Chemistry - Master of Science (MSc)

Chemistry is without a doubt a fascinating science – a progressive future would be unthinkable without it. It is used in research laboratories to develop new materials and substances which accompany us in daily life as seemingly invisible helpers. Chemical reactions are found both in the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) world. The art of transferring knowledge derived from nature into research and development never ceases to inspire researchers the world over. Chemistry provides a richness of perspectives, professional variety and is an important component of the sustainable development of our social prosperity. Especially the production, conversion and storage of energy are fundamentally important chemical issues for current and future generations.

Key data

Type of programme

Master of Science (MSc)

Type of study
  • full-time
Study curriculum

Information on the study curriculum

Application

Information for applicants

Admission regulations

further information

Start of programme
  • each winter and summer semester
Language of instruction
  • English
Admission
  • no restriction
ECTS credit points

120

Standard period of study (semester)

4

Contact

More about the course

Ulm University offers the Master’s programme in Chemistry in two variations. Right from the beginning of the programme you get to choose your focus. The specialisation in Materials comprises various modules around material sciences. The specialisation in Chemistry focusses more on the classical sub-disciplines of Chemistry and offers maximum flexibility. Students in the Chemistry Master’s programme acquire detailed knowledge in the following areas:

  • chemical research and scientific work methods,
  • topical challenges in the core and sub-disciplines of Chemistry,
  • scientific and occupation-qualifying competences in chemistry-related application areas.

Study

Accredited courses of studies

The degree programs of the Department of Chemistry have been accredited since 2012. Program accreditation by the ASIIN agency was valid in the period from 2012 to 2018, and since 2019 the courses have been accredited as part of university-internal system accreditation. This accreditation is valid until 2027.

Interdisciplinarity

The Faculty of Natural Sciences unites competences in the MINT areas under one roof and maintains excellent contacts to affiliated institutes as well as external research facilities. Particularly involved in study and teaching are the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research and the Helmholtz Institute with its outstanding research in the areas of electrochemistry and energy technology. We also collaborate closely with other faculties and departments.

Excellence in teaching

We pride ourselves in providing the best possible education and care for our students and complement certain lectures in the Bachelor's programme with additional support offers like classes and tutorials. Regular evaluations by the students provide valuable feedback on how well we are doing.

Quality, not quantity

Manageable student numbers and a favourable student to teacher ratio ensure that you don’t have to complete your degree in a setting of educational mass production. We guarantee a laboratory place for every student in every laboratory course to avoid unnecessary elongation of your overall study time. A personal atmosphere and direct contact with your teachers complete our ideal learning conditions.

Networks and business contacts

We offer you a practice-relevant education with numerous well established contacts to local businesses as well as many application-oriented research projects, some of which are conducted directly on the University’s doorstep in the renowned companies and research facilities of the Science City Ulm.

Training camp for study beginners

Before the beginning of every winter semester, we offer the tutorial „Fit for chemistry“ for university entrants in life-scientific courses of studies within the scope of the university training camp.

Attractive career prospects

Our graduates have excellent chances on the job market. This is partly owed to the fact that Chemistry is most important to our daily lives in many aspects and is therefore a driving force in the big challenges of our time. Another factor is the accredited high-quality education with all its possibilities to establish a specialised profile in areas of expertise with great importance to the future.

Study objective

The Master’s programme is a research-oriented programme. It aims to deepen and complement the scientific and methodological qualifications acquired in the bachelor’s programme. The goal of this education is to impart knowledge and skills that enable you to apply scientific methods to complex chemistry-related questions and thus qualify you for employment in research, science, development and application in industry, academia and research institutes. The Master’s degree is also a pre-requisite if you intend to do a doctorate.

Study contents / specialisations

The Master’s programme offers a lot of flexibility and options for individual specialisations and study progression. So long as you adhere to a certain required number of subjects, you can choose freely which disciplines of Chemistry you want to focus on. Each sub-discipline comprises lectures on modern and contemporary Chemistry topics as well as extensive research-oriented institute placements in which you expand your competences in conducting advanced scientific work. As an alternative to this classical and individual way of designing your Master’s programme you can choose the specialised study programme Materials, where all courses related to material sciences are predetermined, which means you obtain a very particular specialisation. The Master’s thesis can be written externally in industry and economy.

In the age of economic globalisation most German enterprises maintain international business contacts. International competence is therefore one of the most important key qualifications. Developing this competence during your studies certainly increases your chances on the job market. One option to do so is to spend a semester abroad, either studying at a partner university or as an internship. This not only improves your language proficiency, but also benefits your personal development. You will collect important experiences in interacting with people from other cultures and foreign work and communication styles. The Chemistry department supports you with the planning of your semester abroad.

Current relevant information on exams, timetables and other subject-relevant topics can be found on the websites of the Department of Chemistry.

Career perspectives

Career opportunities are vast with this degree. Industry, research institutes, universities, schools and civil service offer interesting perspectives. Chemical expertise is sought after in many other areas as well – the following list comprises only a small fraction thereof: all economic activities around the topics of energy, food, environment and water, automotive and aircraft engineering, the insurance and consulting sector and many more.

Chemists / business chemists interested in working in the industry will find employment possibilities in:

  • application-oriented industrial research
  • roles responsible for manufacturing operations
  • product development and application engineering, as interface between research   and production
  • process engineering, transferring new findings from lab scale to industrial scale
  • chemical analytics: there is an almost limitless variety of matter waiting to be analysed
  • environment protection, to secure a liveable future of our planet
  • marketing and sales, to serve customer demands and market opportunities
  • patent law, for the legal protection of research findings
  • documentation, with the purpose of developing and optimising functional and efficient structures in electronic data management
  • corporate communication and public relations, in order to convey complex matters of science and research to the public in an easy-to-digest format


Chemists/business chemists interested in working in teaching and research can find employment:

  • at schools, to spark pupils’ interest in Chemistry and scientific questions
  • at universities and other higher education institutions, as part of an exciting environment of teaching and research
  • in ‘pure’ fundamental research at research institutes, with the purpose of generating new chemistry knowledge and providing scientific proof


Chemists/business chemists interested in working in civil service can find employment:

  • with federal and state authorities as well as municipal offices, in the areas of environment protection, supervision, licensing and analytics
  • with the trade supervisory authority (Gewerbeaufsichtsamt), in the area of technical protection of the public
  • in medical centres and various service sectors


Chemists/business chemists interested in alternative areas can find employment opportunities:

  • in business consultancy
  • as journalists and editors
  • in freelance activity

According to the data gained from graduate surveys our graduates transition into employment very fast. A large number of them find well-paid permanent employment within one year after graduation. Business chemists in particular are highly sought after specialists in all management-related areas of chemical research and development. There are entire career days especially for Chemistry and Management graduates.

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