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The Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and NETworks (PIXNET) Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree is a two-year programme (120 ECTS) aimed at training talented students in the design, creation and assessment of innovative integrated devices based on photonic technologies. The set of learning outcomes include the theoretical design of system/network devices, the design and simulation of a photonic integrated circuit, fabrication in a clean room facility and the packaging and final testing of the prototypes.

PIXNET intends to be an interdisciplinary, multi-national initiative, training young telecommunication and electrical engineers to investigate the adoption of Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) as the central element in the evolution of  information and communication devices (e.g. Data Centers, mobile terminals, etc.).

PIXNET exploits a significant complementarity of the expertise of the Consortium partners through well defined mobility paths bringing practical and specific competences to the perspective students. Partners in the PIXNET programme are:

    Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa, Italy), Coordinator

    Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (The Netherlands)

    Aston University (Birmingham, UK)

    Osaka University (Japan)

All partners have strong expertise in optical communication theory and techniques and extensive system and network experimental facilities. Three of them have fabrication facilities for photonic integrated circuits and networks for device prototyping.

PIXNET Programme is direct to successful students from any part of the world, who would like to enlarge their knowledge about Photonics by an international Master’s programme. Two kind of candidate can apply:

1)      Erasmus Mundus Programme-country candidates

are from:   Students from the 28 EU Member States students (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,  Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey ,The former Yugoslav, Republic of Macedonia.

Third-country students who have been resident in, or carried out their main activities (studies, work, etc.) in, any of these aforementioned countries for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years.

2)      Erasmus Mundus Partner-country candidates

are from:    Students coming from any country of the world other than those covered by the Programme-country specification defined above.

The PIXNET study programme is divided into four semesters. 30 ECTS can be gained for each semester. The first three semesters are based on traditional courses, lab exercises and laboratory sessions, while the final semester is based on independent work related to the Master’s thesis.

Six different curricula are available depending on the mobility options selected, and each curriculum requires the completion of four modules, each corresponding to one semester. Except for mobility path n. 5, the first year of the Master's (i.e. the first and second semester of the Master's course) will be spent in the same Programme-country institution. The third semester of the Master's will be spent in a different institution, while the Master’s thesis can be done in the same or in another institution.

The six curricula and the relevant degrees awarded are defined as follows (the curricula of mobility 5 and 6 are the same):

 Mobility 1: SSSA (1st and 2nd semester), TUE (3rd and 4th semester) defines the “Optical Switching Technologies” curriculum.

The two awarded degrees are: Master's Degree in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and NETworks by SSSA and the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering by TUE.

 Mobility 2: ASTON (1st and 2nd semester), TUE (3rd and 4th semester) defines the “Optical Transceiver Technologies” curriculum.

The two awarded degrees are: Master of Science in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and Networks by ASTON and the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering by TUE.

 Mobility 3: SSSA (1st and 2nd semester), ASTON (3rd and 4th semester) defines the “Design of Photonic Integrated Devices” curriculum.

The two awarded degrees are: Master in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and NETworks by SSSA and the Master of Science in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and Networks by ASTON.

 Mobility 4:  ASTON (1st and 2nd semester), SSSA (3rd and 4th semester) defines the “Photonic Integrated Devices Manufacturing” curriculum.

The two awarded degrees are: Master in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and NETworks by SSSA and the Master of Science in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and Networks by ASTON.

 Mobility 5: ASTON (1st and 2nd semester), OSAKA (3rd semester), SSSA (4th semester) defines the “Theory and Techniques for Photonic Integrated Devices” curriculum.

The three awarded degrees are: Master in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and NETworks by SSSA, the Master of Science in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and Networks by ASTON and the Master of Engineering by OSAKA.

 Mobility 6: SSSA (1st and 2nd semester), ASTON (3rd semester), OSAKA (4th semester) defines the “Theory and Techniques for Photonic Integrated Devices” curriculum.

The two awarded degrees are: Master in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and NETworks by SSSA and the Master of Science in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Sensors and Networks by ASTON

The Master’s Study programme, in both local and international version, consists of four semesters. 30 ECTS can be secured in each semester, amounting to a total of 120 ECTS. The first three semesters are based on traditional courses, laboratory exercise and sessions, while the final semester is based on independent work related to the Master’s thesis.

Participation in courses is compulsory and student attendance is monitored. Students will not be allowed to miss more than 20% of the courses in each of the institutions. At the end of each course, students will undergo an achievement evaluation test, which will lead to the attainment of the corresponding credits. This test will be organised at the discretion of the responsible instructor as a written or oral exam, the submission of a project, practical laboratory tests, or a combination of all of these evaluation methods.

The first year of the Master’s (i.e. the first and second semester of the Master’s course) will cover basic subjects and provide a solid background from which to face the second year. Each institution provides a different selection of courses in the first year in order to allow students to match them to their prior knowledge and preferences. The final year consists of more specialist courses, culminating in a six-month research project. The third semester will cover specialisation courses in view of the independent project developed during the last semester of the project and which will be reported in the Master’s thesis developed in the fourth semester).

Osaka University has semesters which are skewed with respect to the European standard semester schedule (Fall/Spring). Hence students cannot start their Master’s Programme from Osaka University. Students will be able to join Osaka University on the third or fourth semester of the Master’s.

The Master’s study programme and the details of the modules offered in the four participating institutions are available at: http://pixnet.santannapisa.it/study/mobility-paths/. Students will be subject to the local rules of each of the hosting institutions, regarding in particular the local policies on exams and available attempts for students.

The students must express the preference order regarding all of the six available mobility paths (PIXNET curricula) at the time of application. His or her specified preference will be used to assign the best mobility option available for each selected applicant, based on his/her ranking, as specified in Art. 9.

The PIXNET local path takes place entirely at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa, Italy) and its classes will be shared with those students following the international path. The first three semesters consists of 900 hours (90 ECTS) of class lectures and lab training and are propaedeutic to the last semester. The objective of this first period is the transmission of competences through front teaching, lab training, stand-alone review of material and specialised seminars by universities and industry-representative researchers. The entire training programme at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna for the first three semesters is available at the following link: http://pixnet.santannapisa.it/pixnet-local-path/local-path-at-scuola-santanna/.

The fourth (and final) semester envisions the original development and relevant preparation of a written dissertation (Master’s thesis) developed in the laboratories of the TeCIP Institute Labs. This period has the scope to complement the in-class training with an operative direct experience, in which the competence acquired during the previous three semesters can be efficiently exercised. The Master’s thesis may also be developed in the laboratories of associated partners. The Master’s thesis has an overall duration of approximately 750 hours and provides up to 30 ECTS. The course portfolio of the PIXNET Master’s local path constitutes the set of courses that can be taken during the sojourn at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna within the framework of the PIXNET Erasmus Mundus international path.

Tuition fees differ depending on whether an applicant is considered a “Programme-country” or a “Partner-country” student:

    Programme-Country:      € 4.500,00 per year

    Partner-country:               € 9.000,00 per year

Recipients of an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, either as a Programme-country student or a Partner-country student, will have the fees covered and automatically deducted from the Contribution n. 1 of the scholarship (see relevant Scholarship section).