Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis

To graduate from your degree programme, you must:

• successfully complete all the classes
• produce a Master’s thesis, which must be approved
• pass the Master’s examination

Your title on graduation will be “Master of Science in Engineering (MSc)”.

The Master’s thesis is an academic piece of work you need to complete to gain the Master’s degree in “Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis” in addition to successfully completing the rest of the course. In their thesis, students work on a scientific topic that is relevant to their degree programme to demonstrate the success of the professional training on a scientific basis. Students work on their thesis in the fourth semester.

• Two bound copies of the final version of the Master’s thesis must be submitted upon registration for the Master’s examination at the latest.
• You register for the examination at the same time as you submit your thesis. The candidate will be permitted to take the examination once the Master’s thesis has been approved.

The supervisors are the teaching staff of the degree programme, external heads of courses and, in exceptional cases, other experts. Which persons are eligible to act as supervisor will be decided by the head of degree programme on the basis of objective criteria.

A supplementary seminar in the final semester prepares the students for the Master’s thesis.

The Master’s examination is a board examination before a committee of experts and it is open to the public. The examination board consists of three members including the chair: the chair of the examination board, the thesis supervisor and an examiner for the relevant module.

The chair of the examination board is appointed by the head of degree programme. There is one examiner for each subject or subfield examined.

The head of degree programme defines the combination of subjects. Students may make a selection based on the suggestions of the head of degree programme. Students have the following subject combinations to choose from at the beginning of the fourth semester:

• chromatographic mass spectrometry analytical methods
• molecular techniques in diagnostics, therapy and production

On request of the student, parts or all of the examination can be held in English. This will be agreed on when the students choose the combination of subjects.
The board examination consists of the following:

• presentation of the Master’s thesis
• oral examination linking the topic of the thesis to the relevant subjects in the curriculum
• oral examination on the selected combination of subjects

The line of work our graduates get into ranges from a clinical working environment in a biomedical analysis lab to laboratory technicians in the chemical industry. The knowledge and skills the graduates have acquired provide them with excellent job and career opportunities. They also have the option of continuing their academic career by pursuing a doctoral degree.