This English-language Master’s degree prepares students to contribute to innovations that depend on new materials and catalysts across industry, research and technology. The curriculum focuses on modern material concepts — including nanomaterials, hybrid and composite systems, colloidal and surface-active materials, biomimetic approaches — alongside the design and development of catalysts. The programme trains students to understand both chemical and physical foundations and to evaluate application potential for the materials and catalytic systems most relevant to 21st-century technological progress.
The course is research-oriented and delivered by active scholars; it starts with core fundamentals and then covers contemporary developments and applications across soft and hard material classes (ceramics, metals, polymers) and both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. Students gain hands-on skills to synthesise, modify and characterise materials to meet diverse technical requirements. The university campus provides modern laboratory infrastructure and extensive library resources to support laboratory work and project-based learning.
The Master’s programme is closely connected to the university’s focus areas in Polymer and Colloid Research and Advanced Materials, and benefits from international research networks. Central scientific facilities encourage interdisciplinary collaboration on campus and foster links with industry partners. Highly qualified students may take part in the elite Macromolecular Science programme alongside their Master’s and doctoral studies, and graduates seeking further research training can continue toward a PhD, for example within the Bayreuth Graduate School for Mathematics and Natural Sciences (BayNAT) doctoral programme in Materials Chemistry and Catalysis.
Career prospects include roles in the chemical and related industries — both large and medium-sized companies increasingly seek specialists in materials chemistry — as well as positions in universities and research institutes. With a doctorate (e.g., via BayNAT), graduates are also well-placed to move into research leadership and management positions.
Requirements and key facts
This two-year Master’s programme can be started in either the winter or the summer semester and combines taught modules with substantial hands-on laboratory work. In the first year you build breadth by choosing seven modules from a pool of fourteen; courses are delivered as lectures plus laboratory classes so you gain experimental experience and practical skills from the start. Example first-semester options (for winter starters) include Solid‑state Inorganic Materials: Nanochemistry, Homogeneous Catalysis, Electrochemical Energy Systems and Energy Conversion, Colloids and Surfaces, Stereoselective Organic Synthesis, Polymer Synthesis and Biomaterials. A deliberate requirement to take at least one module from each core area — Inorganic Chemistry; Colloids and Materials; and Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Materials — ensures a well‑rounded foundation across materials chemistry and catalysis.
In the second semester you move to in‑depth study: three advanced modules (each worth nine credit points) include extended laboratory internships in research groups associated with the programme, giving you early exposure to research techniques and project work. Typical advanced modules are Solid‑State Inorganic Materials: Properties and Applications; Catalyst Design; High‑Performance Materials for Electrochemical Energy Systems; Advanced Methods in the Physical Chemistry of Polymers; Materials for Sensors, Catalysis and Energy Conversion; From Macromolecule to Material; and Applied Functional Polymers. During this semester you also prepare a research proposal to plan your independent master’s project.
The final year is research‑focused. Across the third and fourth semesters you complete two “Advanced Laboratory” modules worth a total of 30 credit points; one of these can be carried out as an industrial placement or abroad to gain industrial or international experience. The master’s thesis (30 credit points) is worked on during the fourth semester over six months; thesis topics—centred on current challenges in materials chemistry and catalysis—can be assigned as early as the end of the second semester so work can proceed in parallel with the advanced labs. Overall the programme requires at least 120 credit points (first semester 28; second semester 32; third + fourth semesters 60). High‑performing students have a fast‑track option that can lead directly into a PhD programme after the first year.
Requirements (concise)
This master’s programme requires a relevant undergraduate background and successful completion of an aptitude assessment. Applicants should hold a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, polymer and colloid chemistry, biochemistry, physics, materials science or a closely related field, and must pass the programme’s aptitude assessment before enrolment.
The aptitude assessment is the formal gateway for admission (see Examination Regulations, Annex 2). It evaluates your submitted qualifications and documents and may also include an aptitude interview. International applicants should be prepared to provide clear documentation of prior study and any relevant academic or research experience for review.
It is possible to apply before your bachelor’s degree is formally completed; however, at the time of application you must already have accumulated at least 135 ECTS (credits). In addition, applicants must demonstrate English language ability at level B2.
Admission requirements (summary)
Winter Semester (International)
15 June 2026
Summer Semester (International)
15 January 2027
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 June 2026
Summer Semester (EU/EEA)
15 January 2027
Graduates are well prepared for positions in the chemical and materials industries, including roles in product and process development, materials characterization and catalyst design. Both large and medium-sized companies seek specialists with this combination of advanced theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory skills.
The programme also provides a strong foundation for academic careers: research institutes and universities are natural destinations, and graduates may pursue doctoral study — for example through the Bayreuth Graduate School for Mathematics and Natural Sciences (BayNAT) — which can lead to scientific leadership and management roles.