Master's Degree Programme
| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September and January / February |
The Department of Chemistry offers a two-year MSc in Chemistry taught in English. The degree programme is open to students with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from universities and teaching institutions in Denmark and abroad.
As a student in the Chemistry programme, you will acquire general competencies in chemistry, while specialising in a particular subject area. For example, you can specialise within environmental and atmospheric chemistry; development of new energy materials for the production of green energy; determination of biomolecules and structure of materials with NMR and X-ray techniques; computer simulations and development of new theoretical models for calculations of molecule properties; and much more.
Graduates from the Department of Chemistry find work in a wide range of fields and institutions. Most jobs are within research, development, teaching, communications or consultancy in the public or private sectors, particularly in chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Chemists employed in the chemical industry typically perform a wide range of functions. For example, developing new products, analysing chemical reactions in order to improve them or having responsibility for supervising production to prevent the occurrence of errors.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the master's degree programme in Chemistry. Depending on your educational background and your qualifications, there are different ways to meet the admission requirements:
This section is relevant for you, if you have:
The two sections listed below are relevant only for students with a bachelor's degree from a Danish institution:
Below you will also be able to learn more about language requirements and find out whether or not this master's degree programme has a limited intake.
If you have an international educational background, you must meet both the general admission requirement and the specific admission requirements:
You must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent that is comparable to a Danish bachelor's degree in both level and duration (180 ECTS).
For more information about how your bachelor's degree is assessed, please see the national database.
If you meet the general admission requirement, the university will continue on to assess whether or not you meet the specific admission requirements.
You can be admitted to the master's programme if the university assesses that your education has a level, scope, and content that corresponds to the academic requirements specified below.
| Subject area | Number of ECTS |
Inorganic chemistry The following subject areas must be covered:
| 15 |
Organic chemistry The following subject areas must be covered:
| 20 |
Physical/theoretical chemistry The following subject areas must be covered:
| 15 |
Structural chemistry The following subject areas must be covered:
| 10 |
| Total | 60 |
We cannot assess in advance whether your specific degree will meet the above requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for the programme if you believe that you meet the academic requirements. In this regard, it is a good idea to compare your degree with the programmes that provide direct admission.
The following Bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University entitles you to an offer of admission to the Master's degree programme in Chemistry:
Bachelor's degree programme in Chemistry from Aarhus University
Please note that you must apply for admission to the Master's degree programme within three years of completing your Bachelor's degree programme.
Learn more about Legal right of admission.
Certain Bachelor's degree programmes from Aarhus University and various other Danish Universities have been determined to meet the admission requirements to this Master's degree programme in Chemistry:
This master's degree programme has a limited intake.
Because of the limited intake all qualified applicants will be prioritised according to a set of selection critieria (see below).
Meeting the admission requirements does not automatically ensure your offer of admission. Only if you have a specific bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'legal right of admission' will you be guarenteed an offer of admission to this master's degree programme.
If there are more qualified applicants than available student places, the selection will be based on the following criteria (each criterion counts for 1/3):
Grades from the qualifying degree
Grades achieved in relevant subject fields:
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
Statistics
Please note that grades achieved after the application deadline are not included in the grade point average (GPA).
Relevant subject fields (measured in ECTS). In this assessment, ECTS credits that are a part of the admission requirements described under ‘Other qualifying degrees’ are not included.
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
Statistics
In order to be admitted to this programme you must meet the university's english language requirements.
Students with bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'Legal right of admission' are exempt from the English language requirement.
Unfortunately, Aarhus University is not able to assess your qualifications beforehand. In order for your qualifications to be assessed you must apply for admission. To learn more, please go to Assessment of your qualifications.
The Master’s degree in Chemistry counts as 120 ECTS credits and mainly consists of subjects within the chemistry fields of study. You specialise by participating in course activities and projects and by writing a thesis. This thesis, completed during the final year of the programme, carries considerable weight.
It is also possible to do projects with private companies or public institutions.
During the beginning of your studies, you structure your own individual study programme with the help of a supervisor from a research group at the Department of Chemistry. Your programme is based on your academic qualifications and interests and the subjects you studied during your Bachelor’s degree.
You will also join the research group where your supervisor is located. This allows for high-level sparring as well as contributing to the group's research.
For more information about the individual courses, go to kursuskatalog.au.dk/en.
At both the Department of Chemistry and Aarhus University, the lecturers are active researchers, which means that you are presented with the newest research. You are also in close contact with the lecturers/researchers in a way that you rarely experience at other universities. The doors to the professors’ offices are always open if you need clarification of the study material, and you are encouraged to ask questions at lectures and during exercises. For our programme, there are heavy demands to your academic skills and independence. In return, however, you gain considerable benefits in the form of academic challenges and scientific knowledge, in addition to broad competences.
The teaching at the university focuses on independence, critical thinking and collaboration. Part of the teaching is in the form of lectures that introduce new angles to the material compared with the textbooks. The theoretical and practical exercises take place in smaller groups where you study relevant issues in depth. Depending on your choice of specialisation, your main forms of study and work involve laboratory work and the use of advanced experimental equipment, such as NMR and X-ray methodologies and computer modelling. The varied forms of teaching, collaboration in groups and the opportunity for close scientific dialogue with the researchers provide you with general competences that are in great demand in the global job market. These competences include abstract, critical and independent thinking, analytical skills and strategic planning. You can use these skills in many contexts – even in jobs you didn’t know you were qualified for.
The teaching is divided into two semesters per year. Learn more about the semester dates here.
If you are interested and have the necessary skills, you have the option of applying
for admission to the PhD programme. You can apply when you have completed your
Bachelor’s degree and one year of your Master’s degree, or when you have completed your Master’s degree. In the PhD programme, you start working on a research project and are gradually trained through courses and personal guidance to become a researcher.
For more information, go to phd.nat.au.dk.
There is more to life as a Chemistry student than lectures and courses. The versatile and inspiring student life at the Department of Chemistry is centred around a vibrant student life. The department has four student associations: @lkymia, AMOK, Kemishow and TKM.
@lkymia organise four to five parties each year and also run the Friday bar each Friday. AMOK is the students’ career association. They plan company visits and inspiring talks by industry people. Kemishow do visual experiments at elementary schools and high schools to inspire children and teenagers to explore the world of chemistry. TKM runs the introduction week and accompanying trip for new Bachelor’s students.
At the department, you can also become a student member of the teaching committee. These members have an influence on the department's teaching, e.g. for the Master's programme.
Aarhus University is a unique place, located just 15 minutes from the city centre. The main campus – better known as the University Park – consists of big lawns and a small lake; a beautiful area well-suited for walks, studying or drinking a beer. The park is also known for its yellow brick buildings, where most of the university’s faculties and departments are located. You also find student accommodation, canteens, the main university library, auditoriums and a host of activities ranging from sports days to the regatta on the lake, interesting lectures, a film club and university celebrations. Furthermore, the campus ensures that you have easy access to student counsellors, supervisors, the bookshop, the Friday bars and much more.
The forty thousand students in Aarhus make up 17.5% of the population, which leaves its mark on city life. Aarhus is a young, dynamic city with plenty of opportunities.
However, the university is not all Aarhus has to offer. As the second-largest city in Denmark, Aarhus also has numerous different cultural activities. The well-known Aarhus Festival is celebrated annually for a week at the beginning of September, which sees the city showing its full colours. During the rest of the year, you can visit different music venues and concert halls in the city or find entertainment at one of the many theatres, cinemas and sport venues. The city’s many museums include ARoS – the major international art museum, which is a spectacular place for visual experiences. If you have had enough of cultural activities, you can ride your bike to the beach in no time or go for walks in the Risskov woods or in the beautiful woods around Marselisborg. If you like sports, there are also many sports associations in the city offering weekly training sessions (football, handball, tennis, badminton, etc.).
You can follow the department and its students on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on our hashtag #GodKemi.
Here, we collect pictures from students and the department, so you can follow what happens in and around our programme.
-experienced, photographed and filmed by the students themselves.
With thousands of pictures #AUInternational, #AarhusUni gives insight into the everyday life as a student at AU; the parties, procrastination, exams and all the other ways you’ll spend your time at university.
The photos belong to the users, shared with #AUInternational and #AarhusUni.
The chart shows the five most common types of work for graduates 1-2 years after finishing their degree. The data is derived from a survey made by Epinion for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University in 2020.
