MSc Eng in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering

Programme Structure

Master of Science:

  • Compulsory Study Package
  • Specialised Study Package
  • Elective Courses
  • Thesis (30 ECTS)

The first year consists of two Compulsory Study Packages and two Specialised Study Packages.

The Compulsory Study Package is mandatory for all students. You have to choose minimum two of the Specialised Study Package.

As the 30 ECTS of elective courses you can choose between Specialised Study Packages and individual courses offered by the education (minor variations from year to year).

Compulsory Study Packages

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - AUTUMN

  • Sensors and Process Control 10 ECTS
  • Transport Phenomena 5 ECTS

 

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - SPRING

  • Applied Innovation in Engineering 5 ECTS
  • Modern Chemical Process Technologies - 10 ECTS

 

 


BIOTECHNOLOGY - AUTUMN

  • Lipid Biotechnology 5 ECTS
  • Protein and Carbohydrate Biotechnology 10 ECTS

 

 

BIOTECHNOLOGY -  SPRING

  • Applied Innovation in Engineering 5 ECTS
  • Microbial Biotechnology - 5 ECTS
  • Industrial Bioseparation Technology - 5 ECTS

Specialised Study Packages

Choose two of the specialised study packages:

SPECIALISED STUDY PACKAGES - AUTUMN


Applied Lipid and Protein Biotechnology

Based on the theoretical foundation obtained previously, this course will provide the students with practical skills in lipid analysis and quality control, processing, refining, and modification. Furthermore, the students will obtain practical skills in protein optimization and expression, including characterization of enzymatic activities. In addition, the students will apply methods for analysis of glycosylation.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent, and the courses ‘Lipid Biotechnology‘ and ‘Protein and Carbohydrate Biotechnology

  • Applied Lipid Biotechnology 5 ECTS
  • Applied Protein Biotechnology 10 ECTS

Biomacromolecules

Based on the basic knowledge of the structure and properties of the main bio-macro molecules these courses will extend the students’ knowledge especially focusing on the sources and production of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins for use in medical (red), environmental (green), and industrial (white) biotechnology.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent including organic chemistry, basic unit operations and 15 ects within molecular biology/biochemistry/biotechnology

  • Lipid Biotechnology 5 ECTS
  • Protein and Carbohydrate Biotechnology 10 ECTS

Biomaterial Engineering

Based on basic knowledge on physiology, cell biology and applied materials science, this package introduces principles and methods to engineer bioactive materials for biomedical applications.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or Health Technology or equivalent including cell biology and biochemistry.

  • Biofabrication 10 ECTS
  • Tissue Engineering 5 ECTS

Energy and Storage

Worldwide goals of reducing and phasing out the use of fossil fuels in the coming decades are to a large extent based on expectations of replacement of these fuels with renewable sources. Due to the intermittent pack nature of many of the renewable electricity sources, this transition is faced with large challenges concerning the adaption of these. This package is aimed at giving an introduction into future and emerging technologies for energy conversion and storage in this field.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent. A BSc course in microbiology is recommended.

  • Energy Conversion and Storage Technologies 10 ECTS
  • Renewable Energy Technologies 5 ECTS

Environmental Technology

Global resources can be conserved by extracting or destroying environmentally troublesome compounds from waste products. This package therefore focuses on designing such chemical, physical and biological processes. The theories behind the unit operations will be expanded into the non-standardized chemical, physical and biological conditions present in such media. This will be used to understand how to design, control and - in particular - optimize processing plants. Examples include domestic and industrial air and wastewater treatment.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent. A BSc course in microbiology is recommended.

  • Air Treatment Technologies 5 ECTS
  • Water Treatment Technologies 10 ECTS

Plastic Materials

This package aims to elucidate the properties of polymeric materials, advanced materials, and nanomaterials with a special emphasis on the advanced polymer synthesis and processing.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor´s degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or equivalent, including the courses polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, organic chemistry and polymer chemistry

  • Advanced Polymer and Nanomaterials 10 ECTS
  • Plastic Engineering 5 ECTS

Process Technology

The package is combining theoretical knowledge on heat and mass transfer, sensors, data acquisition, and process regulation, together with laboratory exercises based on typical physical, chemical, and biotechnological systems. In the exercises, students are developing physical/chemical sensor applications e.g. with feedback regulation, and, in cases where transport processes are involved, these are simulated mathematically.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent, including calculus, linear algebra, physical chemistry, physics and process control (such as Praktisk Regulering og Instrumentering)

  • Sensors and Process Control 10 ECTS
  • Transport Phenomena 5 ECTS

SPECIALISED STUDY PACKAGES - SPRING


Biorefining Technology

The package in Borefining Technologies will give a thorough overview of the biorefining concept and in depth knowledge on essential technologies used in modern biorefineries.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent

  • Experimental Biorefining 10 ECTS
  • Integrated Biorefining Technologies 5 ECTS

Chemical Processing

Based on the basic knowledge of organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and reactor design and separation technology these courses will extend the students’ knowledge especially focusing on preparing them to understand industrial chemistry, mainly by covering catalysis, flow chemistry and production of platform chemicals from fossils or in selected cases from sustainable sources.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent including organic chemistry and reactor design and separation technology

  • Platform Molecules – Production and Processes - 10 ECTS
  • Catalysis and Materials Engineering - 5 ECTS

Medical Biotechnology

Medical Biotechnology is an expanding field, which brings basic discoveries to the bedside. Using knowledge from our immune system new intervention strategies can be developed. In this package we include aspects, from development of biologicals to production for  clinical use and regulatory aspects.

​Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent. The courses Lipid Biotechnology and Protein and Carbohydrate Biotechnology are recommended.

  • Immunological Biotechnology 10 ECTS
  • Biomolecular Interactions 5 ECTS

Industrial Biotechnology

The package provides training in bioprocess engineering principles to develop enzymatic or microbial driven processes in different reactor designs and operation modes for the production of chemicals, proteins, metabolites or fermented products for diverse industrial fields including food, and  pharmaceutical and chemical industry. This package will cover up- and downstream processes adapted to different enzymatic and microbial fermentation systems, and will discuss potential safety and quality measures. After successful completion of the package, students will be able to discuss the application of enzymes or microbes in an industrial set-up and to design a bioprocess.

Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent including knowledge on enzymatic synthesis, cell metabolism and microbiology.

  • Microbial Cell Factories 10 ECTS

  • Biocatalysis and Enzymatic Processes 5 ECTS


Computational Systems Biology 

Advanced computer analysis are integral to current research and engineering in molecular cell biology and chemistry. Networks of interacting components are found at all scales; from chemical reactions, the functioning of cells, in engineered systems as well as in ecosystems. This specialization package present a framework that can be used to describe such large networks and study how they behave which often is in a non-intuitive way. It is shown how to integrate physical / biological / chemical process knowledge into digital models and combine this with data containing high information content. This features a holistic data-driven understanding and assessment of any system.

Prerequisites: Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology or equivalent, including organic chemistry.

  • Systems Biochemistry 10 ECTS
  • Applied Systems Biochemistry 5 ECTS

Elective Courses

As the 30 ECTS of elective courses you can choose:


1.  Specialised Study Packages

All the courses in a package or part of the courses.


2. Courses from AU Course catalogue

You can choose courses from other departments at Aarhus University (Up to 10 ECTS in total)

Find courses in AU Course catalogue 


You may maximum attend 10 ECTS of bachelor level-courses during your master education. A bachelor level-course is to be used for entirely new topics, i.e. topics outside your bachelor education, to ensure a sufficient level for attending master level-courses subsequently.

R&D Project

The R&D project is an independent, research-based work. The project can either be carried out in a research group at the university or in collaboration with an industrial partner. A project can be of 5, 10, 15 or 20 ECTS. In total, maximum 20 ECTS.

Study Structure

You can find the courses on your degree programme in the Study Structure:

Academic Regulations

In the academic regulations, you can find more information about the structure of the degree programme, and the requirements, – including the types of exams and the exam requirements.

CONTACT

Student Councelling

First point of contact. For questions to educational regulations, study plans, course elections, doubts, exemptions and personal matters affecting studies.

Head of Degree Programme

Responsible for scientific content of education, including approval of course in study programme.


Contact:
Jacopo Catalano

Degree Programme Coordinators

Responsible for administrative matters including course and exam registration.