Chimie études

The Master's degree in Chemistry at the University of Namur is specialized in fields oriented on the one hand towards the chemistry of living organisms, more particularly biological chemistry and medicinal chemistry, and on the other hand towards the chemistry of materials 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 integration into the job market - while pursuing training in theoretical chemistry and rigorous numerical modeling.
  • Open up to other disciplines - physics and biology in particular - with a view to multidisciplinary research and applications.

The benefits of training

  • You are versatile chemists with excellent theoretical and experimental training.
  • You benefit from privileged contacts with professors and rapid, in-depth integration 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 French, but you can also take it entirely in English!

Other master's degrees in chemistry

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Chemistry professions

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.