Master's Programme in Analytical Chemistry
Chemicals surround us. Pesticides in your coffee? Forbidden azo-dyes in the print on coffee cup? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the “forever chemicals”, in your lipstick? Regulation of biochemicals in the body while drinking coffee?
To answer these questions, you need to be able to measure these chemicals, that is to detect and quantify.
In the Analytical Chemistry MSc program, you will learn the nuts and bolts of analytical chemistry
- how to extract and detect different chemicals
- how do different instruments work
- how to make the best use of data collected in chemical analysis
The masters’ program consists of mandatory courses covering the state-of-the-art techniques in chemical analysis in the first year and free courses and thesis work in the second year. The courses are conducted through lectures, seminars, and lab work. You will get extensive hands-on experience through lab projects. In these projects you will work through the whole analysis process from evaluating the need, setting the goals, developing the analytical methods and finally, analysing samples and reporting the results. Such projects may incorporate determination of PAH’s in house dust, active ingrediencies in pharmaceuticals, and contaminants in water, to name a few.
Information for admitted students Autumn 2023
Congratulations! You have been admitted at Stockholm University and we hope that you will enjoy your studies with us.
In order to ensure that your studies begin as smoothly as possible we have compiled a short checklist for the beginning of the semester.
Follow the instructions on whether you have to reply to your offer or not.
universityadmissions.se
Checklist for admitted students
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Activate your university account
The first step in being able to register and gain access to all the university's IT services.
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Register at your department
Registration can be done in different ways. Read the instructions from your department below.
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Read all the information on this page
Here you will find what you need to know before your course or programme starts.
IMPORTANT
Your seat may be withdrawn if you do not register according to the instructions provided by your department.
Information from your department
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Welcome activities
Stockholm University organises a series of welcome activities that stretch over a few weeks at the beginning of each semester. The programme is voluntary (attendance is optional) and includes Arrival Service at the airport and an Orientation Day, see more details about these events below.
Your department may also organise activities for welcoming international students. More information will be provided by your specific department.
Find your way on campus
Stockholm University's main campus is in the Frescati area, north of the city centre. While most of our departments and offices are located here, there are also campus areas in other parts of the city.
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For new international students
To answer these questions, you need to be able to measure these chemicals, that is to detect and quantify.
In the Analytical Chemistry MSc program, you will learn the nuts and bolts of analytical chemistry
- how to extract and detect different chemicals
- how do different instruments work
- how to make the best use of data collected in chemical analysis
The masters’ program consists of mandatory courses covering the state-of-the-art techniques in chemical analysis in the first year and free courses and thesis work in the second year. The courses are conducted through lectures, seminars, and lab work. You will get extensive hands-on experience through lab projects. In these projects you will work through the whole analysis process from evaluating the need, setting the goals, developing the analytical methods and finally, analysing samples and reporting the results. Such projects may incorporate determination of PAH’s in house dust, active ingrediencies in pharmaceuticals, and contaminants in water, to name a few.
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Programme overview
Firstly, the program will cover separation of chemicals by gas and liquid chromatography as well as capillary electrophoresis, in combination with suitable sample preparation for air, liquids, and solid samples. Alongside, you will be introduced to the good analysis practices for quantitative analysis, quality control, and method validation.
Secondly, you will dig into mass spectrometry and optical spectroscopy for detection methods. For mass spectrometry the fundamentals of the instrumentation – mass analysers, ionization techniques – together with interpretation of the mass spectra will be reviewed. You will be able to gain advanced experiences in mass spectrometry through project work incorporating MALDI, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), or even nontarget analysis.
Thirdly, you will learn to implement data science tools to make best use of the data collected with advanced analytical techniques. In addition to basic statistics that can aid decision making we will also cover machine learning models for optimizing methods with design of experiment, predict health condition from the data on metabolite concentrations, and implement predicting analytical properties of the chemicals to match the peak detected in LC/HRMS with its structure.
Last but not least, you will get the opportunity to get your feet wet in the analysis of biological and environmental samples. For this you will examine the peculiarities of different sample types and analytes, legal limitations (if applicable), and explore some of the cutting-edge research questions in the field.
You might ask, whom is MSc in Analytical Chemistry meant for? Our graduates work in various places. From labs in (pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic) industry, regulatory laboratories (doping control, environmental monitoring, food safety), by instrument manufacturers, found their own companies, or continue for PhD studies. We will support your career path selection by arranging seminars and workshops with analytical chemists working in all of these fields.
Year 1
A full year of course covering a range of topics such, read more about each course at the course pages:
Advanced Separation Methods (KZ7101), 10 ECTS
Quality Control of the Analytical Process (KZ7102), 5 ECTS
Mass Spectrometry (KZ7103), 10 ECTS
Optical Spectroscopy in Analytical Chemistry (KZ7104), 5 ECTS
Advanced Mass Spectrometry (KZ7105), 5 ECTS
Advanced Data Analysis in Analytical Chemistry (KZ7106), 10 ETCS
Bioanalytical Chemistry (KZ7107), 10 ECTS
Chemical Methods for Environmental Analysis (KZ7108), 5 ECTS
Year 2
The second year consists of elective courses and a degree project (mandatory).
The elective courses can be in a different branch of chemistry. Some of the most important discoveries are happening where multiple disciplines meet, like where analytical chemistry meets biochemistry or materials chemistry.
Independent project
The master's program in analytical chemistry contains an independent project.
In order to start working on your independent project you will have to have passed three of the mandatory courses.
More information about selection of master's thesis project will be provided during the first year and can be found below.
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How to apply
You apply for the program through universityadmissions.se
Selection process
Additional eligibility criteriaRelevance of previous studies in relation to the programme and motivation letter.
As part of the application for our Master's programme you will be asked to provide a motivation letter. The motivation letter is an important selection criteria and must be uploaded together with your application at the university admissions site.
Please answer the follwing questions, and add the document to your application on university admissions. We expect maximum one A4 page in total.
- Your full name
- E-mail address
- The name of the masters programme you are applying to
- Relevant experience, such as research, employment, volunteering that has contributed to experience
- A list of completed courses, including number of credits, which count toward meeting the specific eligibility requirements for the program (please include courses not completed as well).
- What inspired you to apply to this particular program?
- Lab experience
- Why are you a good candidate?
- What do you hope to achieve with your degree?
- What research questions interest you and how do they relate to the ongoing research at Stockholm University?
Upload this letter with your application on to universityadmissions.se
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More information
Useful info
Formalites regarding projecs anchem (119 Kb)
MSc Thesis Template (132 Kb)
MSc Thesis Project Plan Template (15 Kb)
MSc Thesis assessement (247 Kb)
MSc Thesis Preparing for Defense (34 Kb)
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Meet us
Meet our students
Bashar, masters student in Analytical Chemistry
"You will get high-quality education and all kinds of support from teachers and the administration. The most important thing is to make friends and study in groups – then college might as well be the best time of your life."
My name is Bashar Abdelahad and I’m doing my first year at the master program in Analytical Chemistry. I came to Sweden 4,5 years ago but I was born in Syria and did my initial chemistry studies there. I love chemistry, and since chemistry has the same language all over the world I decided to complete my studies at Stockholm University.
I needed one year of study to get my bachelor's degree from Stockholm University. I felt that I needed to understand chemistry more deeply and that's why I continued with the master program. For me, chemistry is a science with no end.
I think the most interesting part of chemistry is biochemistry since you study proteins, DNA and energy processes in our bodies. The best thing about the program is that we spend a lot of time in the lab. At Stockholm university, you will not forget what you have learned because you get the information theoretical and then you apply it practically at the lab. My favourite lab is the analytical one because there we can test different methods to find and analyse compounds. It could be for example the amount of toxic compounds in the water, soil, materials, food, air or organisms.
Chemistry has many branches and at the bachelor level you will learn about all these branches. You will learn how to plan, think logic, solve problems and develop your skills, you will learn, explore and discover things and details which you can't imagine exist. After the bachelor you can choose the branch that you love and move to a more advanced level. I think it’s more fun at this level since it allows you to be more independent at the lab and you can use your knowledge to solve the problems.
Throughout your study at Stockholm University you will get high-quality education and all kinds of support from teachers and the administration. The most important thing is to make friends and study in groups – then college might as well be the best time of your life.
Best of luck!
Bashar
"Kanelbullens dag" properly celebrated in Analytical Chemistry
Kanelbullens dag, or Cinnamon Bun Day for our non-Swedish speakers, happens every day on October 4th. This year the master's students in Analytical Chemistry got some special treatment along with their fika.
The department invited the students to a mingling event where they would also listen to three minute speed-talks by department PIs. All in an effort to get the students to better understand the reserach going on at the department as well as better understand what subject and projects they can choose from for their thesis work next year.
The afternoon also included a surprise pub quizon the chemical to non-chemical topics by second year student Yvonne. Cinnamon buns were of course consumed and the event finsihed with a tour of the labs at the end.
Meet our teachers
Anneli, program responsible and reseracher in analytical chemistry
"What makes a good chemistry student? Ability to dream big and be passionate of what you do. As a teacher, I am devoted to opening the magic of chemistry (and data) to the students."
Assistant Professor Anneli Kruve is not only responsible for the master's program in analytical chemistry, she is also a researcher, focusing on developing machine learning tools for analytical chemistry.
Hi Anneli, can please tell me a little bit about yourself?
I am an Assistant Professor at Stockholm University in Analytical Chemistry. I am an analytical chemist by training but I also did a degree in computer science. I am very passionate about using chemical data for making data driven decision and using data to make even better analytical chemistry.
In the MSc program in Analytical Chemistry, I am teaching method validation, quantification, chromatography and most of all advanced data handling. I am excited to show how advanced data science tools alongside chemistry can benefit pinpointing hazardous chemicals responsible for the toxicity of wastewater or diagnosing dieses from metabolic profiles.
You are orginally from Estonia, how did you end up at SU?
I joined SU three years ago. I was and still am very drawn to the rich environment at SU. I have found at SU experts in almost anything I could dream about and this has allowed me to build a network of good colleagues. As a student, you will be directly exposed to this very diverse and vibrant environment.What is your position?
I am a group leader and a teacher. My research group is focusing on developing machine learning tools for analytical chemistry. We are especially interested in so called nontarget screening with high-resolution mass spectrometry. In comparison to classical targeted analysis methods that start with an assumption about the presence of specific chemicals in a specific sample, nontarget screening aims to look for all chemicals in the sample of and figure out which of these are most important. For example, what are the most toxic chemicals in wastewater? This is a very hard task, but it needs to be done to understand the chemicals in our environment, food, as well as re- and up-cycled consumer products. Our job is to make this a bit easier by developing tools for identification and quantification of the chemicals detected with nontarget analysis. This task requires a understanding of the analytical processes as well as creativity and passion for data driven solutions.What makes a good chemistry student?
Ability to dream big and be passionate of what you do. Without dreams we will not be able to deliver a better future. After this come ability to focus, work collaboratively, and some background in natural sciences.
What did you learn during your studies that you find valuable today?
Take the most of it. In every sense. It is a time when you can dig deep and wide, fall in love with a topic, disappoint, and find a new interest. It is part of the game. Also, do not forget to enjoy yourself, university will give you friends for life and a network that you can fall back on later in life.Why should anyone study chemistry?
As a first year BSc student in chemistry, I was not sure if I should continue in chemistry or switch to IT, which was one of my compulsory courses. However, I did not switch. I started working with chromatography in a biomedicine lab as an undergraduate and slowly moved towards using mass spectrometry as a detector. Soon the magical word of mass spectrometry rolled out in front of me. I was immediately fascinated by the magic still surrounding the ionization techniques. This allowed me to combine my passion for chemistry and data-driven thinking. My research would not be possible if I did not understand the chemistry behind the processes we are modelling. Chemistry really gives you an angle to work in any field you are interested in, be that medicine, food, environment, recycling, energy, or IT.What motivates you in your role/what are your driving forces?
As a researcher I am driven by finding out new things and enabling the unthinkable. As a teacher, I am devoted to opening the magic of chemistry (and data) to the students.In what way do you believe chemistry can help build a more sustainable future?
At the end of the day, it all boils down to chemistry. What happens to the materials during recycling? What is released to the environment and what is retained in the products? Why do some materials lose its durability? What is the most valuable product that we can “make” of waste? Can sewage produce energy? Behind all these questions are chemical reactions and processes, and accounting for these is essential in moving towards sustainable future.
Meet our researchers
Meet Louise, PhD Student in Analytical Chemistry
"Not only is chemistry fun to study, it also increases your understanding of the world and how it works, and in addition it gives you good opportunities to find a job."
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
My name is Louise, I am from Stockholm and have lived here most of my life. After high school, I worked for one year before starting studying welding. Then I worked as a welder for five years, before realising that this was not what I wanted to do with my life. After taking a scientific base year at komvux in order to be able to study meteorology, I found out I really liked chemistry, and now I am doing my PhD in the field of analytical chemistry.How did you end up at SU?
Since I live in Stockholm, and I don’t want to move away from family and friends, Stockholm University was an easy choice for me for my bachelor studies. Then I really liked it here, so I continued with my master studies (in analytical chemistry) here and now I’m doing my PhD here too. What I liked with the chemistry studies here at SU is that there is so much practical work in the laboratory, and not just theory. I also like that you get the opportunity to use some advanced instruments during the masters and diploma work.What is your position?
Currently, I am a PhD student in Anneli Kruve’s group, but I’ve been a student at SU for a little over five years already as I took my BSc and MSc here.What do you think makes a good chemistry student?
A good chemistry student is someone who is curious to understand how the nature works, but also patient and meticulous in their work. Especially in analytical chemistry, analyses can take some time so you need to be patient and plan your work. After analysis, there is also a lot of work with the data, which also requires patience and an eye for details.Not only is chemistry fun to study, it also increases your understanding of the world and how it works, and in addition it gives you good opportunities to find a job.
Why should anyone study chemistry?
Not only is chemistry fun to study, it also increases your understanding of the world and how it works, and in addition it gives you good opportunities to find a job.In what way do you believe chemistry can help build a more sustainable future?
We are all, whether we like it or not, very dependent of chemistry. I know many people think about chemistry as some dirty business that rather destroys nature than helps making it better. This is understandable, but chemistry also makes our life much easier and helps building a more sustainable future. For example, by making sustainable materials, research on energy storage, etc. My research focuses on quantification of contaminants without their analytical standards, which can aid in regulations of hazardous contaminants in the environment.
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Career opportunities
The career prospects for someone with master’s in analytical chemistry are extremely good. The degree is very flexible and can be used in many fields including healthcare, environmental monitoring, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and more.
For the last ten years graduates of this programme have found full employment upon graduation.
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Contact
Websites:
su.se/chemistry-sectionsu.se/department-of-materials-and-environmental-chemistry
Instagram:
@chemistry_stockholmuniversitySubject responsible, analytical chemistryAnneli KruveAssociate professor
Chemistry Section & Student Affairs Office
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