Master in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering

Master in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering is one of 5 English-taught Chemical Engineering programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 4 institutions. 4 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 7,455 to EUR 17,300; this programme lists EUR 16,300 a year. 4 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

The Master's in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University is a two-year, full-time programme taught in English. It builds on a bachelor's in chemical or biological engineering and trains you to understand, design and optimise the chemical and biological processes behind sustainable food and energy production, medical technologies and greener industrial solutions.

What you study

The programme carries 120 ECTS and mixes compulsory courses with electives and a thesis. You choose between 12 specialisations, each built around a set of courses. The specialisations named on the programme page are Industrial Biotechnology, Medical Technology, Plastic Materials, Biorefining, Energy and Storage, and Water Technology, alongside others such as Medical Biotechnology, Biomaterial Engineering, Environmental Technology, Process Technology, Chemical Processing, Computational Systems Biology and Applied Lipid and Protein Biotechnology.

Compulsory courses depend on your track. Chemical Engineering students take Sensors and Process Control (10 ECTS) and Transport Phenomena (5 ECTS) in the autumn, then Modern Chemical Process Technologies (10 ECTS) in the spring. Biotechnology students take Lipid Biotechnology (5 ECTS) and Protein and Carbohydrate Biotechnology (10 ECTS) in the autumn, followed by Microbial Biotechnology (5 ECTS) and Industrial Bioseparation Technology (5 ECTS) in the spring.

Specialisation courses are concrete. Energy and Storage includes Energy Conversion and Storage Technologies (10 ECTS) and Renewable Energy Technologies (5 ECTS). Biorefining Technology has Experimental Biorefining (5 ECTS) and Integrated Biorefining Technologies (10 ECTS). Medical Biotechnology covers Immunological Biotechnology (10 ECTS) and Biomolecular Interactions (5 ECTS). Industrial Biotechnology includes Microbial Cell Factories (5 ECTS) and Biocatalyses and Enzymatic Processes (10 ECTS).

How the programme is organised

Teaching runs over two semesters per year. You build your own study plan with help from a researcher, choosing courses from the course catalogue. The plan must be approved by the Board of Studies before you can enrol for examinations. The programme is research-based, with lectures, small-group classes, lab work and project-based learning. From the first semester you work in laboratories and pilot facilities. You can also apply for the PhD programme if you have the skills and interest.

Who it suits

This master's suits you if you want to work with both the biological and the chemical side of engineering. You should be comfortable in a lab and interested in solving open problems, such as using microorganisms to convert CO2 into food or enzymes to break down plastic. The programme is flexible, so it rewards students who know which direction they want to take and are ready to shape their own specialisation.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a bachelor's degree comparable to a Danish bachelor's (180 ECTS). Specific entry requirements can be met in two ways. One route requires 15 ECTS in chemistry, 30 ECTS in biotechnology, molecular biology or similar, 15 ECTS in technology-related courses and 20 ECTS in mathematics (calculus, linear algebra, probability, statistics). The other requires 40 ECTS in chemistry, 20 ECTS in technology-related courses and 20 ECTS in mathematics. Applicants are ranked on grades from the qualifying degree, grades in mathematics, chemistry, technology-related courses and, for the Biotechnology track, biotechnology and molecular biology, plus ECTS in relevant fields. The programme has a limited intake. Applicants with a legal right of admission from Aarhus University's bachelor's in Biotechnology or Chemical Engineering are guaranteed a place if they apply within three years. English language requirements apply. Apply directly to Aarhus University for the master's. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland study free of charge; other students pay a fee set by the institution.

Master’s applications go straight to Aarhus University, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.