Seminar in Particle Physics and Astrophysical Sciences

• PARAS-programme: form for MSc thesis supervision agreement (Word file)
• TCM-programme: form for MSc thesis supervision agreement (Word file)

• Write your research question and open it up in detail (Toulmin’s model): answer the 6 basic questions (see page 21 in Wed 15.10.2025 presentation slides or Moodle course area)
• Make outline and/or chapter composition of your MSc thesis
• Write short description of the content of each chapter (as well as possible according to your current knowledge)

• Make a CV for yourself (according to the instructions of the University of Helsinki career service)
• Make a job application, either for a specific job that you would like to apply to or an open application to a company/organization that you would like to work for (according to the guidelines of the University of Helsinki career service).

Course goals:
• Develop your oral and writing skills in scientific contexts of your own specialisation (presentation skills) in English
• Develop your peer-reviewing skills (feedback)
• 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 - slides
• Wed 19.11. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: MSc thesis disposition discussion, introduction to seminar presentations and getting your message through - slides
• Wed 3.12. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: First seminar presentations
• Wed 14.1. 14.15 in Exactum CK107: Second seminar presentations & seminar planning (for spring)


SEMINAR SCHEDULE (all in Exactum CK107):


• Wed 3.12.2025 14.15-15.00: #1 Rasmus Tuomainen: Substructure in redMaPPer clusters and its link to X-ray morphology and scaling relations abstract (opponent #1: Anne Keski-Vakkuri, opponent #2: Esra Verspui) (mentor #1: Esra Verspui, mentor #2: Antonio Sofron)
• Wed 3.12.2025 15.15-16.00: #2 Esra Verspui: Andromeda’s satellites, not as anisotropic as previously thought abstract (opponent #1: Rasmus Tuomainen, opponent #2: Anne Keski-Vakkuri) (mentor #1: Antonio Sofron, mentor #2: Rasmus Tuomainen)
• Wed 14.1.2026 14.15-15.00: #3 Jeff Schymiczek: Cross-validation of quenching factor methodology between the COSINUS and ANAIS experiments abstract (opponent #1: Esra Verspui, opponent #2: Rasmus Tuomainen) (mentor #1: Rasmus Tuomainen, mentor #2: Esra Verspui)
• Wed 4.2.2026 14.15-16.00: CV and cover letter workshop