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Education Bachelor's degree programmes Chemistry
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Chemistry

How can you make a flexible solar cell that can be fixed to anything? How can you build a molecular-scale motor? These are some of the fascinating questions that you will try to answer as a chemist.

Chemistry is the study of molecules and how they interact. As a chemist equipped with this knowledge, you can produce new substances and materials or devise solutions for all sorts of problems.

Chemistry is a broad discipline with many parallels with other science subjects such as physics, mathematics, astronomy and biology. If you are interested in exploring the interfaces with those subjects, you can do so in Groningen! You can expand your knowledge of chemistry and discover and apply new materials.

Chemistry in Groningen is the home of 2016 Nobel Prize winner Ben Feringa, who has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on a light-driven rotary molecular motor.

Working on the environment, medicines or new foods … What will you choose?

As a chemist you will have excellent career prospects. There are openings in a variety of areas, such as business, health care, environmental inspection and education.

Chemists are often involved in the development of new medicines, or in the search for new synthetic materials with special properties. Another path is the creation of a more sustainable world through solutions for generating energy, for example using sunlight or motion.

Facts & Figures
Degree
BSc in Chemistry
Course type
Bachelor
Duration
36 months (180 ECTS)
Croho code
56857
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Science and Engineering
Studie in Cijfers
Why study this programme in Groningen?
  • In Groningen you can study either Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. During the entire first year you can switch between them, if you wish.
  • Explore before you choose your specialization. The first part of Year 1 is designed to give you a broad introduction to the three Chemistry specializations and Chemical Engineering.
  • Our research is among the finest in the world. Our materials research ranks in the world's top ten!
  • Chemistry in Groningen is the home of 2016 Nobel Prize winner Ben Feringa, who has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on a light-driven rotary molecular motor.
Programme
CoursesCourse Catalog >
Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Concepts of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Inorganic Chemistry
Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus for Chemistry
Maths for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Molecules: Structure, Reactivity and Function
Organic Chemistry 1
Physical Chemistry 1
Practical Course: Synthesis and Analysis
Spectroscopy
Sustainability Projects
Transport Phenomena

Curriculum

Course examples within the Smart materials specialization: Molecular Design, Soft Molecular Materials, Trends in Polymer Science

Course examples within the Sustainable Chemistry and Energy specialization: Physical Organic and Photo-chemistry, Green and Photochemistry, Electrochemistry and Energy

Course examples within the Chemistry of life specialization: Bio-energy, Metabolism and Bioresources, Chemical Biology, Cellular Chemistry

The Groningen science and engineering programmes stand out for their academic excellence. The work pace in the first year is generally high and the courses' contents are demanding. The first year curriculum concentrates on laying a sound basis for our engineering and natural science disciplines. This allows our students to choose their specialisations already in the second year of the Bachelor's programme.

Programme options
Smart Materials (specialization)

Within this specialization you will search for 'smart' materials, for example those who produce electricity or can change temperature.

Chemistry of Life (specialization)

Within the specialization Chemistry of Life you study how molecules in living organisms execute chemical processes.

Sustainable Chemistry and Energy (specialization)

Within the specialization Sustainable Chemistry and Energy you use chemistry to enhance sustainability and to produce clean energy.

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is optional
  • Maximum of 30 EC

Exchange: All our science and engineering programmes offer study abroad possibilities at a number of partner institutions. Our partners include top-100 universities in Europe (for example in Germany, UK, and Sweden) and in the USA, China, South-East Asia, and South America. Our exchange programmes have a typical duration of one semester and count toward your final degree.

Entry requirements

Admissible Dutch diploma profiles

  • VWO Natuur & Techniek
  • VWO Natuur & Gezondheid

    wiskunde B + natuurkunde

  • VWO Economie & Maatschappij

    wiskunde B + natuurkunde + scheikunde

  • VWO Cultuur & Maatschappij

    wiskunde B + natuurkunde + scheikunde

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
language test

Language proficiency certificate for English (except for applicants with a Dutch pre-university education (VWO) as well as the exemptions listed on the language exemptions webpage). More info: https://www.rug.nl/fse/programme/admissions/bsc/language

other admission requirements

Before you apply!

When you cannot fulfil the vwo requirement, due to deficient profile or if you want to be admitted on the basis of a successfully passed first year of HBO or colloquium doctum, you need to submit an additional admission request via the Admission Board Bachelor programmes. Please go to this website for more information.

Please note! The admissions procedure is independent of the matching procedure. Information about the matching procedure can be found here

Choice of degree programme check

More information about matching: https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/matching

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025

Choice of degree programme check

More information about matching: https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/matching

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Secondary education equivalent to Dutch pre-university education (vwo) is required.

A list of qualifications that are considered equivalent to pre-university education in the Netherlands can be found here: https://www.rug.nl/education/application-enrolment-tuition-fees/admission/procedures/application-informatie/with-non-dutch-diploma/entry-requirements/bachelor-entry-requirements/vwo-equivalent-qualifications

If you have any questions concerning admission to the programme, please contact our Admissions Office: https://www.rug.nl/education/application-enrolment-tuition-fees/contact/

additional subject

Sufficient background knowledge in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry is required.

The Admissions Board will determine whether your background knowledge in these subjects is sufficient to start the Bachelor's degree programme of your choice.

language test

You will need to submit proof of English proficiency in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Please find our English language requirements (exemptions, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and more) on this page: https://www.rug.nl/fse/programme/admissions/bsc/language

other admission requirements

Please note! The admissions procedure is independent of the matching procedure. Information about the matching procedure can be found here

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2023-2024€ 2314full-time
non-EU/EEA2023-2024€ 16500full-time
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 19300full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Job prospects

A commercial function, doing research or optimize factories: when you have finished this programme many options are open to you. Graduates usually have no problem finding a job, whether that is in the Netherlands or abroad.

After the Bachelor's programme you can move on to one of the Master's programmes in Chemistry, Biomolecular Sciences or Environmental Sciences, or the Top Master's degree programme in Nanoscience.

Excellent career opportunities

Look for an international commercial position, become a researcher – there are many paths open to you with a degree in Chemistry! Most students find a job soon after graduating, in a wide range of occupations.

Business and research

If you want to work as a researcher, you can do this at a university, but also in industry. For example, you could work in medical and biochemical research, and there are plenty of opportunities in the food and the synthetics industries. In general, graduates progress to a management position after a couple of years.

Manager, adviser, inspector or…

If you're not interested in a research career, you could work as a manager or adviser in the business world at a multinational or at a non-governmental organization. Some graduates also work as inspectors.

Job examples

  • Industrial researcher
  • Scientific researcher
  • Management function
  • Commercial positions
  • Teacher
Research

Our Bachelor's degree programme in Chemistry is connected to the following research institutes of the University of Groningen.

Stratingh Institute for Chemistry

Related research groups
  • Molecular Inorganic Chemistry - Browne group
  • Auto-catalytic and cross-catalytic systems - Harutyunyan group
  • The Feringa group
  • Artificial Organic Chemistry Lab - Pollice group
  • Chemical Biology - Minnaard group
  • Molecular Inorganic Chemistry - Otten group
  • Systems Chemistry - Otto group
  • Biomolecular Chemistry - Roelfes group
  • Chemical Biology - Walvoort group
  • Chemical Biology - Witte group
  • Molecular Inorganic Chemistry - Klein group
  • Synthetic Organic Chemistry - Beil group
  • (Bio)Organic Materials and Devices - Havenith group
  • Molecular Inorganic Chemistry - Kudernác group
  • Bio-inspired and Smart Materials - Katsonis group
  • Bio-inspired and Smart Materials - Lerch group
  • Biomolecular Chemistry - Mayer group

Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials

Basic research on materials is directed towards unraveling the relations between the properties that determine their functionality and their chemical composition and structure. The quest for in-depth understanding of these constitutive relations often leads to unexpected boundaries signifying fundamental gaps in our knowledge. Although the structure-property relationship is in itself a truism, the actual linkage between (micro) structural aspects in a material and its physical/chemical properties is elusive. The reason is that various properties are determined by the collective behaviour of molecules, atoms and electrons and their behaviour may be extremely non-linear on different time and length scales.

The classic materials triangle concerns an integrative approach in the three aspects of structure, property and chemical composition. The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials adds an extra dimension to this traditional view by an unconventional linkage to the field of biomolecular sciences, which includes the design aspects as well.

Research groups: Computational Physics , Materials Science , Micromechanics , Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces , Optical Condensed Matter Physics , Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering, Photophysics and opto-electronics, Physics of Nanodevices, Polymer Chemistry and Bioengineering, Quantum Interactions and Structural Dynamics, Solid State Materials for Electronics , Surfaces and Thin Films , Theoretical Chemistry , Theory of Condensed Matter

Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB)

Research groups
  • Bioinformatics
  • Molecular Systems Biology
  • Cell Biochemistry
  • Chemical Biology
  • Protein Crystallography
  • Molecular Cell Biology
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Biotransformation and Biocatalysis
  • Molecular Microbiology
  • Molecular Dynamics
  • Microbial Physiology
  • Membrane Enzymology


Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG)

Research at the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG) is organized in five research groups in Product- and Process Technology and Discrete Technology.

Research groups: Transport Phenomena , Discrete Technology & Production Automation , Green Chemical Reaction Engineering , Product Technology, Smart Manufacturing Systems

ESRIG - Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen

Although ESRIG is a Research Institute, bundling strengths leads to new educational possibilities as well in the Master phase the Energy and Environmental Sciences (EES) programme has been operational for several years, under responsibility of IVEM and CIO. At present, this programme offers two tracks: The IVEM track ("Energy and Environmental Sciences"), and the CIO-track ("Experimental studies of greenhouse gases and climate history"). The IVEM track will be extended by elements of SSG research. The CIO-track will be enforced and broadened by the other experimental groups inside ESRIG.

In the Bachelor phase the curriculum of Physics and Chemistry will start with an "energy and environmental" track from the year 2010-2011 onwards. As ESRIG is the central institute for this subject, ESRIG scientists take the lead in both the track design and the actual teaching.

Research groups: Centre for Isotope Research , Geo-energy , Combustion Technology , Centre for Energy and Environmental Sciences , Ocean Ecosystems , Science and Society group




Apply nowBrochureEventsContact
Bachelor's Open DayBroerstraat 5More information

Contact

  • Ask Our Students! (Like to talk about the programme and student life with someone currently studying CE?)
    Email: chemstudents rug.nl
  • Academic Advisors FSE (For questions regarding the programme)
  • studyscience@rug.nl Study Science (For general questions for all prospective students)
    Email: studyscience rug.nl
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  • 
						Testimonial of Jacob-Jan Haaksma

    New insights by researching what exactly went wrong

    – Jacob-Jan Haaksma
    Read more

    Chemistry is about everything around you. That is why it suits me well: I have always wanted to know why things are the way they are. The more you ask, the more detailed the answers become.

    I love solving complex puzzles and this is exactly what we do here in this degree programme. I also really enjoy putting the theory that we learn into practice in the lab myself. Sometimes the experiments do not go as planned, but you can also get new insights by researching what exactly went wrong.

    I am now in my second year and after the summer, I will go to Hong Kong to continue studying chemistry course units there. After that, I want to finish my Bachelor's degree, and I definitely want to subsequently follow a Master's programme. Eventually, I would love to do a PhD because I really think that research is the most interesting thing that there is.

    Close
  • Watch this videoClose

Study associations

Chemische Binding

De Chemische Binding, or CB, is the study association for students taking a programme in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering at the University of Groningen.
The name translates as The Chemical Bond. The association aims to represent the interests of all students of chemistry and chemical engineering by organizing activities to enhance learning, such as practice sessions and excursions. It also provides an opportunity for students to join each other in less serious activities, such as the weekly drinks get-together, the annual Christmas dinner and a night-time volleyball tournament with a beer relay race,
https://www.chemische-binding.nl/home
Read more
(Binding) study advice
  • A minimum of 45 EC in the first 12 months (binding)

You will be issued a study advice at the end of both your first year of study. You can expect a positive study advice if you have earned at least 45 ECTS credit points (out of a total of 60 ECTS, most course units are 5 ECTS). If you have earned fewer than 45 ECTS and are issued a negative study advice, you will not be allowed to continue your degree programme.

You will receive a preliminary study advice in December to make sure that you know where you are. Please contact your study advisor as soon as possible if you have any questions about the Binding Study Advice system.

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