The TUM School of Natural Sciences (NAT) is a school of the Technical University of Munich, established in 2022 by the merger of various former departments. As of 2022, it is structured into the Department of Biosciences, the Department of Chemistry, and the Department of Physics. The school is located at the Garching campus.
As of 2020, the department consists of 24 chairs and institutes:
Physics was one of the founding disciplines of the Polytechnische Schule München in 1868, with the establishment of the Physikalisches Cabinet, later called the Physikalisches Institut. In 1902, the Laboratorium für Technische Physik (technical physics) was founded, spearheaded by Carl von Linde. In 1943, another institute, the Institut für Theoretische Physik (theoretical physics) was founded. In 1965, the three physics institutes were finally combined into the Department of Physics, as it exists today.[2]
The TUM Department of Physics is notable for its operation of research reactors on the Garching campus, the from 1957 to 2000 and the newer Forschungsreaktor München II since 2004.
As of 2020, the main research areas the TUM Department of Physics are biophysics, nuclei, particles, astrophysics, and condensed matter. The following research groups currently exist:[3]
| Qs Subject1 Title: | Chemistry |
| Qs Subject1: | 22 |
| Qs Subject1 N: | 1 |
| Qs Subject1 Year: | 2023 |
| Qs Subject1 Ref: | [4] |
| Arwu Subject1 Title: | Chemistry |
| Arwu Subject1: | 51-75 |
| Arwu Subject1 N: | 1 |
| Arwu Subject1 Year: | 2022 |
| Arwu Subject1 Ref: | [5] |
| Qs Subject2 Title: | Chemical Engineering |
| Qs Subject2: | =51 |
| Qs Subject2 N: | 4 |
| Qs Subject2 Year: | 2023 |
| Qs Subject2 Ref: | [6] |
| Arwu Subject2 Title: | Chemical Engineering |
| Arwu Subject2: | 201-300 |
| Arwu Subject2 N: | 4-5 |
| Arwu Subject2 Year: | 2022 |
| Qs Subject3 Title: | Physics & Astronomy |
| Qs Subject3: | =15 |
| Qs Subject3 N: | 1 |
| Qs Subject3 Year: | 2023 |
| Qs Subject3 Ref: | [7] |
| Arwu Subject3 Title: | Physics |
| Arwu Subject3: | 76-100 |
| Arwu Subject3 N: | 6-7 |
| Arwu Subject3 Year: | 2022 |
| Arwu Subject3 Ref: | [8] |
| Qs Subject4 Title: | Materials Science |
| Qs Subject4: | 31 |
| Qs Subject4 N: | 4 |
| Qs Subject4 Year: | 2023 |
| Qs Subject4 Ref: | [9] |
| The Subject1 Title: | Physical Sciences |
| The Subject1: | 23 |
| The Subject1 N: | 1 |
| The Subject1 Year: | 2023 |
| The Subject1 Ref: | [10] |
| Che Year: | 2020 |
| Che Subject1: | Chemistry |
| Che Subject1 Ref: | [11] |
| Che Subject1 Oss: | top |
| Che Subject1 Oss R: | 2.2 |
| Che Subject1 Gat: | top |
| Che Subject1 Gat R: | Median 6.0 |
| Che Subject1 Tsc: | top |
| Che Subject1 Tsc R: | 10/10 pts. |
| Che Subject2: | Physics (undergraduate) |
| Che Subject2 Ref: | [12] |
| Che Subject2 Gat: | top |
| Che Subject2 Gat R: | 90.2% |
| Che Subject2 Ss: | middle |
| Che Subject2 Ss R: | 2.2 |
| Che Subject2 Co: | middle |
| Che Subject2 Co R: | 2.3 |
The Department of Chemistry is regarded as one of the best chemistry departments in Germany. According to the QS rankings, it is ranked No. 22 in the world and No. 1 in Germany,[4] and in the ARWU rankings, it is ranked within No. 51–75 in the world and No. 1 in Germany.[5] In the national 2020 CHE University Ranking, the department is rated in the top group for the majority of criteria, including teaching, study organization, and overall study situation.[11]
The Department of Physics is ranked 1st in Germany and 15th in the world in the QS World University Rankings.[7] According to ARWU, the department is ranked within No. 6–7 in Germany and No. 76–100 in the world.[8]
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings does not provide individual subject rankings, but TUM generally ranks 23rd globally and 1st nationally in the physical sciences.[10]
7 laureates of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry have studied, taught or researched at TUM:
6 laureates of the Nobel Prize in Physics have studied, taught or researched at TUM:
Laureates of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize include Gerhard Abstreiter, Martin Beneke, Franz Pfeiffer and Hendrik Dietz.[2]