Master's Programme in Chemistry – Bio and Nano Materials

The first semester you will study chemistry courses, which provides you with the theoretical and experimental skills needed for the subsequent semesters, some of which are common to other specialisations in the Master's Programme in Chemistry. There is a great flexibility for choosing courses according to your background and interests. During the first semester you can choose to take courses related to biochemistry/chemical biology or more physical and colloid chemistry related courses, to complement your earlier studies. In the very first course, you will also meet many of the professors in the different fields of chemistry giving seminars about the current trends in their respective research fields.

The courses show the cross-disciplinary aspect of this highly active field. To give you more experience in working in a research group, you can choose a course in research training which will further develop your theoretical knowledge and experimental skills.

During the second and third semesters, you will take different courses in, e.g., biomaterials, surface and colloid chemistry, soft materials, organic chemistry and nanobiotechnology. All courses include a combination of theory and experimental training.

The programme ends with a degree project of 30 credits.

Some examples of Master's thesis titles:

• D. Friesen: Shear thinning/self-healing properties of shape holding injectable collagen hydrogels crosslinked by thiol-michael click reaction
• M.-S. Dima-Balcescu: Synthesis of chemically modified siRNA for bioconjugation
• A. Eliasson: Surface energy: Liquids as a new tool for fabrication of microsystems

Courses within the programme

See the programme outline for courses within the programme.

Theory and practical work are always interwoven into the courses, and instruction takes place in the form of lectures, laboratory work, problem-solving, seminars, and projects.

The lecturers are active researchers who will coach you to adopt a scientific approach in your work, where you will develop the necessary skills to solve problems, think critically and analytically, plan and formulate research problems, and independently carry out the necessary experiments and analyse as well as interpret the results.

In seminars, you present your ideas and discuss with your classmates a course book or work you have conducted; while the teacher usually only moderates the discussion. The aim is to develop critical thinking and collaborative skills which will be required in your future professional development. All students are expected to be active participants in all forms of discussions.

You will also receive systematic training in both oral and written presentations as an integrated part of the courses. The ability to communicate well will be very important in your future career.

The language of instruction is English.

Surveys have shown that the labour market for chemists with a degree from Uppsala University is excellent. 97% of those who obtained their degree during the last ten years are either employed or undertaking doctoral studies.

A Master of Science in Chemistry from Uppsala University will provide you with many opportunities to build an exciting future career in academia, industry, the public sector, or in entrepreneurship. Not only will you gain the knowledge and ability to perform special and advanced tasks in chemistry, you will also be qualified for positions in many other areas where problem-solving, abstract thinking and analytical ability are required.

Possible career paths can vary, you may work with:

• Research and development
• Production processes
• Analysis of materials
• Management of safety and legal issues
• Patenting of inventions
• Marketing and sales
• Environmental and sustainability issues
• Developing new and improved methods for quality control

Our former students work at for example:

• Nouryon
• Galderma
• Mecordia AB
• Rontis Corporation
• Alfa Laval AB

The salary in Sweden can vary greatly depending on education level, work task, previous experience, location, sector, etc. According to one of the largest Swedish work union SACO's statistics of salary in Sweden in 2021, newly graduated students in chemistry earned between SEK 25 000 and SEK 35 000 per month before tax.

support

During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career.