Education in analytical chemistry increasingly valued by students

Admission to the innovative Excellence in Analytical Chemistry (EACH) master’s degree programme created to meet labour market needs will be open until 11 January 2017.

According to Ivo Leito, professor of analytical chemistry and the programme director of this master’s degree curriculum, considerable changes have taken place in this field in recent years, “Measurements in various policies, but also in the course of legal cases have become more and more common.”

Along with this, also the popularity of the practical programme of analytical chemistry has increased. “Last year we made the entrance conditions more demanding, but to our surprise, even more students started their studies in autumn 2016. This shows that we are on right track,” said Leito.

Specialists in analytical chemistry are irreplaceable in industries such as the oil, chemical, pharmaceutical, materials, energy, environmental, health care and food industry. For example, they can work as process controllers who need to guarantee that industrial processes would result in less pollution and more efficient production, larger quantities of the required substance and less residue, and cleaner and higher-quality end product.

The programme is suitable both for students who have finished their bachelor’s studies and want to continue in master’s studies, as well as for working analytical chemistry practitioners wishing to spend couple of years to bring their knowledge and skills to a new level. In connection with European Union funding, the admission period is earlier than in other international curricula of the university. Further information on admission requirements and scholarships is available on the curriculum web page.

During the first year, the students acquire basic knowledge at the University of Tartu. The second year of the programme is taught at one of the partner universities in France, Finland or Sweden. Three study tracks are offered for specialisation: organic and bioorganic analysis, industrial analysis, and advanced analytical devices.

In September 2016, 23 students from Vietnam, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Lithuania, Tunisia, Pakistan, Greece, Nigeria and Mexico started their studies according to this joint curriculum. 

This is the first Erasmus Mundus joint curriculum coordinated by an Estonian university. The joint programme is taught in cooperation with four European universities. Studies are financed from the Erasmus + measure “Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees”.

Additional information: Ivo Leito, professor of analytical chemistry of the University of Tartu and programme director of the master’s curriculum Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, telephone 737 5259, 518 4176, ivo.leito@ut.ee