Chemistry for Renewable Energy - Master's Programme in Chemistry

Academic year 2023/2024

120 credits
Autumn 2023, Uppsala, 100%, Campus
Programme syllabus and outline

Overview
Programme
Career
Admissions
Contact and further resources

The Master's Programme in Chemistry, specialising in Chemistry for Renewable Energy, gives you cutting-edge expertise through in-depth studies in the field. Studies include the physical and chemical foundations to be able to take part in the development of new solutions for sustainable production of electricity and fuels, as well as energy storage. This is a global challenge and a major growth area, and you will be well-equipped for a future within academia or research and development in the industry.

Why this programme?

The specialisation Chemistry for Renewable Energy has been developed in cooperation with world leading research groups at Uppsala University and will give you the opportunity to do your degree project in a dynamic and world-class research environment.

Within this unique specialisation, you will meet lecturers and professors who are experts in areas like nano-structured solar cells, artificial photosynthesis and solar fuels, photocatalysis, and Li-ion batteries. This will be an advantage if you want to continue with PhD studies or have a job in industry or at a research institute.

During the programme you can expect to:

have a personal mentor who helps you prepare for your future career,
develop new solutions for sustainable production of electricity and fuels, as well as energy storage,
be a part of a university with two Nobel prizes in chemistry.

The versatility of the field is also evident from where you can do your Master's thesis project, which could be in the research group where you have your mentor, or in another group doing research in a related field. In the Uppsala region, there are many large or small companies where you can find challenging projects, which will further add to your contact network.

A degree from Uppsala University will give you close connection to excellent and world-leading research and you will have the opportunity to develop a personal contact network. You will be offered the opportunity to have a personal mentor who will invite you to seminars, group-meetings and other events in order 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 to do cutting-edge research. Our research groups have a well-developed cooperation with other institutions and research agencies, which is beneficial for you when choosing a project for the Master's thesis, and to make contacts for your future career.

Student profile

You are probably coming directly from your Bachelor's degree or have had a relevant job to strengthen your analytical and experimental skills. Your university was well equipped with experimental facilities so you have good practical training working in a lab, and can select relevant methods and stay safe while doing experiments.

You have an analytical mind and are able and willing to express your thoughts in both writing and speaking. You are extremely motivated and will take the responsibility needed to successfully complete your studies.

A PhD education is a distinct possibility in your future so you would value coming into contact with current research and prominent researchers in the respective international field.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Science (120 credits) with Chemistry as the main field of study.

All specialisations of this programme

Read the interview

Name: Qaphelani Ngulube
From: Zimbabwe

How did you choose your programme?
I came across the programme as I had an interest in photochemistry, to use photocatalysis in water purification. The interest was to use naturally available, abundant, and clean solar energy to clean our water bodies. This programme stood out to me, not only because I could study photochemistry within it, but because it showed an even broader scope of using clean and naturally available energy sources to address a myriad of issues faced by our world today.

What is it like to be an international student?
It is fun, challenging, and intriguing. On one hand, there is a challenge to learn how to navigate cultural, language and ideological barriers with others, and on the other hand, there is the beauty of being able to participate in diversity and contribute to a broader community. It is when you talk to others, when they ask about international studentship, that you discover how much you have learnt and gained as an international student.

What is the best thing about studying at Uppsala University?
The student-oriented teaching and learning approach. You feel empowered as a student as you are in an environment that wants you to succeed by providing as many resources as possible for you to achieve that success.

How did you experience your first few days in Sweden?
I was welcomed by the cold. I spent the first few days adjusting and asking questions, finding out the best practices to enjoy life or at least be comfortable living in Sweden.

What are three things on your schedule this week?
Reading a few papers, taking a walk in the warm weather, and writing a couple of pages on my research work.

What is your reason for studying?
I have a number of reasons. One of the top reasons is that I am a scientist and gaining more knowledge in my field promotes my career. And another reason is participating in a world community. Studying gives me a better opportunity to participate the way I want to. My ultimate goal is to make a living by being a part of bringing new energy inventions to solve current challenges we face. To bring in new possibilities for humanity.

Describe the student life!
Student discounts! Nation life and privileges, Student Union participation. The ‘Flogsta scream’ – 2200hrs sharp! At first, I did not know what it was about, and later it was an anthem I would expect to hear every night before I went to bed when I lived rather in the lower quiet side of the residential park.

Three quick questions:
What is your favorite place in Uppsala?
Gamla Uppsala.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In research and development.

Where is the best place to study?
University Library – Campus Ångström Laboratory.

Spring 2022.

Programme

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 chair professors in the 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 degree project of 30 credits or 45 credits.

Some examples of Master's thesis titles spring 2020:

T. Nguyen Luong The: Molecular linking towards direct plasmonic transparent solar cells
T. Tjessem: Assembly and characterization of double-layer solid polymer electrolytes for lithium batteries
N.A. Saguì: Electronic tuning of nickel oxide-based electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting

Courses within the programme

See outline for courses within the specialisation .

Learning experience

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.

Career

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
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:

Thermo Fisher Scientific
Scania AB
AFRY AB
Northvolt

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.

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. Learn more about UU Careers.

Admissions

Below you will find details about eligibility requirements, selection criteria and tuition fees. For information on how to apply and what general documents you need to submit, check the application guide. Besides the general supporting documents, you also need to submit one programme-specific document: a statement of purpose (1 page).

Chemistry for Renewable Energy

120 credits

Autumn 2023, 100%, Campus

Location: Uppsala

Application deadline: 16 January 2023

Application code: UU-M1614 Application

Language of instruction: English

Requirements:

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

Also required is 90 credits in chemistry.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Selection: Students are selected based on:

an overall appraisal of previous university studies; and
a statement of purpose.

Fees:

If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees. Fees cover application and tuition only and do not cover accommodation, academic literature or the general cost of living. Read more about fees.

Application fee: SEK 900

Tuition fee, first semester: SEK 72,500

Tuition fee, total: SEK 290,000