Chimie études

Learned in English, UNamur's master in chemistry specializes in fields oriented on the one hand towards life chemistry, more specifically biological chemistry and medicinal chemistry, and on the other hand towards materials chemistry with a strong application in the fields of surfaces and nanomaterials.

Your objectives

  • Acquire expertise in the two important orientations of contemporary chemistry:
    • the chemistry of living organisms, i.e. the chemical aspects of biology and pharmacology;
    • the chemistry of new materials with strong implications in the fields of surfaces, materials and nanomaterials.
  • Give your degree a strong experimental dimension - essential for your insertion into the job market - while pursuing a training in theoretical chemistry and rigorous numerical modeling.
  • Open up to other disciplines - physics and biology in particular - with a view to pluridisciplinary research and applications.

The advantages of training at UNamur

  • You are versatile chemists provided with excellent training in both theory and experiment.
  • You benefit from privileged contacts with professors and rapid, in-depth insertion into research laboratories.
  • You study in a department that develops research activities in chemistry didactics and offers numerous continuing education courses for teachers.

The program

The Master 60 provides you with basic training in biological chemistry, surface and nanomaterials chemistry and theoretical chemistry.

This master's degree is organized in English, but you can also take it integrally in French!

Other master's degrees in chemistry

The University of Namur organizes

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Admission requirements

Si vous avez un diplôme belge

ACCES DIRECT

  • bachelier en sciences chimiques.

ACCES moyennant un COMPLÉMENT DE 45 À 60 CRÉDITS

  • bachelier (type court) en chimie orientation biochimie, biotechnologie, chimie appliquée, environnement.

ACCES SUR DOSSIER

  • autre diplômé de l’enseignement supérieur de la Communauté française de Belgique ;
  • diplômé de l’enseignement supérieur hors Communauté française de Belgique;
  • sur base de VAE (Valorisation des acquis de l'expérience).

Pour les admissions en master, il y a lieu de prendre contact avec le service des inscriptions.

 

Si vous avez un diplôme non-belge

If you have a degree from an institution outside of Belgium, you will need to complete and return the admissions request form before 30 September (31 March for students from outside the European Union).

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Students with a first degree obtained in Belgium

DIRECT ACCESS

  • Bachelor in Chemistry.

ACCESS subject to AN ADDITIONAL 45 TO 60 CREDITS

  • Bachelor in Chemistry orientation Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Applied Chemistry, Environment.

ACCESS BY APPLICATION

  • other higher education qualifications obtained in the French Community of Belgium;
  • higher education qualifications obtained outside of the French Community of Belgium;
  • on the basis of VAE  (‘Valorisation des acquis de l’expérience’ – recognition of previous experience)

For admission to Masters degrees, please contact the Admission Service.

 

Students with a first degree obtained outside of Belgium

If you have a degree from an institution outside of Belgium, you will need to complete and return the admissions request form before 30 September (31 March for students from outside the European Union): www.unamur.be/en/enrolment

Description

This 60-credit Master’s specialises in the fields of Life Chemistry on the one hand (in particular Biological and Medicinal Chemistry) and Materials Chemistry on the other, where the focus is on surfaces and nanomaterials.

It is taught in English and provides basic initial training in Biological Chemistry and the Chemistry of surfaces and micro- and nanomaterials, as well as in theoretical Chemistry.

Teaching methods

The Master’s is spread over two semesters:

  1. During the first semester, the student follows in-depth teaching units and takes part in introductory research activities in various departmental laboratories. 
  2. In the second semester, the student selects advanced teaching units from one of the department’s two research areas. Under the guidance of a supervisor, the student carries out a research project leading to the presentation of a thesis in front of a jury during the evaluation period in May/June.   

The training comprises several in-depth teaching units based on the department’s two research fields, introductory research activities in our laboratories, and a research project culminating in the presentation of a short thesis.

Aims and objectives

By the end of the programme, the student will have learned to:

  • develop expertise in the two important branches of contemporary Chemistry:
    • Life Chemistry, that is the chemical aspects of Biology and Pharmacology;
    • New Materials Chemistry, with its emphasis on surfaces, materials, and nanomaterials;
  • master the experimental dimension – an essential skill for the job market – alongside rigorous training in theoretical Chemistry and numerical modelling; 
  • tackle other disciplines – notably Physics and Biology – useful for research and multidisciplinary applications.

Assessment

The training is evaluated using various means, such as written or oral exams, individual or group reports, the oral presentation of scientific results to a jury, poster sessions and internships.

Details of the exact means of evaluation may be found in the fact sheets for each teaching unit.

Careers in chemistry

At the University of Namur, masters in chemistry receive training that predisposes them to fundamental and applied research. The scientific culture acquired during their studies also opens other doors for them in business, the world of training, public services...

It's hard to find a product or object in our daily lives in which chemists have not been involved at some stage of design, manufacture and evaluation: packaging, medicines, colorants, perfumes, computer constituents... In short, "Chemistry is life", as Essenscia, the Belgian Federation of the Chemical and Life Sciences Industries, proclaims.

In Belgium, the chemical industry directly employs nearly 95,500 people (a little under a quarter of them in the Walloon Region) and a few hundred thousand indirectly. Jobs in the chemical industry are often exciting and versatile. Chemists with bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees contribute to the research and development of new products and processes, to their production in line with current quality standards, and finally to their marketing.

The majority of our chemistry graduates join the industrial world at national or international level (38% of UNamur graduates), within which four sectors of activity can be distinguished:

  • Basic chemistry: exploitation and/or production of raw materials;
  • parachemistry: consumer products, e.g. cosmetics, household products;
  • pharmaceutical industry: medicines for human and animal use;
  • processing chemistry: rubbers, bio-based plastics.

In addition to research and development laboratories, other chemical industry departments are open to masters and PhDs in chemistry: quality control, sales and marketing (e.g. as medical representatives, market managers), regulatory affairs (drawing up registration dossiers for new products), patents, etc.

Pushing back the frontiers of knowledge

Almost a quarter of our former graduates go on to pursue research activities at university or in public research organizations such as the FRS-FNRS in Belgium, the CNRS in France or the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. For most of them, personal research has led to original results and the presentation of a doctoral thesis.

Transmitting a passion for matter and life

Nearly one-fifth of chemistry graduates hold the title of agrégé de l'enseignement secondaire supérieur. A good proportion of them teach science in secondary schools, higher education or social promotion. Doctorate holders can consider an academic or scientific career at university.

Protecting our living environment

Chemists help to protect our environment. They analyze and help control the quality of our natural resources (water, gas), measure atmospheric pollution, work to implement new waste and wastewater treatment processes, or air and gas purification and control.

Protecting our health

Chemists participate alongside biologists, pharmacists and physicians in the development and improvement of new drugs and vaccines.

Other sectors of activity

Alongside academic, industrial or public laboratories, chemists can also work in private or hospital laboratories, leading a team of technicians. Chemists are also found within companies that manufacture and market analytical equipment for use in these laboratories.

The scientific culture of chemists enables them to advise political decision-makers, particularly in matters relating to environmental policy.

At federal and regional level, many public services are accessible to academics subject to passing an entrance test and appropriate training.

Finally, a significant proportion of chemists go into the IT sector.