Master's programme in Computational Chemistry and Physics
The Nordic Master Programme in Computational Chemistry and Physics offers a comprehensive and highly competitive training programme run by a team of collaborating partner universities each with their own specialisation in the computational disciplines.
The purpose of the programme is to provide state-of-the-art education in the fields of computational chemistry and physics, highlighting basic concepts and methods as well as important application areas such as chemical catalysis for sustainable energy, atmospheric chemistry, molecular devices for photonics and electronics, biomolecular engineering, nanotechnology and properties of modern materials. A strong emphasis is placed on dealing with reaction dynamics and material properties with descriptions that transcend scales in length and time and that connect atomistic, even electronic, structures to properties of macroscopic matter. Students will receive an education comprising trans-disciplinary aspects of theoretical modelling. The innovative aspects of the programme are related to the course curriculum as such as well as to the e-science competence that will be implemented in the teaching. Although the curriculum focuses on basic concepts in the area of computational chemistry and physics, a range of engineering problems of practical importance will be included. Participants will also gain proficiency in project design and implementation of software engineering projects and their applications.
Programme outline
Studies begin with a common term with two compulsory courses offered by each individual partner (Quantum Chemistry and Physics and Computational Chemistry), as well as a compulsory course offered by Gothenburg University (Mathematical and Numerical Methods for Chemists).The course offered by GU will be given as video conference lectures. In the second term, a compulsory course is offered by Helsinki University (Scientific Programming) using an Internet-based method. The student needs to select an additional set of 60 ECT points in optional courses offered by the participating universities. In addition, the student should complete a research project of 30 ECTs. It is a goal of the programme that students are supervised by senior researchers from at least two different host institutions and that a stay at a different host institution is part of the study programme, though this is not compulsory. Information about the academic year at the different partner universities is available on local websites.
Degree project
The degree project should contain a written account of the 30 ECT point degree project.
Career prospects
The career opportunities for those who master the basics of materials modelling are indeed considerable. Ever since it became possible to carry out accurate calculations and computer simulations of matter, it has been a possible future scenario to design a material with specific properties and functions starting from basic models. Thanks to rapidly-increasing computing power and development of new generations of modelling tools we can now perform predictive modelling with the very purpose of assisting the process of creating and manufacturing new substances and so drastically shorten development time. The performance of industrially relevant materials can now be determined through engineering design at different time and length scales. We witness the use of global simulations in "assembly lines", where dedicated modelling assists in the completion of a new product with pre-specified properties, at costs that are orders of magnitude smaller than traditional R&D costs. As a consequence of this, a large number of students trained in the area are hired by companies; Astra Zeneca and ABB serve as two good examples in Sweden. The important mission of the academy therefore becomes not only to develop new research methods and provide results per se, but to train young researchers and equip them with general research skills that are useful in the industrial laboratory. This Master programme is fully compatible with that strategy.
Application and Admission
Application procedure, admission criteria and other information are found on the www.noccap.org, the website for Nordic Master Program in Computational Chemistry and Physics.
Contact
Mårten Ahlquist
master@theochem.kth.se
Division of Theoretical Chemistry & Biology
School of Biotechnology
Royal Institute of Technology
Roslagstullsbacken 15
SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
