Each year more than 13.000 high school students in 60 countries come to one of about 225 nearby universities or research centres for one day in order to unravel the mysteries of particle physics. CERN traditionally hosts 4 of these Masterclasses.
Participants are welcomed at CERN for an introduction to particle physics, and invited to study actual particle tracks observed in CERN's detectors with the help of our scientists. The day ends with a videoconference (in English) during which the students share their results with their counterparts in other institutes around the world taking part in the programme on the same day.
Dates for 2025 are the following :
- 6 March 2025 (atlas z)
- 7 March 2025 (cms)
- 12 March 2025 (lhcb)
- 14 March 2025 (alice)
The Masterclasses are aimed at pupils studying science in the last two years of secondary school in France and Switzerland (i.e. 1ère or terminale with option scientifique in France or third and fourth years of the option scientifique in Geneva). The maximum capacity of the venue is 26 people, including the accompanying adults.
Meeting point: Reception of the CERN Science Gateway
Free activity. Mandatory registration, places strictly limited.
Teachers who want to register their class will need to sent the following information by email to sciencegateway.education@cern.ch:
- Preferred dates
- Name of the school
- Class level (première, terminale, 3e collège, etc.)
- Minimum and maximum ages of the pupils (min. 16 y.o.)
- Number of participants (max. 26, including accompanying adults)
- Number of pupils
- Number of accompanying adults
- Language for the Masterclass (FR, EN or other, upon availability) - the videoconference at the end of the day is systematically in English
- CERN can be reached by public transport (Bus 68 or Tram 18 – ‘CERN' stop).
- An individual and nominative visitor badge is mandatory to enter the CERN site. The Professor should make sure he/she will have the authorisation to provide his/her students' personal details (firat name, last name, date, place and country of birth, nationality
- More info about the International Masterclasses: http://physicsmasterclasses.org
The Masterclasses are coordinated by
