and abroad.
In conclusion, the PhIMV program offers you a high-level education in a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field, allowing you to explore the physical principles and methods used to study life and its evolution.
Expertise and Skills
- Learn the fundamentals of how new noninvasive experimental techniques, super-resolution imaging and microscopy, single-molecule manipulation experiments, biomimetic, microfluidic, and biosynthetic approaches work, as well as the major physical instruments used to explore the properties of matter. These are cutting-edge technologies that bridge physics with the disciplines of quantitative, computational, integrative, and systems biology, extending into bioinformatics and bioengineering.
- Practice experimental techniques and develop the most in-demand skills by participating in hands-on exercises led by renowned experts in the field.
- Learn and master the analytical, numerical, and simulation tools—drawn from physics, mathematics, and computer science—that are necessary for modeling complex systems, analyzing experimental data, and developing quantitative and predictive models of the phenomena under study.
- Exploring new concepts in fundamental physics: molecular motors and switches, thermodynamics of small systems, active systems, stochastic systems, control, information, evolution, etc.
- During your immersive lab internship, you will learn about research techniques and the day-to-day work of a researcher, the value of teamwork, and the importance of scientific discussion and interdisciplinary dialogue.
Organization
Knowledge Assessment
https://mcc.umontpellier.fr/ lists all course units (UE) and their assessment methods
Internships, supervised projects
Internship | Required |
|---|
The PhIMV master’s program includes two internships of varying lengths. The first internship (10 ECTS) takes place during the M1S2 semester and lasts a minimum of 2 months, with the possibility of a paid extension. The second internship (30 ECTS) takes place during the M2S2 semester and lasts at least 5 months.
The goal of these internships is to expose students to applied and fundamental research in the field of the physics of living matter and biological systems (ranging from molecules to organisms and, potentially, populations of organisms). This experience will serve as a springboard for students after they complete their master’s degree, whether they decide to pursue research in the public or private sector. In addition, these internships provide an excellent opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience with a number of experimental and theoretical techniques (in physics and biology) covered in the courses.
Students will need to be proactive in their search for internships, but will benefit from an interdisciplinary faculty and a network of well-established research institutions in the Montpellier area. Internships will take place in research laboratories, under the supervision of faculty members and researchers from the host research teams. Exceptionally talented students may also pursue internships in industry or abroad.
Below is a list of the main research laboratories that have hosted our students for internships in the past (this list is not exhaustive):
- Charles Coulomb Laboratory (L2C)
- Center for Structural Biochemistry (CBS)
- European Institute of Membranes (IEM)
- Montpellier Center for Cell Biology Research (CRBM)
- Curie Department of Physical Chemistry, Institut Curie, Paris
- Interdisciplinary Physics Laboratory (LiPhy), Grenoble
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
Program
The master’s program is organized into four semesters, each of which builds on the previous one. Each semester is worth 30 ECTS credits and must be successfully completed independently (there is no carryover between semesters). To successfully complete each academic year, students must therefore successfully complete both semesters separately; to earn the degree, students must successfully complete both academic years.
The first year involves significant overlap with the other tracks in the Master’s in Physics program, particularly the SoftMat track. Students begin to specialize in the second semester and, more notably, in the third semester. The fourth semester is devoted to the long-term internship at the end of the program.
Select a program
M1 - Physics and Engineering of Living Matter (PhIMV)
Hydrodynamics
33hEnglish M1 PFA
2 credits21hAtoms, Molecules, and Radiation
5 credits42hExperimental Physics
5 credits42hCondensed Matter Physics 1
5 credits42hBiophysical Science
4 credits33hModeling and Simulation in Physics
5 credits42h
Statistical Physics
6 credits49,5hPhIMV Master's 1 Internship
10 creditsMicroscopy and Spectroscopy for Biology
Surfaces, Interfaces, Colloids
5 credits42hData Acquisition and Processing 1
3 credits24hSensors and Image Processing
3 credits42h
M2 - Physics and Engineering of Living Matter (PhIMV)
Structural Biochemistry
2 creditsBiomimicry
3 credits18hPhysical Modeling of Living Systems
6 credits36hPolymer Physics
4 credits24hEnglish M2 Thesis
2 credits21hKnowledge of the Company
2 credits16hPhysical Biology
Complex Fluids and Active Matter
6 credits36h
PhIMV Master's Degree (M2) Internship
30 credits
Admission
Registration Procedures
Applications can be submitted through the following platforms:
French and European students:
- For the M1 program, follow the “My Master’s” procedure on the website:https://www.monmaster.gouv.fr/
- For the M2 program, students must submit their application through the e-candidat portal:https://candidature.umontpellier.fr/candidature
International students from outside the EU: For the M1 program, follow the “Études en France” procedure: https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/etudesenfrance/dyn/public/authentification/login.html
Target Audience
Program open to students with a bachelor's degree: Physics, Chemistry and Physics.
Mandatory Prerequisites
The PhIMV track is a master’s program in fundamental and applied physics. The prerequisites are therefore those for a bachelor’s degree in physics (or physical chemistry) such as those awarded by French universities: a solid understanding of mechanics, thermodynamics, and electrical phenomena.
A solid grasp of mathematics at the calculus level (integral calculus, differential calculus, vector calculus, matrices, etc.) is essential.
No prior knowledge of biological systems is required. The basics of cell biology will be covered during the first semester of the M1 program.
Recommended Prerequisites
- Mathematical Methods for Physics
- Statistical Physics
- Fundamentals of the Physics of Condensed Matter
- Simulation and Numerical Computation
And then
Continuing Education
The program is designed to prepare students for careers in
- basic research: research laboratories in physics, biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and biotechnology; engineering schools; bio-inspired sciences;
- the diagnostics and biomedical industry, imaging and high-tech platforms;
- Innovative biotechnologies: biomaterials, new diagnostic tools, data analysis, personalized medicine.
Continuing Your Education Abroad
In the past, some students, after successfully completing our master’s program, have gone on to pursue doctoral studies at research institutions abroad. For example, EPFL (Switzerland) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (United States), to name just a few.
In addition, we also benefit from the IPOLS (International Physics of Living Systems) Network, which supports the mobility of researchers and students whose work focuses on the physics of living matter.
Transition Programs and Reorientation
Other tracks in the Master's in Fundamental Physics and Applications, Master's in Education.
Employment Placement
In total, more than 60% of students went on to complete a doctoral dissertation (in France or abroad), and 95% found their first job within one year of completing their master’s degree.