Description
At the M2 level, students can choose to follow a “full” course (in one of the proposed majors, i.e. physics or geology), or to combine modules from other courses, subject to the agreement of the teaching teams of the courses concerned as to the consistency of their choices. The choice of teaching units within the course is made in consultation with the course director and the entire teaching team. However, two standard courses are recommended to students depending on their preferred discipline (geology/geophysics or physics/chemistry). The M2 level in planetology can lead to a thesis in planetology, but also in the related fields of the environment, geosciences or astrophysics.
First semester
Teaching units are the followind :
- UE 0 : Introduction: Solar System and planets
- UE 1 : Radiative Transfer and Associated Remote Sensing Techniques
- UE 2 : Comparative Planetary Geophysics
- UE 3 : Sensors for in-situ exploration of planetary environments
- UE 4 : Planetary surfaces and related space instrumentation
- UE 5 : Physics and chemistry of Small Bodies
- UE 6 : Exoplanets
- UE 7 : Physiography and geological evolution of planetary bodies
- UE 8 : Chemistry and mineralogy of planetary interiors
- UE 9 : Physics and Chemistry of planetary atmosphere
- UE 10 : Climate systems and planetary surface evolution
- UE 11 : Project: Scientific definition of Space missions
- UE 12 : Planetary plasmas
- UE 13 : Meteorites
- UE 14 : Initiation to astronomical observations
The UE 0 unit is compulsory. Two standard courses are offered to M2 students, one with a major in “External planetary envelopes”, the other with a major in “Internal planetary envelopes”. The definition of the course for a student must be done by selecting 6 teaching units within a major, which must be completed by at least 4 teaching units to be chosen in the course or in the projects or in other training. The teaching units of the two dominant areas of the course are given in the following lists:
“External planetary envelopes” :
- UE 1 : Radiative Transfer and Associated Remote Sensing Techniques
- UE 3 : Sensors for in-situ exploration of planetary environments
- UE 5 : Physics and chemistry of Small Bodies
- UE 6 : Exoplanets
- UE 9 : Physics and Chemistry of planetary atmosphere
- UE 12 : Planetary plasmas
“Internal planetary envelopes” :
- UE 2 : Comparative Planetary Geophysics
- UE 4 : Planetary surfaces and related space instrumentation
- UE 7 : Physiography and geological evolution of planetary bodies
- UE 8 : Chemistry and mineralogy of planetary interiors
- UE 10 : Climate systems and planetary surface evolution
- UE 13 : Meteorites
Lab and personal projects :
- UE 11 : Project: Scientific definition of Space missions
- UE 14 : Initiation to astronomical observations
Depending on the students’ wishes, and in coordination with the teaching team, modulations are possible, in particular by incorporating a module from another course, subject to compatibility of the timetable and available space.
Second semester
The second semester (from March to June) consists of a 4-month research internship in a French or foreign laboratory which is evaluated on the basis of a report and an oral defense. To prepare students for this internship, a computer science module introduces them to the major aspects of scientific computing (scientific calculations, visualization, data analysis, GIS). Internsip list form the previsous years are listed here.
Post-Master
Following our Master in Planetology and Space Exploration, the majority of students pursue a PhD in France and abroad in academic or industrial research laboratories or in space agencies. Some of the students go on to careers in data calculation/analysis in various fields (geosciences, finance) and teaching and communication (scientific animation for the general public, secondary education).