Sustainable Chemistry Bielefeld University

The English-language Master's course in Sustainable Chemistry aims to provide students with the specialist expertise that will enable them to develop well-founded sustainability concepts on a scientific basis. For many of the pressing sustainability goals (energy, climate, environment, nutrition), promising solution strategies can only be developed and solutions found with a sound knowledge of chemistry.

Building on a Bachelor's degree programme in natural sciences, the degree programme will therefore focus on the pressing social issues involved in transforming our current way of life into a sustainable one and address these from the perspective of chemistry. This includes aspects of sustainable ways in the production of chemicals by means of modern synthetic tools such as biocatalysis and flow chemistry as well as the design of "green products" based on renewable feedstocks, e.g. biorenewable-based building blocks for the manufacture of bio-based plastics. Complementing these urgent challenges in the transformation of the chemical industry, further aspects address climate change and renewable energy sources and technologies such as artificial photosynthesis. Besides chemical sciences related to sustainability themes, the programme also contains tools for evaluating the sustainability of chemicals and processes by eco-efficiency analysis tools and environmental metrics. Accordingly, the planned modules will be dedicated to specific sustainability goals, to which the necessary specialised content will be subordinated.

For further information, see:
https://ekvv.uni-bielefeld.de/sinfo/publ/master-as/sustainablechemistry?lang=EN.

Bachelor's degree in a degree programme with thesis that includes 120 ECTS of courses in chemistry and/or physics

Bielefeld University does not charge tuition fees, every student only has to pay a social fee. The social fee includes the contribution to the social ticket for free public transport in Germany for the whole semester.

The current semester contribution is approximately 333 EUR.

Costs for studying in Germany are relatively high due to the living expenses.

• Rent in a room in student halls of residence or a private student hall, in a room or flat comes to approx. 290 EUR per month.
• The expected costs for student health insurance and other medical fees are about 140 EUR per month.
• Depending on your lifestyle, you might spend about 150 EUR on food each month.
• Altogether, monthly costs for food, clothes, leisure activities, social fees, travel expenses, telephone bills, and the other mentioned expenses add up to approx. 992 EUR.

There are several ways of cutting expenses in Bielefeld. For example, it is possible to rent a room in a student residence for about 250 EUR, and a meal at the student canteen (Mensa) costs only about 3 EUR.

With your residence permit (stamp in your passport), you will receive a work permit for 120 work days per year. This allows you to work 120 full days (eight hours per day) or 240 half days (up to four hours per day). This condition must be noted expressly in the passport by the authorities.

Career planning is a step-by-step development and clarification process that requires individual strategies. Based on a strengths- and resource-oriented approach, we support you in developing your own career prospects.

Depending on your needs, our Career Service at Bielefeld University will accompany you throughout the entire process or in individual steps.

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/themen/career-service

Please try to secure accommodation in Bielefeld as early as possible. In Bielefeld, a broad range of accommodation options can be found at affordable prices. Students residences are run by the public "Studierendenwerk" or private organisations, and shared flats are very common.

Offers of accommodation can be found online by following the links below:

• Studierendenwerk Bielefeld (dormitories)
• WG-gesucht.de (private shared accommodation)

The International Office supports students who are searching for accommodation.