Master's Degree Programme in Exact Sciences: Materials Chemistry
Turku, Finland
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
22 Jan 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* free for citizens of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland, for citizens of non-EU/EEA countries €12,000/academic year
Introduction
Discover all degree programmes of the University of Turku
Build a new world with novel materials!
The Master's Degree Programme in Exact Sciences: Materials Chemistry specialisation track teaches you to understand, discover, create and develop new materials that improve quality of life.
At the University of Turku, the research in materials chemistry consists of fundamental research of material properties, interfaces, surfaces and nanostructures from a chemical point of view. Applied research focuses on functionalised organic electronics, luminescent materials and porous carriers as well as nanotechnology, detection technology, energy storage and conversion.
Upon graduation from the Materials Chemistry track, you will be able to use the diverse set of skills acquired as part of this track, including experimental, theoretical and numerical techniques to produce and analyse new chemical projects. The studies of Materials Physics and Materials Chemistry give you an ability to understand and to develop the properties of materials from molecules and nanoparticles via metals and magnetic and semiconducting compounds for pharmaceutical and biomaterial applications. You will be familiar with the current methodologies, research equipment and modern numerical methods needed to model properties of materials used in research and technology.
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Academic Excellence & Experience
The aim of the Master’s degree is to support you to become an independent expert who can evaluate information critically, plan and execute research projects to find new knowledge, and solve scientific and technological problems independently and as a part of a group.
At the University of Turku, the research in Materials Chemistry consists of fundamental research of material properties as well as that of interfaces, surfaces, and nanostructures from a chemical point of view. Applied research focuses on functionalised organic electronics, luminescent materials and porous carriers as well as nanotechnology, detection technology, energy storage and conversion.
Specialisation Tracks
The track of Materials Chemistry is one of the five specialisation tracks of the Master’s Degree Programme in Exact Sciences. Other tracks of the programme are:
- Astronomy and Space Physics,
- Chemistry of Drug Development,
- Materials Physics,
- Mathematics and Statistics,
- and Theoretical Physics.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
The University of Turku supports merited and motivated students with generous scholarships. The university offers these scholarships to students pursuing Master's level studies who are subject to tuition fees.
Scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, and you can apply for a scholarship by simply answering “yes” to the corresponding question in the online application form when you apply for the programme.
One type of scholarship covers whole tuition fees for two years for Master’s degree programmes. In addition to that, there is a scholarship for the best applicants that covers tuition fees and includes an additional grant of €5,000.
Approximately 30 % of the admitted students are awarded a scholarship by the University of Turku.
Curriculum
Program Structure
The structure is modular. All modules have 20 ECTS. The track has two obligatory modules that contain the core material of the field. In addition, you may choose one thematic module from other modules offered within the MDP in Exact Sciences or other programmes at the University of Turku. The fourth module consists of freely chosen courses and an obligatory Finnish language and culture course.
A master’s thesis (30 ECTS), and seminar, an internship, or a project work (10 ECTS) are also required. You can replace the project work by participating in a Capstone project (10 ECTS) organised by the Department of Computing. We recommend this for those students who aim to work in the industry after graduation.
Examples of different modules in different specialisations are:
In the Materials Chemistry track you can choose from four different fields: applied materials chemistry, fundamental materials chemistry, coordination chemistry or applied luminescence materials. One obligatory module consists of courses presenting the basics of functional, hybrid, and composite materials. It is an introduction to different experimental techniques used in materials characterisation. You will also be trained in using advanced instrumentation as different FTIR techniques, fluorescence, UV-Vis- and Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, electrochemical techniques. The practical laboratory project of the other obligatory model offers training in producing materials for their potential use in different applications as solar cells, supercapacitors, sensors and actuators.
You are free to choose the thematic module from those offered in the Faculty of Sciences or take a suitable minor subject, even one offered by other faculties. Thematic modules offered by the MDP in Exact Sciences include biomaterials, electronics materials, modelling and functional materials. Possible minor subjects are e.g. physics, biochemistry, biology, business creation and innovation.
In the module of other studies, you can choose any courses you want from the entire offering of the University in addition to the obligatory course of Finnish for foreigners.
Master's Thesis & Topics
The programme includes a compulsory thesis component (30 ECTS), which corresponds to six months of full-time work. The thesis is to be written up as a report based on a combination of a literature review and an original research project that forms the bulk of the thesis.
The thesis is an independently made research project, but the project will be carried out under the guidance of leading researchers in the field at the University of Turku. It is expected that you will be embedded within an active research group or experimental team, thereby providing ample opportunity to discuss results and exchange ideas in a group setting.
Your research project could be on a topic like the ones below:
- selective conversion of carbon dioxide to high-value chemicals,
- developing new deposition ways of perovskite structures,
- characterisation of new ionic liquids.
Program Outcome
Competence Description
The Master of Science degree provides the skills to work in many different kinds of positions within areas such as research and development, education and management, and industry. The specialisation track in Materials Chemistry provides especially good opportunities for working in research and development positions in industrial technology.
Graduates from the Materials Chemistry program possess knowledge about new materials and their modification and characterisation as well as of how to apply them. Graduates are also highly capable to operate advanced instrumentation for materials characterisation.
Career Opportunities
Job Options
The prospects for employment at relatively senior levels are excellent for those trained in the exact sciences. Thanks to the broad scope of the programme, the skills and knowledge developed as part of this education at the University of Turku provide many employment opportunities in different areas.
As a materials chemist, you can either go on for further studies for a carrier in academics or be hired by the industry in a wide range of specialisations, including biofuel production, metal industry, nanotechnology, energy conversion, displays, drug detection and delivery, etc.
Career in Research
The Master’s Degree provides eligibility for scientific postgraduate degree studies – doctoral and licentiate degrees. The University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS) has a Doctoral Programme in Exact Sciences that covers the disciplines of this Master’s degree programme.
The doctoral studies incur no tuition fees, and PhD students often receive either a salary or a grant to cover their living expenses. The Master’s programme is a stepping stone for PhD studies.