Master's Programme in Chemistry – Chemistry for Renewable Energy

120 credits

The transition to a society based on renewable energy is happening now and you can be part of the change. The specialisation Chemistry for Renewable Energy within the Master's Programme in Chemistry, will provide you with cutting-edge expertise in the fascinating chemistry needed in the development of new solutions for sustainable production of electricity as well as energy storage. After graduation, you will be prepared for a future within academia or research and development in industry.

Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024, Uppsala, 100%, On-campus, English

Autumn 2025 Autumn 2025, Uppsala, 100%, On-campus, English

If you are interested in how chemistry can drive our shift towards renewable energy, the specialisation Chemistry for renewable energy is for you. It has been developed together with world-leading research groups and will allow you to do your degree project in a leading research environment.

In this unique specialisation, you will gain insight into advanced electrochemistry and photochemistry and important applications such as solar cell and battery design. You will meet professors who are leading experts in nano-structured solar cells, artificial photosynthesis and solar fuels, photocatalysis, and Li-ion batteries. This will give you a real advantage if you want to continue with PhD studies or a job in industry.

During the programme, you can expect to:

  • be offered a personal mentor to help you prepare for your future career,
  • develop new solutions for sustainable energy production and storage,
  • be a part of a university with two Nobel prizes in chemistry.

A degree from Uppsala University will give you connection to world-leading research. Your personal mentor will invite you to seminars and group meetings to prepare you for your future career and you will meet PhD-students and post-docs who have come to Uppsala to be part of an excellent research environment. Our research groups have a well-developed cooperation with other institutions, which is beneficial for you when choosing a project for the Master's thesis, and to make contacts for your future career. In the Uppsala region, there are also many companies where you can find challenging projects, further adding to your contact network.

Student profile

You are a motivated student wanting to be part of a change towards a sustainable society. You are coming directly from your Bachelor's degree or had a relevant job to strengthen your analytical and experimental skills. You have an analytical mind and are extremely motivated to complete your studies.

Degree

The programme leads to the degree of Master of Science (120 credits) with Chemistry as the main field of study. After one year of study, it is possible to obtain a degree of Master of Science (60 credits).

In the first semester, you will study chemistry courses which provide you with the theoretical and experimental skills needed for the subsequent semesters. Some of these courses are also common to other specialisations in the Master's Programme in Chemistry. In the very first course, you will meet many of the professors in different fields of chemistry who will give seminars about the current trends in their respective research fields. The semester ends with a special profile course in chemistry for renewable energy.

During the second semester, you will take courses in areas related to physical chemistry, including photochemistry, advanced electrochemistry, and a course on catalysis with a focus on renewable energy. These are necessary for future work with, e.g., solar cells, batteries and artificial photosynthesis.

The third semester includes courses on material chemistry and molecular approaches to renewable energy conversion, as well as a course on societal aspects of renewable energy. The programme ends with a master thesis of 30 credits or 45 credits.

Some examples of recent degree projects:

  • J. Wilhelmsen: Organic nanoparticles as photosensitizers in biohybrid systems for the production of solar chemicals.
  • T. Kipfer: Environmentally friendly process to upcycling lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) battery cathode material to lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC).
  • K. Dodd-Clements: Optimization of plasmonic photovoltaic devices.
  • C.E. Torres Méndez: Metal-organic frameworks for organic electrocatalysis.

Courses within the programme

See the programme outline for courses within the programme.

Instruction takes place in the form of lectures, laboratory work, problem-solving, seminars and projects. Theory and practical work are always interwoven into the courses. In seminars, you present your ideas and discuss course material or work you have conducted with your classmates, 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 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.

The language of instruction is English.

Surveys have shown that the labour market for chemists with a degree from Uppsala University is excellent, with 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, in 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
  • analysis of materials
  • patenting of inventions
  • environmental and sustainability issues
  • marketing and sales
  • management of safety and legal issues
  • production processes

Our former students work at for example:

  • Scania AB
  • AFRY AB
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific
  • Northvolt

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 unions, SACO, newly graduated students in chemistry earned about SEK 35 000 per month before tax in 2023.

Career 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.

Contact

  • For questions about the programme, please contact the programme coordinator:
  • kemimaster@kemi.uu.se
  • For programme-specific information, please contact the study counsellor:
  • master@kemi.uu.se
  • For admissions-related or general information, please contact our applicant support team:
  • study@uu.se

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