Master in Chemical Biology

Master in Chemical Biology is one of 5 English-taught Biology programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 4 institutions. 5 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 8,000 to EUR 17,300; this programme lists EUR 8,000 a year. 5 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

The Master's in Chemical Biology at Roskilde University is closed for admission. Only students who hold a bachelor's degree from Roskilde University with a legal right of admission (retskrav) can still be admitted. The programme is taught in English and starts in September.

What you study

Chemistry sits at the root of biological processes. This programme teaches you to approach biological questions from a chemical angle, using chemical tools, methods and analyses to study, evaluate and regulate biological systems. You work with organic chemistry, spectroscopy, eukaryotic cell biology, proteomics and metabolomics. You also get training in good experimental practice (GxP) and data analysis, so you can run high quality experiments and evaluate complex data sets.

You choose one of three specialisations: Chemistry in Biological Systems, Protein Function and Properties, or Medicinal Chemistry. The course list includes Essential Organic Chemistry (10 ECTS), Advanced Eukaryotic Cell Biology I: Inside the Cell (5 ECTS), Good Practices in Experimental Sciences (5 ECTS), Applied Spectroscopy (5 ECTS), Applied Data Science and Data Visualisation (5 ECTS), Experimental Biotechnology (5 ECTS) and General Molecular and Medical Biology (5 ECTS). Electives vary by specialisation and include Biophysical Chemistry, Protein Biochemistry, Proteomics and Metabolomics, Bioinformatics, Bioorganic Chemistry, Advanced Chemical Methods, Preparation and Testing of Biopharmaceuticals, Host-Pathogen Interactions and Pharmacology (5 ECTS each).

How the programme is organised

The programme runs over two years. You can take a 60 ECTS master's thesis, or combine a 15 ECTS project-oriented internship or project with a 45 ECTS thesis. There is also the option to spend a semester on an internship at a partner company or one you find yourself, or as an exchange at a partner university abroad.

Teaching follows RUC's project format. You identify a problem, choose a method, build a theoretical frame and produce scientific arguments under guidance from a researcher. The programme is small, so you have close contact with researchers and supervisors and good access to laboratory equipment. You become part of the Department of Science and Environment and work alongside researchers in chemistry, biology and physics.

Who it suits

This programme suits you if you want to work at the border between chemistry and biology, and you are comfortable in a lab. You should be ready to take responsibility for your own project work and to collaborate closely with researchers and fellow students. The legal right of admission covers specific RUC bachelor combinations, such as Chemistry with Bioprocess Science, Environmental Biology, Mathematics, Medicinalbiologi, Molecular Biology or Physics, and the International Bachelor in Natural Sciences with the same combinations.

Admission, language and next steps

All teaching is in English. The programme is closed for new applicants, so the only route in is through the legal right of admission for holders of the named RUC bachelor's degrees. If you are considering a related master's, check the other international master's programmes at Roskilde University. 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 Roskilde 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.