Physical Chemistry (specialisation)

Entry requirements

A completed Bachelor's degree in Chemistry

An international degree has to be equivalent to a Dutch university diploma. The Examination Board will determine if an international student has the required knowledge to be admitted, and if the student is required to follow specific courses from the Bachelor's programme to eliminate possible deficiencies. Entering the Master’s specialisation in Physical Chemistry requires a Bachelor’s degree in:

• Chemistry
• Molecular Science
• Physics
• ... or equivalent, provided that you comply to the admission criteria below and belong to the top 25 percent of your class

Courses with ‘final qualifications’ compliant to general textbooks in the majority of the following scientific domains:

• General Chemistry: at least 3 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. Chemistry by Zumdahl (Cengage Learning)
• Chemical Analysis: at least 3 EC from standard university textbook, e.g Quantitative Chemical Analysis by Harris (Freeman)
• Organic chemistry: at least 6 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. Organic Chemistry by Bruice (Pearson)
• Inorganic chemistry: at least 3 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. Inorganic Chemistry by Housecroft & Sharpe (Pearson)
• Physical chemistry/thermodynamics: at least 6 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. Physical Chemistry by Atkins & De Paula (Freeman)
• Mathematics and physics: at least 6 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. College Physics by Serway, Faughn & Vuille (Brooks/Cole)
• Quantum mechanics/chemical bonding: at least 9 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. College Physics by Serway, Faughn & Vuille (Brooks/Cole)
• Spectroscopy: at least 3 EC from standard university textbook e.g. Fourier Transforms in Spectroscopy by Kauppinen & Partanen (Wiley-VCH)
• Solid state chemistry/physics: at least 6 EC from standard university textbook, e.g. Solid State Physics by Hook & Hall
• Experimental skills: at least 6 EC of practical courses on organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and/or physics
• 30 EC of Chemistry- or Physics-related courses on third year Bachelor’s level

A proficiency in English

In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English.This requirement has been satisfied when the student meets the conditions, listed on our website.

Months of entry

September

Course content

he Master's specialisation in Physical Chemistry focuses on the theoretical development and experimentation, involving high magnetic fields, free-electron lasers, scanning probe microscopes, nuclear magnetic resonance, etc.

This programme is closely connected to the Institute for Molecules and Materials, and has collaborations with a number of different companies, including Shell, Unilever and DSM. You will have the chance to work alongside experts in the field using state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to all our research facilities being located on the Radboud campus, you’ll be able to perform your research with advanced spectroscopic methods. You get to choose the focus of your research, It’s even possible to specialise in the development of new technology.

What will you learn?

• Gain an in-depth understanding of the fundamental behaviour of molecules and materials
• Choose from specialisation courses allowing you to focus on the topics that you are interested in
• Learn about theoretical and experimental aspects of research, and how to solve complex problems in a structured way
• Get experience designing, conducting and presenting research using complex research equipment

Career prospects

About fifty percent of our students start their career with a PhD position. At Radboud University we offer about ten PhD positions in Physical Chemistry every year. Most students continue their careers as researchers, policy advisors, consultants or managers in companies and governmental organisations. Graduates have found jobs at MIT, UC Berkeley, ASML, AkzoNobel, DSM, Shell, and Unilever.

*This is a specialisation of the Master's in Molecular Sciences

If you have any questions, email us here: study-information@ru.nl

Learn more via the Radboud University contact form.

Information for international students

Application deadlines

Non-EU/EEA students

• The deadline for non-EU/EEA students who wish to apply for a scholarship is 31 January prior to the September intake. For the requirements and selection procedure for scholarships, please check our scholarship overview.
• The deadline for those not applying for a scholarship is 1 April for non-EU/EEA nationals for the September 2026 intake. You can apply for the September 2026 intake from 1 October 2025.

EU/EEA students

• The application deadline for EU/EEA students with housing assistance for the September 2026 intake is 1 May, and the deadline without housing assistance is 1 July. You can apply from 1 October onward for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The application deadlines for Master’s starting in February are 1 November for non-EU/EEA citizens and 1 December for EU/EEA citizens.

Fees and funding

Radboud University offers 3 different scholarships that are open to prospective Master's students from non-EU/EEA countries and who want to follow an English-taught Master's programme.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

The Radboud Scholarship Programme offers talented, highly motivated, non-EU/EEA students with outstanding study results the opportunity to be awarded a partial scholarship for an English-taught Master’s programme.

NL Scholarship (for prospective students)

The NL Scholarship (formerly known as Holland Scholarship) is a partial scholarship for non-EU/EEA students who want to do their Master’s in the Netherlands.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

The Fulbright Commission, sponsored by Radboud University, is offering scholarships for talented American students to study at Radboud University.