FYS9715 – Biological Physics
Course description
Course content
This course provides?an overall understanding of how the properties of biological systems are determined by basic physical laws. Furthermore, the course gives an introduction to physical models for molecular and cellular processes.
Learning outcome
After completing this course:
- you are?familiar with a number of processes both on a cellular and organism level where physics increases insight. Examples could be diffusion and active transport, entropic forces and cooperative transitions, excitable cells and how cells move.
- you can?do calculations on physical models for molecular and cellular processes.
- you can?peruse and obtain knowledge from textbooks and scientific articles on biological physics.
- you can explain connections between physics, chemistry, and biology in the natural sciences.
Admission to the course
PhD candidates from the University of Oslo should apply for classes and register for examinations through?Studentweb.
If a course has limited intake capacity, priority will be given to PhD candidates who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included. Some national researchers’ schools may have specific rules for ranking applicants for courses with limited intake capacity.
PhD candidates who have been admitted to another higher education institution must?apply for a position as a visiting student?within a given deadline.
Recommended previous knowledge
- FYS2160 – Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (necessary prerequisite given during the 5 first weeks that can be followed in the same semester)
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with FYS4715 – Biological Physics.
Teaching
4 hours of organized teaching per week throughout the semester.
The teaching includes?lectures, colloquia, problem-solving, teamwork, small and large project assignments, and laboratory exercises.
In this course, there are 4 mandatory?project assignments (laboratory and computational assignments)?during the semester.?All of the mandatory assignments must be completed and approved before you can take?the final exam.
In addition, it is mandatory to present a scientific paper to the other participants in the course.
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance coverage as a student.
Examination
- Final oral exam which counts 100 % towards the final grade.
This course has mandatory exercises?that must be approved before you can take?the finale exam.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: FYS4715 – Biological Physics
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about?the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a?postponed exam?at the beginning of the next semester.
New examinations?are offered at the beginning of the next semester for students who do not successfully complete the exam during the previous semester.
We do not offer a re-scheduled exam for students who withdraw during the exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.