Seminar in Particle Physics and Astrophysical Sciences
5 ECTS credit course autumn 2025 - spring 2026 (course code: PAP301)
General information
Wednesday 14 - 16 in Exactum CK107
Seminar responsible: Prof. Kenneth Österberg
Physicum, third floor, room C327
Email: kenneth.osterberg (at) helsinki.fi
Use of generative AI:
Follow general rules at University of Helsinki on AI usage.
Usage of Large Language Models (LLMs) encouraged.
Usage of LLMs should be clearly stated including how LLM's were used
Recommended to use LLMs provided by the university to students: Copilot (or CurreChat if you have access). Instructions.
Autumn 2025 - spring 2026 course page updated 3.9.2025
News regarding the course
Change of assessment matrix
Introduction of mentoring for presentation material
MSc thesis supervision agreement assignment:
Return through Moodle course area latest by Monday 13.10.2025 23:59.
Course goals, requirements and assessment
Course goals:
- Develop your oral and writing skills in scientific contexts of your own specialisation (presentation skills) in English
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Develop your peer-reviewing skills (feedback)
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Develop your ability to promote your expertise and market yourself (career development)
- Help you to find MSc thesis and start planning MSc thesis work (if not already on-going)
Course requirements:
- Make MSc thesis plan (if not yet done, autumn)
- Complete thesis disposition exercise and review others (autumn)
- Make career development related tasks (spring)
- One page abstract of seminar topic (spring)
- Giving of a 25 minute seminar (spring)
- Act as opponent to seminar at least twice (spring)
- Act as mentor to seminar presentation at least twice (spring)
- Minimum 80 % attendance of seminars & career related lectures (spring)
Course assessment (based on seminar presentation, grading 0-5, same assessment criteria as FYS4006):
- 20 % timing (providing abstract 1 week in advance & slides 2 days before presentation and keeping the 25 min presentation time)
- 20 % abstract (descriptive & compact title, clarity & readability, language and correspondence to presentation)
- 25 % presentation material (adaptation to target group, structure of presentation, clarity of slides, suitability of pictures, figures, formulas & tables)
- 25 % presentation itself (contact with audience, audible voice, suitable pace and interaction with audience)
- 10 % acting as opponent (constructive feedback, general assessment, detailed feedback, abstract vs presentation)
Program of the course
INTRODUCTORY LECTURES (preliminary dates):
- Wed 3.9. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: Introduction and MSc thesis planning - slides
- Wed 15.10. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: MSc thesis structure and thesis disposition
- Wed 19.11. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: MSc thesis disposition discussion, introduction to seminar presentations and getting your message through
- Wed 10.12. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: First seminar presentations(?) & seminar planning (for spring)
SEMINAR SCHEDULE (all in Exactum CK107):
Feedback regarding this page to kenneth.osterberg (at) helsinki.fi.