Type of course

Admission requirements

For students admitted to the Master in Molecular Sciences programme:

Application for approval must be submitted to the Program Board within a deadline, which is normally 1st of September in the autumn semester and 1st of February in the spring semester. Students apply by handing in a supervision contract (veiledningskontrakt for mastergradsoppgave) along with a project description. Students must register to the exam as for ordinary courses.

Students that will work in the lab or participate in cruises/field work must pass the faculty´s safety training (HMS-0501, HMS-0502 and HMS-0504) in addition to local mandatory safety training.

A diploma is issued only after all courses are passed

Course content

A research project on a chosen topic within one of the relevant disciplines of Molecular Sciences, among those offered at the Department of Chemistry. The project is, dependent on topic, an experimental or a theoretical study, research work equivalent to a one- year full time work. The student is, under supervision, expected to plan the project, bring forward hypotheses, and test them with relevant methods for the topic chosen.

The project study shall result in a Master´s degree thesis including a theoretical background for the study, description of the methods used, and a presentation and discussions of the results obtained in a scientific way where relevant literature in the field is used.

Objectives of the course

Knowledge - The candidate:

• has a solid basis in natural sciences in general, and in particular in molecular sciences.
• has advanced knowledge of theory and methods in one of the disciplines offered (see the study plan for the master program).
• can apply knowledge on new areas of research in one of the disciplines offered (see the study plan for the master program).
• has good knowledge of scientific method and knows how to conduct a research experiment.

Skills - The candidate:

• can independently produce discipline-relevant data, product and results.
• can use scientific equipment, tools and software relevant for the discipline and carry out advanced experiments.
• can evaluate and analyze measurements, experimental outcomes, or computed results in a critical manner.
• can work independently with problem solving following scientific method
• can document scientific results according to scientific standards
• can critically evaluate and analyze published theories, methods and experiments in discipline-relevant scientific literature, and use information to formulate scientific arguments.
• can carry out an independent, limited research or development project under supervision in molecular sciences or related areas.

General competences - The candidate:

• displays good communication skills, oral and written, in the presentation of scientific work for both the general public and for the specialists in the field.
• can produce a well-structured presentation of an extensive independent scientific work.
• displays good working habits and follows the code of ethics in scientific work.
• has developed good critical thinking skills and can critically analyze own and others scientific work.
• can contribute to new thinking and innovation processes in the field of molecular sciences.

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods