Master's programme in Macromolecular Materials
The master’s programme in Macromolecular Materials provides students with the comprehensive tools needed to develop future materials for advanced health care, energy production, green packaging, surface coatings and many other applications.
Macromolecular Materials at KTH
Students in the master's programme in Macromolecular Materials will learn of design, synthesis, characterisation, production and development of polymer and fiber-based materials throughout the duration of their studies. The material group includes plastics, rubber, composites, paper, wood and other biological materials; students will be able to handle questions pertaining to the choice of raw materials (renewable versus fossil), and the choice of production processes, material combinations and manufacturing methods to achieve the desired characteristics in the finished product. Great emphasis is placed on environmental issues, such as environmentally-friendly material production and development of sustainable materials.
The programme provides a solid base in the chemistry and physics of organic materials, as well as their connection to real-life applications. A broad range of courses allows students to customise their own degree profile enabling them to focus on individual areas of interest. The programme also establishes excellent laboratory skills and is closely linked to research at the Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology. Skills such as problem-solving and project work are developed and enhanced in many of the courses, as well as oral and written presentations. A master's degree project takes place during the final term, it is the culmination of the academic programme and is usually undertaken at KTH, in a company setting or abroad. The topic may be chosen from a list of available projects at the School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health.
Joint master's programme in Polymer Technology
The programme can also be studied as a joint Nordic Five Tech master's programme, with a track in Polymer Technology. This double degree programme includes one year of studies at KTH and one year at Aalto University in Finland, DTU in Denmark or NTNU in Norway and is applied for separately.
Career
Career opportunities for students from this programme are broad and international. The programme is closely related to many important industries – the paper and forest industry, plastics, medical technology and packaging industry. Material expertise is also needed in many other sectors, from transport to the coatings industry and electronics. Graduates will also be well-placed for further studies as PhD students.
Students
Each year, around 30 students out of 400 applicants are admitted to the programme. Find out what students from the programme think about their time at KTH.
Faculty and research
The research at the School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health spans over a wide range of topics, such as the development of solar and fuel cells as well as other environmentally friendly energy sources, how to store nuclear waste in a safe way, the design of novel polymers for use in the medical industry, how to protect metal surfaces against corrosion, the use of natural materials in new products, and how friction can be explained on a molecular level, among many other research projects.
Related master's programmes
Changes in the programme may occur.
