Chemistry MSc

Become a professional in chemical research and development and capable of independent work! Fit your curriculum to your interests and goals!

The goal of the master's degree in chemistry is to prepare you for independent research and development work. Our training is based on the knowledge acquired in the introductory chemistry and chemical engineering courses. Still, anyone with a primary degree who has acquired at least 40 credits of natural science knowledge and at least 20 credits of knowledge related to the chemistry introductory course can apply. The curriculum of our chemistry master's program is flexible and consists of mandatory and optional subjects in addition to the professional core material. The language of the program is English. Special knowledge can also be acquired under four different specializations, which is confirmed with an additional certificate. Our graduates can easily find professionally challenging and financially rewarding jobs in Hungary and the international labor market. The Chemistry Master's program prepares the students to continue their studies in doctoral schools. 

Coordinator: Dr. Róbert Mészáros

Hungarian students can apply for the master's degree in chemistry in regular and cross-semester courses, as described on the Felvi webpage. 

For foreign students, we suggest visiting the Study in Hungary webpage, and the webpage of ELTE. We recommend checking the availability of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme.

Hungarian applicants must take an in-person exam. A maximum of 45 points can be obtained in the entrance exam: the sum of the score recommended by the examining committee (max. 45 points) and the score given to the professional questions (max. 12 points), but a maximum of 45 points. The score recommended by the examination committee consists of two parts: a maximum of 10 points is based on the results obtained on the EChem tests organized by the Institute of Chemistry or the equivalent written assessment, and a maximum of 35 points is based on the qualification of the diploma. The EChem tests are organized in advance by the Institute of Chemistry of ELTE in organic, inorganic, analytical, and physical chemistry. To participate in the tests, a prior application is required. The Chemistry Institute of ELTE announces the dates of the tests and the application method on its website. Out of the four EChem tests, the applicant must pass the three tests whose subject differs from the subject of the thesis. The average of the achieved percentage results is converted to points without rounding, according to the table below:

The score offered is based on the diploma's qualification: (the qualification of the diploma on a five-point scale) x 7. If the applicant accepts the proposed score, the examining committee will ask professional questions related to his thesis and evaluate the answers to them between 0 and 12 points.

If the applicant does not accept the score offered by the Admissions Committee, the Committee will ask questions based on the pre-specified list of admission items and the thesis topic and evaluate the answers received between 0 and 45 points. The list of admission items can be downloaded from the following address:
Organic Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry

Materials Science

Coordinator: Dr. Imre Varga

Analytical Chemistry

Coordinator: Dr. Viktor Mihucz

Theoretical and Structural Chemistry

Coordinator: Dr. Ágnes Szabados

Synthetic, Biomolecular and Drug Chemistry

Coordinator: Dr. Zoltán Novák

As an MSc student in Chemistry, you can gain professional experience at a research site (external research institute, research and development company, or an institute research group) as part of a summer internship. You must prepare a report on the professional practice.

Choosing a practice location
You can also contact the practice location you like on your own. For larger companies (e.g., pharmaceutical companies), it is advisable to do this month before the date of the planned internship because the internship places may fill up, and they are often filled through tenders. As a rule, the company's HR department deals with the organization and announcement of professional practice opportunities.

Coordinator: Dr. Zoltán Novák

The Institute of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science of ELTE and Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) have agreed on an institutional-level cooperation agreement for the development of student exchange programs in the field of their master's programs, which is ratified by the signature of the rectors of the two universities. Thus, ÅAU and ELTE are launching a double degree master's program consisting of 4 semesters (120 ECTS) in chemistry and industrial chemistry. Students applying to the program (approx. 5-5 per institution) with proven good English language skills spend two semesters (60 ECTS) at their parent institution. They then continue their studies at the host university for the remaining two semesters. Students enrolled in this program can use 2 semesters of Erasmus+ student mobility. 

The structure of the program is illustrated in the figure:

Coordinator: Viktor Mihucz (viktor.mihucz[at]ttk.elte.hu)

In the second year of the master's degree in chemistry, students work on an independent research project (thesis work) under the professional guidance of a supervisor. Students must prepare a thesis on their results according to the specified content and form requirements. The defense can take place after it has been submitted and evaluated. After a successful defense, students must take a final exam at the end of their studies.

Topic selection

The thesis work is in the second year of the training. The students can start their research work earlier and get credit for it by taking the subject "Supervised research work." The thesis work supervisor can be any Institute of Chemistry instructor or an external researcher. Those who want to write the thesis at an external research site or at a research and development company will need an internal consultant who is a full-time lecturer at the Institute. The announcement of the topics and the attendance take place in Neptun.

In the master's degree in chemistry, the thesis work is evaluated by the supervisor, and the thesis by an independent reviewer appointed by the head of the department.

The formal requirements of the thesis

The thesis should be based on the author's experimental or theoretical work. Length of the Thesis: 40-70 pages. The length of any appendix is not limited. Detailed data, additional results, and illustrations should be included in an appendix to enhance the understanding of the thesis.

Formatting of the Thesis:

• A4-sized pages
• 1.5 line spacing
• 12-point font
• 2.5 cm margins (top, bottom, and sides)

Suggested Structure of the Thesis:

• Title page
• Acknowledgments
• Table of contents
• List of abbreviations (if necessary)
• Introduction
• Literature review and overview of the context of the work
• Objectives
• Experimental section: Description of materials, experimental and theoretical methods used
• Presentation and evaluation of own results, conclusions
• One-page summary in Hungarian and English (a template is available on the institute's website; conference abstract format)
• Bibliography
• Declaration of originality. The completed, printed, and signed Declaration of Originality must be scanned and placed at the end of the thesis after the bibliography.
• Declaration of the use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools 

The thesis must be submitted electronically via the Neptun system. The supervisor must approve the submitted thesis. The institute will announce the exact deadline for submission and approval. No extensions will be granted.
 

Submission of thesis

The thesis must be uploaded to the Neptun system with the originality attachment.

Defense

The defense takes place during the exam period at a pre-announced time each semester. The defense is an oral presentation of the results described in your thesis, followed by questions from the final examination committee and the audience (department lecturers, researchers). The main aspects of the evaluation are:

• Compliance with the time frame.
• The internal proportionality of the presentation and graphic material.
• The quality of the presentation.
• The speaker's ability to debate.

You can find the evaluation criteria in detail in this document.

Final exam

The final exam is oral, and you must register for it in advance: if you will take it in the fall semester, by October 30; if in the spring semester, by February 15. You must take the final exam at the department where you submitted and defended your thesis. You can take the final exam after successfully defending your thesis.

The result of a successful final exam is the average of the grades given for the evaluation and defense of the thesis, as well as the average of the grades received for the oral exams, provided that each grade is at least sufficient.

In the case of students who started their studies before the 2024/25 academic year, the average of the following grades must be calculated when grading the diploma:
a) grade given for the evaluation of the thesis,
b) the grade given for the defense of the thesis,
c) the final exam grade with double weight.

In the case of students who started their studies in the 2024/25 academic year, the qualification of the diploma is weighted to two decimal places by the partial values ​​given below
must be determined based on its rounded average:
a) the grade of the thesis with a weight of 0.2,
b) the grade of the thesis defense with a weight of 0.2,
c) the average of the grades of the final exam calculated to two decimal places with a weight of 0.3,
d) The cumulative academic average, rounded to two decimal places and weighted by credits, with a weight of 0.3.
e) When calculating the average rounded to two decimal places, those numbers whose third decimal place is five must be rounded up.

The head of the institute can accept a single-authored TDK report that has achieved first-third place on OTDK as a top-rated thesis and defense without special evaluation if the report meets the criteria of a thesis.

Final exam committees

Department of Analytical Chemistry
Dr. Imre Salma, head of the committee
Dr. Istvén Szalai
Dr. Károly Süvegh
Dr. Anikó Vasanits
Dr. Andrea Bodor
Dr. Róbert Gyurcsányi (BME)
Dr. Zsuzsanna Czégény (HUN-REN TTK)

Department of Physical Chemistry      
Dr. Péter Szalay, head of the committee
Dr. Attila Császár
Dr. Imre Varga
Dr. Soma Vesztergom
Dr. Pál Jedlovszky (EKE)
Dr. Imre Bakó Imre (HUNREN TTK)

Szerves Kémiai Tanszék     
Dr. András Perczel, head of the committee
Dr. Antal Csámpai
Dr. Gábor Mező
Dr. Zoltán Novák
Dr. Péter Kele (HUNREN TTK)
Dr. Szilárd Varga (HUNREN TTK)

Department of Inorganic Chemistry     
Dr. György Tarczay, head of the committee
Dr. Ágnes Szabados
Dr. Gábor Magyarfalvi
Dr. Roland Szalay
Dr. László Nyulászi (BME)
Dr. Zsolt Kelemen (BME)

Topics of the final exam

Analytical Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry

• Erasmus+
• Talent Support
• Fellowships

Academic Calendar

Deadline for submitting the thesis: Thursday, December 19, 2024, 4 p.m., Neptun