Prepare yourself for a career in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry.
Students receive an education in chemistry priming them for a research or development position in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Modules focus on polymers and inorganic materials including their characterization by spectroscopic and imaging techniques and the tailoring of their surfaces for bioanalytic and biomedical applications. Two further modules emphasize on analytical techniques including advanced mass-spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy and protein analytics. Students are also taught in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry and the chemistry on energy systems and storage. In all courses the importance of sustainability and safety in chemical production processes is addressed.
Students finish their studies with an eight months long Master’s thesis. The thesis is commonly carried out in cooperation with a company. Alumni of the Master’s studies have a sound theoretical and practical training enabling to assume responsibility in research and development or production in the chemical industry.
The course offers lots of opportunities to meet new people and gain a foothold in the industry.
Timon Bussinger, Master's graduate
Details
In total each student has to gain 50 ECTS by visiting modules. Students can choose modules from the whole Master of Sciences in Life Sciences programme. It is also possible to gain up to 12 ECTS from outside this Master programme by visiting suitable modules offered by other Universities (prior approval by the head of Master's Studies required). Please be aware that each student has also to visit at least three cluster-specific modules.
Annual Plan Master of Sciences in Life Sciences
Core Competences
The Core Competence Modules provide the students with essential competences in data literacy and for their professional position. These modules are offered by the cooperation and are visited by students from all partner schools allowing students to build up a Swiss-wide network.
Data:
Handling and Visualizing data
Design and Analysis of Experiments
Modelling and Exploration of Multivariate Data
Business, Management & Society:
Business Administration for Life Sciences
Management and Leadership for Life Sciences
Innovation and Project Management
Politics and Society
Specialisation and Cluster-specific Modules in Chemistry
Specialisation and cluster-specific modules give the students an in-depth scientific and technical education in their respective field.
Specialisation modules are held and organised by the School of Life Sciences and take place in Muttenz whereas the cluster-specific modules are organised by the four schools of the cooperation and are open to students from all cooperating schools. The cluster-specific modules usually take place in Bern or Olten; both venues can be easily reached by public transport.
Students choose a minimum of four compulsory elective modules worth three ECTS credits each.
This course offers the option of gaining a double degree from the FHNW and the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague. An additional semester is spent on the "Drug Synthesis and Manufacturing" Master's course at the UCT Prague. Please see the fact sheet for details of the conditions of participation and application process.
The Master's thesis is worth 40 ECTS credits and is the most important module in the course. As part of their thesis, students work on demanding, application-based projects. The thesis can be done in the industry, at a university or at a research institute in Switzerland or abroad or at an institute within the FHNW School of Life Sciences.
The Master's thesis is written in English and lasts for eight months (full-time).
The Master's course is taught exclusively in English. Students therefore require good language skills. The following table shows the required levels:
If prospective students do not have the required English skills, they can acquire these during their studies and be tested on them at the end of the course.
Prospects
Patrick Leuthold, 26, completed a Bachelor's and Master's degree after finishing an apprenticeship as a chemistry lab assistant followed by a vocational baccalaureate.
Why did you decide to study for a Master's degree in Life Sciences with a specialisation in chemistry? During my Bachelor's degree, it was primarily the tuition in organic chemistry and instrumental analytics that sparked my interest. I wanted to expand my knowledge in these areas. Thanks to the majors in process engineering and bionanotechnology, I also gained an insight into other exciting fields of work. The four majors I chose were challenging and varied.
How would you describe a typical day in the life of a Master's student in one sentence? Preparing for lectures and modules, giving presentations and going over what you've learned.
What qualities, skills and background do you need to successfully complete this degree? I think the most important qualities you need to succeed on this course are enthusiasm for the subject and an enjoyment of scientific work.
What was your Master's thesis about? I completed my thesis in the pharmaceutical industry. My aim was to optimise an analytical method for identifying proteins in biological samples.
Why did you study at this school in particular? The School of Life Sciences offers students a practice-based degree; the tuition regularly deals with and discusses cases from industry. There is also an option to complete your final thesis in partnership with an industry partner, which can be of great benefit to your subsequent career, since you can already begin building networks during your studies.
The thing I like most of all about the Master's degree at the School of Life Sciences is the chance to tailor the course to my own interests. I'd ideally like to take more than the obligatory number of courses since the wide range on offer covers a lot of interesting topics.
The lectures have a heavily practical focus and often incorporate case studies too. The close ties we enjoy with lecturers are extremely valuable for our further development and advancement and open up opportunities when it comes to beginning a career. The lectures on the Master's degree are generally in smaller groups, so our relationships with the lecturers and students are very personal – the ideal conditions for stimulating and efficient learning during our studies.
I think you can and should extend your network anywhere and at any time. The School of Life Sciences offers lots of opportunities to meet new people and gain a foothold in the industry. There are regular events with industry partners and workshop visits and company tours are offered or organised by the School itself. You also have the chance to demonstrate your ability as part of your Bachelor's or Master's thesis, helping you get a foot in the door of a career.
I developed at a personal level during my time abroad: the intercultural experiences, the new friends I made all around the world, the independence and my improved foreign language skills were all very valuable to me. During my student days, I not only enhanced my foreign language skills but also got over my inhibitions about communicating in another language – something you need to be able to work successfully as part of an international team.
I also developed my technical expertise considerably during this time, since I was able to delve into completely new fields. I became familiar with processes in the oil industry and was able to transfer knowledge of certain problems and problem-solving methods to the pharma industry. This broadened my horizons significantly.
Organisational information
The Master's course usually lasts one and a half years full time. The focus in the first two semesters is on attending lectures. At the end of the second semester, students begin their Master's thesis, which lasts for eight months.
It is possible to study part time while working, with the course then extending from three to six semesters. Experience suggests that working between 50 to 60 per cent of full-time equivalence is appropriate.
Part-time students attend lectures over several semesters and usually begin their Master's thesis at the end of the fourth semester.
The course begins in the autumn semester (calendar week 38). It is possible to begin in the spring semester (calendar week 8).
Admission
Graduates with an excellent Bachelor's degree are admitted directly if they:
hold a Bachelor's degree in a related technical field from a university of applied sciences with a mark of A, B or ≥ 5 or an equivalent mark (≥ good)
or demonstrate an equivalent background (BSc) and practical experience
and have excellent English skills.
Prospective students who meet most but not all of the entry requirements are invited to interview.
New: Application for the Master's programme was never easier! Click on the "apply now" button in the right-hand column to go directly to the registration form.
Patrick Leuthold, 26, completed a Bachelor's and Master's degree after finishing an apprenticeship as a chemistry lab assistant followed by a vocational baccalaureate.
The thing I like most of all about the Master's degree at the School of Life Sciences is the chance to tailor the course to my own interests. I'd ideally like to take more than the obligatory number of courses since the wide range on offer covers a lot of interesting topics.
