Bachelor in Chemistry

Bachelor in Chemistry is one of 3 English-taught Chemistry programmes at bachelor’s level in the register, offered by 2 institutions. 3 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 727 a year. 2 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

Chemistry at IMC Krems is a full-time bachelor degree taught entirely in English. It runs six semesters and 180 ECTS, and you finish with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc). The programme was formerly called Applied Chemistry. Small groups and an interdisciplinary approach are part of how it works.

What you study

The first four semesters build your basics. Courses cover general, analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, plus biochemistry. You also take mathematics, computer science, statistics, physics and chemical process engineering. Theory is consolidated in lab exercises, and you get hands-on training in the chemistry lab.

Applied informatics, statistics and process engineering sit alongside the chemistry subjects. Green chemistry, renewable resources and recycling are taught as lectures, and environmental aspects come up across the topics you study. Computer-based modelling and statistical methods for data collection and processing feature on the curriculum.

In semester six you pick one of two electives. Instrumental Analysis and Chemometrics covers statistical analysis of measurements, multidimensional data analysis and experimental design, aimed at product safety and environmental, pharmaceutical, forensic and polymer analysis. Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry covers computer-aided simulation of reactions and chemical processes, relevant to the pharmaceutical industry and fine chemicals.

How the programme is organised

The programme is built on three pillars. Semesters one to four are the basics. Semester five is a 22-week internship, which you can do in Austria or abroad, at a university or in the chemicals industry. IMC Krems helps you select your placement and offers coaching sessions before and during it. The internship makes up the practical element of your bachelor paper.

Semester six is for electives, the bachelor seminar and thesis, and the bachelor exam. You are guaranteed a fixed workspace in the laboratories in each semester, so nobody sits on a waiting list, and the plan is to graduate after six semesters. Guest lecturers from companies and universities give talks, which helps you build contacts.

Who it suits

This is for people who enjoy lab work and chemistry experiments, and who care about environmental protection, recycling, waste recovery and renewable resources. It also suits anyone drawn to fighting disease and developing drugs and biotechnological processes. You should be comfortable with an interdisciplinary view of problems and with computer-based and statistical methods.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is entirely in English. Applications go straight to IMC Krems, not through a central portal, and the institution's own page gives the application period and the deadline for non-EU nationals. As a university of applied sciences, IMC Krems sets its own fees. Graduates can enter the profession or take a master degree, and IMC Krems recommends its master programmes in Sustainable Chemistry and Digital Processing or OMICS Technologies and Data Science in Biomedicine.

Chemistry is everywhere. Without modern chemistry, high-performance medicines, advanced materials produced from renewable sources, and many solutions to environmental problems would still be pipe dreams. In other words, chemistry is everywhere. Graduates of the Applied Chemistry programme will be ready to embark on challenging careers in the chemical industry or a variety of other fields such as biotechnology, process engineering or environmental science.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences. Universities of applied sciences set their own application periods and admission procedures, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Admission procedure. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.