Master's Programme in Battery Technology and Energy Storage

Academic year 2023/2024

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

Overview
Programme
Career
Admissions
Contact and further resources

Energy storage is key for transforming into a climate-neutral society and a rapidly growing industry. Join the Master's Programme in Battery Technology and Energy Storage to understand the fundamentals of battery materials, cells and systems, and how this technology impacts our society and environment. Qualified professionals in the field are in high demand and this programme provides you with an attractive profile in an expansive labour market.

Why this programme?

Transforming toward sustainable and resilient societies requires high-performing batteries for powering electric vehicles, balancing wind and solar power and thousands of other devices ranging from medicine to microelectronics. Contributing to this development requires extensive knowledge in chemistry, materials, and engineering to design, construct, and implement these electric storage units.

Uppsala University harbours one of Europe's largest educational and research facilities dedicated to the science and development of batteries, with close ties to global industrial producers and users of batteries. You will meet some of the main actors in the European and Swedish industries in the field of batteries through study visits, guest lectures, and thesis work. As a student, you will experience the research frontier of battery materials and cells as well as their state-of-the-art production and application.

During the programme you can expect to:

gain a fundamental understanding of the governing principles of energy storage in general and rechargeable batteries in particular,
mix research in chemistry, material science, and engineering with practical skills in production, application, and recycling of batteries,
apply advanced diagnostics and modelling to understand how the composition and construction of batteries affect their performance,
build a network of potential employers during training, both in academia and industry,
practice presentation technique, argumentation and societal analysis.

Student profile

You have a strong foundation in chemistry or chemical engineering, possibly with previous relevant practical experience after earning a Bachelor's degree. You have good social skills and expect to contribute as much to the educational experience of others as you expect to learn from their previous experiences and knowledge.

A future PhD education is a possibility you might have thought about, but working right after graduation is also something you are considering.

Degree

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

Read the interview

Name: Guiomar Hernandez, Erik Berg

What do you work with?
We work with research and teaching in materials chemistry and rechargeable batteries at Uppsala University.

Why is this programme starting?
The need for battery specialists in industry and society is enormous! We wish to educate future professionals in the exciting field of batteries with this brand new programme.

What will be taught in the programme?
Our focus is on fundamental scientific, technical, practical, societal aspects of development and application of rechargeable batteries and energy storage. For instance, our students will get to know every step from mining raw materials and producing batteries to how batteries work on the inside, and what to do with them after their end of life.

What jobs do you expect your students to get after finishing the programme?
Our Master’s programme in Battery Technology and Energy Storage will primarily open up for a career focusing on research, development, and application of batteries in the industry, but an academic career path with Ph.D. studies is equally possible.

What do you think of the labour market for the graduates of the programme?
The future for battery specialists looks exceptionally bright! The labour market is currently expanding dramatically. Batteries are used everywhere in our society, especially to store renewable energy and to power electronics and electric vehicles.

Do you have any advice for those who are thinking about applying to the programme?
If you envision yourself working with materials and energy related challenges in an important and rapidly growing area of our society, this is the programme for you. There is a great need for future professionals in batteries like you!

Autumn 2021.

Programme

While you will have the freedom to choose your courses and build your own profile according to your interest and career plan, two tracks are targeted: one towards battery materials, and one towards battery cell production and battery applications.

In the first year, you will study advanced courses in materials chemistry, electrochemistry and battery technology, complemented with courses in electromobility, digitalisation and modelling.

During the second year, you will study more advanced courses targeting the application of batteries, societal aspects of energy storage and future battery technologies.

The final semester is devoted to the 30-credit Master's thesis required to obtain the degree. It can be performed at a company or together with a research group at the university.

Courses within the programme

See the outline for courses within the programme.

Learning experience

All of the courses are given by active researchers in the field, which guarantees your knowledge and understanding of the latest research. Several courses have guest lecturers from industry and policymakers, while some courses include projects and industry or industrial visits.

In addition to topics related to batteries, there will be an outlook on other energy storage systems, and the advantages of different technical solutions will be explained. Your knowledge will also be put into the context of battery integration, not least in electric vehicles. While your studies are directed either to the material level or the cell and system level, you will have the opportunity to create your own unique profile. Either way, the courses give you a robust background when aiming for either a career in research or industry.

The courses are organised and supported by a variety of teaching methods, but with a strong emphasis on student-active learning and hands-on experiences. Interactions with other study programmes, e.g. Electropropulsion, are a natural part of education. Several courses are studied in parallel. The programme takes place in Uppsala, including visits to other sites. The language of instruction is English.

Career

The European labour market in the battery sector is growing exponentially, promising hundreds of thousands of new jobs until the year 2030. Sweden is a vital part of this development, and at least 1 000 students should be educated per year in this sector to fulfil the future demands. At the same time, Asia is dominating the global market and America is rapidly moving forward with a high demand for qualified professionals in the field.

While many jobs are found at the core of this development - the battery production industry - most are expected either upstream (battery materials, components) or downstream (electric vehicles, for example). The programme also serves as an excellent introduction to PhD studies in the battery field.

Examples of jobs suited for graduates of this Master's programme:

Battery specialist
Battery production engineer
Electric vehicle developer
Project manager
Researcher
Consultant

Examples of possible employers:

Northvolt
Saft
Volvo Cars
AB Volvo
Scania
CEVT
VW
Tesla
ABB

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).

Master's Programme in Battery Technology and Energy Storage

120 credits

Autumn 2023, 100%, Campus

Location: Uppsala

Application deadline: 16 January 2023

Application code: UU-M1660 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:

75 credits in chemistry and/or chemical engineering; and
20 credits in mathematics;

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