INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY

Teaching

The Institute offers a Master’s Program (5 years) and a Doctoral Program for students having a Diploma in chemistry (3 years). The staff takes part in the education of chemists and chemistry teachers providing fundamental knowledge in all branches of chemistry and related subjects (geochemistry, biochemistry, chemometrics, crystallography etc.). Graduate study for English-speaking students is offered.

 Chemist training

The aim of the training is to educate chemists who are able to consider and handle problems from the technical-economical point of view with a widely applicable and thorough knowledge of   chemistry, the related disciplines and foreign languages. These chemists are also expected to have an insight into some specific fields of chemistry by possessing additional knowledge and skills. The graduated chemists (M.Sc.) are expected to be able to handle and solve problems on their own on the fields of research and technical development, to synthesise and transform chemicals, analyse them and elucidate their structure as well as to take up position in the chemical industry or in related spheres of economy.

The chemist training consists of 10 semesters. It begins with the basic training (6 semesters) followed by the advanced training (4 semesters). After completing their studies and having their thesis accepted the students are awarded an M.Sc. degree. If a student fulfilled the requirements of a specialisation module then a written statement on the specialisation is also issued. The M.Sc. degree qualifies to take up positions in the relevant fields and to enlist for further studies, including the studies for a higher (Ph.D.) degree.

The general load of the students during the 10 semesters (usually 14 weeks per semester) is approximately 30-32 hours per week. About 90% of the studies are chemistry related, the rest is made up by the foreign language and general knowledge courses. The chemistry related studies consist of lectures (appr. 42% of the overall load), laboratory practices (appr. 51%) and practicing courses (7 %). The lectures fall into one of three different categories: compulsory, preferred and optional courses.

The basic training consists of 6 semesters and includes the general and compulsory courses. These courses help the students to acquire all the fundamental knowledge and skills which are necessary for any further specialisation. The basic studies end in cumulative exams from Mathematics, General and Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. The students also have to pass a cumulative exam either from Analytical Chemistry or from Chemical Technology and Colloid Chemistry. The completion of the basic training entitles the students to enlist for further studies.

The advanced level of chemist training consists of the more detailed studies of the general aspects of chemistry and specialisation in chosen fields. In this part of the training there are two sorts of courses: preferred courses and optional courses. The preferred courses provide the student with a more detailed description of the general aspects of chemistry and give an introduction into the specific fields of chemistry. The students have to complete a certain number of preferred courses from a given selection. The overall load of the completed preferred courses (given in hours per week units - hpw) has to reach a minimum value of 18 hpw by the end of the 10^th semester.

The optional courses discuss the special methodics and aspects of chemistry and the related natural sciences (Physics, Biology, Geology, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, etc.). The list of the optional courses is published yearly by the Faculty. The students have to complete a minimum load of 16 hpw of optional courses by the end of the 10^th semester. Any of the preferred courses which are above their 18 hpw limit can be accounted for as optional course.

 The third major component of the advanced level of chemist training is the thesis project in the 9^th and 10^th semester which consists of the individual research of the student and the writing up of a thesis on the basis of the achievements. The gradually increasing freedom of the studies in the advanced training and the individual research work of the thesis project help the students to get acquainted with the scientific life of the Departments and later become involved in it.

Although the chemist training rests on a well developed frame of basic and advanced studies, the persistent requirement of compacting and updating and also the changing needs of the students call for a constant development of the training. A possible way to fulfill these requirements is the launching of specialisation modules in the 7th-10th semesters which help the broadening of the skills and knowledge of the students on a specific field. The specialisation modules are organised by the Departments and the students are free to enlist to them. The specialisation modules have fixed programmes which are part of the advanced chemist training. At present there are four different modules running at the Institute:

·         Pharmaceutical Chemistry Module

·         Molecular Structure Studies Module

·         Environmental Chemistry Module

·         Chemical Informatics

 

Exams

At the end of the semesters the students have to give an account of their knowledge attained during the semester. In the case of lectures the students have to pass an exam (oral or written) while the laboratory practices and other courses are marked by the supervisor(s). During the basic training the students have to pass cumulative exams on the major fields of chemistry which include the subject of the closely related lectures and laboratory practices.

The concluding act of chemist training is the state examination where the students prove their preparedness to the chemist profession and answer the examination committee’s questions about the thesis.

 

The list of the courses compulsory of the basic chemist training:

Mathematics, Applied Mathematics for Chemists, Physics, Computation, Computers in Chemistry, Measurement Techniques, General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Structural Chemistry, Organometallic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry (L), Nuclear Chemistry (L+Lab.), Organic Chemistry (L+Lab.), Natural Carbon Compounds (L), Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry (L+Lab.), Instrumental Analysis (L+Lab.), Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology, Colloid Chemistry, Labour Safety, Foreign Language, General courses (Philosophy, History of Chemistry etc.), Industrial visits

 

Advanced level  (List of the preferred courses):

Analytical Chemistry II. (L), *Biochemistry II. (L), *Bioinorganic Chemistry, *Bioorganic Chemistry, *Environmental Chemistry, *Environmental Geochemistry, Chemical Technology of Macromolecular Materials, Mineral Resources, *NMR Spectroscopy I., Operations of Chemical Engineering, Organic Spectroscopy (L), *Separation Techniques, Theoretical Chemistry II., Theory of Organic Reaction Mechanisms (L), *X-ray Diffraction, *Chemical Harms in and Protection of Environment, Colloid Chemistry II., Organic Separation Techniques and Spectroscopy (Lab.), Advanced Organic Syntheses (Lab.), Biochemistry (Lab.), Computational Statistical Mechanics, Electrochemistry, *Environmental Chemical Analysis, Experimental Design, Molecular Structure, *NMR Spectroscopy II., *Nuclear Techniques in Structural Chemistry, Organic Reaction Mechanisms (L), Physical Organic Chemistry (L), Process Modelling, Reaction Kinetics, Statistical Thermodynamics, *Theoretical Molecular Chemistry, Organometallic Chemistry II.

 

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Module

The enlisting students have to follow (all L) the directives set by the Department for specialisation in  organic chemistry.

Compulsory Biology Foundation Course, *Biochemistry II 7^th 2 hpw, *Bioorganic Chemistry 7^th or 8^th 2 hpw, *Bioinorganic Chemistry, Structure and Action of Medicines, Pharmaceutical R&D, Alkaloid Chemistry, Steroid Synthesis, Chemistry of Antibiotics, Biologically Active Peptides

 

Molecular Structure Studies Module

*NMR Spectroscopy, *X-ray Diffraction,  Optical Spectroscopy,  Mass Spectroscopy, *Theoretical Molecular Chemistry, *Separation Techniques, High Energy Spectroscopy, Electron Diffraction, CD Spectroscopy, *Nuclear Techniques in Structural Chemistry, Photoelectron Spectroscopy

 

Environmental Chemistry Module

*Bioinorganic Chemistry, *Environmental Chemistry, *Chemical Harms in and Protection of Environment, Soil and Environment, *Environmental Chemical Analysis, *Environmental Geochemistry, *Separation Techniques, Environmental Colloid Chemistry, Nuclear Aspects of Environment Protection (L), Air and Water Chemical Qualification

 

Chemical Informatics Module

Staistical Mechanics, Applied Statistics, Multivariate Statistical Methods, Computational Chemistry, Computational Organic Chemistry, Design of Experiments, Mathematical Methods in Reaction Kinetics, Applied Numerical Simulations, Mathematica for Chemists, Scripting, Fortran and C for Chemists, Object Oriented Programming (Java, C++), Digital Methods in Laboratory Measurements, Applications of Web Technologies in Chemistry.

 

Chemistry teacher training

The courses offered are the same as for the chemists, however, less hours are required concerning the laboratory courses and less preferred courses have to be taken.

Instead, they have compulsory courses as follows:

Teaching Methodology, Practice in Teaching at high-schools, Pedagogy, Psychology

 

Training of students in biology

Compulsory courses:

General and Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry (L+Lab.), Colloid Chemistry

Special courses:

Organic Spectroscopy, Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, Electromigration Methods, Biologically Active Peptides,  Molecule Modelling,  Chromatography

 

Training of students in geology

Compulsory courses:

General Chemistry, Elementary Chemical Calculations, Analytical Chemistry (L+Lab.), Inorganic Chemistry

Training of students in meteorology

Compulsory course:

General chemistry

 

Training of students in environmental teaching

Compulsory courses:

General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry (L+Lab.), Environmental Chemistry,  Environmental Technology, Chemistry Teaching Methodology (L+Lab.), Organic Chemistry, Visiting programs in Factories,  Graduate Thesis Laboratory

Preferred courses:

Environmental Risk and Impact Assessment, Polymers, Chromatography, Green Chemistry, Toxicology,  Soil and Environment,  Air Pollutants,  Analysis of Natural and Waste Water

 

Training of students in physics engineering

Compulsory courses:

General Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Colloid Chemistry, Nuclear Chemistry  (L+Lab.)

 

Special  courses:

Metals and Alloys, Corrosion

 

Training of students in physics

General Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Quantumchemical Molecule Modelling

 

Training of students in pharmaceutics

Analytical Chemistry (L+Lab.), Physical Chemistry, Colloid Chemistry

 

Chemistry teachers’ continuation course

M.Sc. degree courses for teachers having B.Sc diploma

 

Chemistry teachers’ refresher course

The latest developments in all branches of chemistry and teaching methodology (e.g. femtochemistry, conducting polymers, combinatorial chemistry, multimedia)