Master’s degree programme in Chemistry Appendix 1 / Admission

Appendix 1
To the Programme Regulations 2018 of the
Master’s Degree Programme in Chemistry

17 October 2017 (Version: 1 September 2019)

Applies to students who commence the degree programme in Autumn Semester 2020 or
later.

This is an English translation only. The original German version is the legally binding document.

This appendix sets out the prerequisites for and further details regarding admission to the
Master’s Degree Programme in Chemistry. It supplements the stipulations of the
Admission Regulations of ETH Zurich and the Directive on Admission to Master’s Degree
Programmes.

Contents
1 Profile of requirements
1.1 Degree qualifications
1.2 Academic prerequisites
1.3 Language prerequisites

2 Specific stipulations for persons holding a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry

2.1 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from ETH Zurich
2.2 Other Bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry
2.2.1 General regulations
2.2.2 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Zurich or EPF
Lausanne
2.2.3 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from another Swiss university
2.2.4 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from a university outside Switzerland
2.2.5 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from a Swiss university of applied
sciences

3 Specific stipulations for persons holding Bachelor’s degrees in disciplines

other than Chemistry
3.1 General regulations
3.2 Bachelor’s degree from ETH Zurich
3.3 Bachelor’s degree from another university
3.4 Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences

4 Application and admission procedure

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Master’s degree programme in Chemistry Appendix 1 / Admission

5 Fulfilling additional admission requirements

5.1 General regulations
5.2 Candidates with a university Bachelor’s degree
5.3 Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied
sciences
*******************************************************************************************************

1 Profile of requirements

Policy
For admission to the Master’s degree programme in Chemistry (subsequently ‘the degree
programme’) all of the following prerequisites must be satisfied.

1.1 Degree qualifications

1 For admission to the degree programme one of the following is required:
a. a university Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry comprising at least 180 ECTS 1 credits
(credits) or an equivalent university degree in Chemistry
b. a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from a Swiss university of applied sciences
comprising at least 180 credits 2
c. a university Bachelor’s degree comprising at least 180 credits, an equivalent
university degree, or a Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences
comprising at least 180 credits, in a discipline of the Natural Sciences whose content
satisfies the academic prerequisites listed in 1.2. Said disciplines include, in particular
(listed alphabetically):
– Biochemistry
– Biology (subject direction Chemistry)
– Chemical Engineering
2A Bachelor's degree qualifies its holder for admission to an ETH Master's degree
programme only if it also qualifies said holder to enter, without additional requirements, the
desired Master's degree programme within the university system where the Bachelor's
degree was acquired. The Rector may also demand proof of this, determining whether
such proof must come from the home university or from another university in the country
where the Bachelor's degree was acquired.

1 ECTS: European Credit Transfer System. Credits describe the average time expended to achieve a learning goal. One
credit corresponds to 25-30 hours of work.
2 A Diploma from a Swiss university of applied sciences is considered equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in the same

discipline. A Bachelor’s degree from a German or Austrian university of applied sciences is considered equivalent to a
Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences.

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1.2 Academic prerequisites

1.2.1 Knowledge and competences

1Attendance of the Master’s degree programme in Chemistry presupposes basic
knowledge and competences in the disciplines Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics which
are in content, scope, quality and skills level equivalent to those covered in the ETH
Bachelor’s degree programme in Chemistry (discipline requirements profile).
2The discipline requirements profile comprises 132 credits in total and is based on
knowledge and competences covered in the ETH Bachelor’s degree programme in
Chemistry. This includes training in the relevant methodological scientific thinking and in
experimental competence.
3 The discipline requirements profile is structured in two parts, as follows. Details regarding
the content of the corresponding course units are published in the course catalogue
(www.vvz.ethz.ch).

Part 1: Basic knowledge and competences (104 credits)

Part 1 comprises 104 credits and covers basic knowledge from the disciplines Natural
Sciences and Mathematics, and in practical laboratory work.
1A Natural Sciences and Mathematics (70 credits)
The substance of the following course units from the ETH Bachelor’s degree
programme in Chemistry is required:
– Allgemeine Chemie [General Chemistry] I: AC: Anorganische Stoffe in wässrigen
Lösungen [Inorganic Compounds in Aqueous Solutions] (3 credits)
– Allgemeine Chemie II: AC: Eigenschaften und Reaktivität der Hauptgruppen-
elemente [Characteristics and Reactivity of the Main Group Elements] (4 credits)
– Anorganische Chemie [Inorganic Chemistry] I: Komplexe der Übergangsmetalle
[Complexes of Transition Metals] (3 credits)
– Anorganische Chemie II: Symmetrieaspekte chemischer Systeme [Symmetry
Aspects of Chemical Bonding] (3 credits)
– Allgemeine Chemie I: OC: Formelsprache, strukturelle und energetische
Grundlagen [Nomenclature, Structural and Energetic Principles] (3 credits)
– Allgemeine Chemie II: OC: Reaktivitätsprinzipien und Reaktionstypen [Reactivity
Principles and Reaction Types] (4 credits)
– Organische Chemie [Organic Chemistry] I: Chemische Reaktivität und
Stoffklassen [Chemical Reactivity and Classes of Compounds] (3 credits)
– Organische Chemie II: Umlagerungsreaktionen und Naturstoffchemie [Organic
Transformations and Natural Products Chemistry] (3 credits)

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– Allgemeine Chemie I: PC: Physikalische Grundlagen der Chemie [Introduction to

Physical Chemistry] (3 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie [Physical Chemistry] I: Chemische Thermodynamik
[Chemical Thermodynamics] (4 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie II: Chemische Reaktionskinetik [Chemical Reaction
Kinetics] (4 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie III: Molekulare Quantenmechanik [Molecular Quantum
Mechanics] (4 credits)
– Analytische Chemie [Analytical Chemistry] I&II: Spektroskopische und elementar-
analytische Methoden [Spectroscopical Methods and Structure Elucidation
Methods] (3+3 credits)
– GL Mathematik [Mathematics] IA & IB: Ein- und mehrdimensionale Analysis
[One- and Multidimensional Calculus] (8 credits)
– GL Mathematik II: Lineare Algebra und Statistik [Linear Algebra and Statistics]
(3 credits)
– Mathematik III: Partielle Differentialgleichungen [Partial Differential Equations]
(4 credits)
– Physik [Physics] I: Mechanik, Schwingungen und Wellen [Mechanics, Periodic
Motions and Mechanical Waves] (4 credits)
– Physik II: Elektrizität und Magnetismus [Electromagnetism], Optik und
Quantenphysik [Optics and Quantum Physics] (4 credits)

1B Laboratory work (34 credits)

Practical laboratory knowledge and competences in analytical and preparative
chemistry and spectroscopy are required.

Part 2: Subject-specific knowledge and competences (28 credits)

Part 2 comprises 28 credits and covers knowledge in the discipline of Chemistry.
The substance of the following course units from the ETH Bachelor’s degree
programme in Chemistry is required:
– Anorganische Chemie [Inorganic Chemistry] III: Metallorganische Chemie und
Homogenkatalyse [Organometallic Chemistry and Homogenous Catalysis]
(4 credits)
– Anorganische Chemie IV: Synthese und Eigenschaften von festen Stoffen und
Nanomaterialien [Synthesis and Properties of Solids and Nanomaterials]
(4 credits)
– Organische Chemie [Organic Chemistry] III: Methoden der asymmetrischen
Synthese [Introduction to Asymmetric Synthesis] (4 credits)
– Organische Chemie IV: Qualitative Molekülorbitaltheorie [Qualitative Molecular
Orbital Theory] (4 credits)

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Master’s degree programme in Chemistry Appendix 1 / Admission

– Physikalische Chemie [Physical Chemistry] IV: Magnetische Resonanz [Magnetic

Resonance] (4 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie V: Spektroskopie [Spectroscopy] (4 credits)
– Risikoanalyse Chemischer Prozesse und Produkte [Risk Analysis of Chemical
Processes and Products] (4 credits)

1.2.2 Admission with additional requirements

1 If the academic prerequisites listed in 1.2.1 are not completely satisfied, admission may
be granted subject to the acquisition of the missing knowledge and competences in the
form of additional credits (admission with additional requirements).
2 The candidate must provide proof of the acquisition of the additional knowledge and
competences required by passing the pertaining performance assessments by set
deadlines (see Section 5).
3If the candidate fails said performance assessments or does not respect the set
deadlines he/she will be regarded as having failed the degree programme and will be
excluded from it.

1.3 Language prerequisites

1 The teaching language of the degree programme is English.
2For admission to the degree programme, proof of sufficient knowledge of English (level
C1) 3 must be provided.
3Applicants to the degree programme who hold a Bachelor’s degree from a university of
applied sciences must, according to the pertaining additional requirements (see Section
2.2.5, Subsection 3), also supply proof of sufficient knowledge of German (level C1).
4The required language certificates must be submitted by the application deadline. The
ETH Zurich publishes a list of the language certificates accepted.

3The required language level is measured according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
scale (CEFR).

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Master’s degree programme in Chemistry Appendix 1 / Admission

2 Specific stipulations for persons holding a Bachelor’s degree in

Chemistry

2.1 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from ETH Zurich

Unconditional admission
1 Holders of a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from ETH Zurich are unconditionally
admitted to the degree programme.

Registration
2Students of the Bachelor’s degree programme in Chemistry already matriculated at ETH
Zurich should enrol in the degree programme directly via www.mystudies.ethz.ch. The
admission procedure outlined in Section 4 is dispensed with.

Entering the Master’s degree programme

3 For all Bachelor’s degree students already matriculated at ETH Zurich who progress to
the ETH Master’s degree programme, the following applies:
a. The normal ETH enrolment dates and deadlines apply.
b. Admission is provisional until the Bachelor’s degree is issued. Admission will be
revoked if the Bachelor’s degree is not or cannot be issued.
4Students of the ETH Bachelor’s degree programme in Chemistry may enrol directly in the
Master’s degree programme, as long as only 60 credits maximum for the Bachelor’s
degree are pending.

2.2 Other Bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry

2.2.1 General regulations

Application
1Interested parties holding a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry which was not issued by
ETH Zurich should apply through the ETH Zurich Admissions Office for admission to the
Master’s degree programme and are subject to the admissions procedure set out in
Section 4.

Entering the Master’s degree programme

2Candidates who have been granted admission may enter the programme when they
have completed the preceding Bachelor’s degree programme.

2.2.2 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Zurich or EPF Lausanne

Unconditional admission
1Holders of a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Zurich are
unconditionally admitted to the degree programme, provided that the language
prerequisites listed in (1.3) have been satisfied.

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2Holders of a Bachelor’s degree in chimie et génie chimique from EPF Lausanne are
unconditionally admitted to the degree programme, provided that
a. the language prerequisites listed in (1.3) have been satisfied
b. said Bachelor’s degree guarantees unconditional admission to the Master’s degree
programme in chimie moléculaire et biologique at EPF Lausanne.

2.2.3 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from another Swiss university

Admission
1 Admission to the degree programme is guaranteed for those holding a Bachelor’s degree
in Chemistry from another Swiss university, provided that the language prerequisites listed
in (1.3) have been satisfied.
2 Admission may be subject to additional requirements.

2.2.4 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from a university outside Switzerland

Admission
1For admission to the degree programme all the prerequisites listed in Section 1 must be
satisfied.
2 Admission may be subject to additional requirements.
3Admission is not possible if the number of additional credits required to satisfy the
academic prerequisites exceeds
– 30 credits in total, or
– 13 credits from Part 1 of said academic prerequisites (see Section 1.2.1).

2.2.5 Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from a Swiss university of applied sciences

Admission
1 Admission to the degree programme is guaranteed for those holding a Bachelor’s degree
in Chemistry from a Swiss university of applied sciences, as long as the final Bachelor’s
degree grade is at least a 5 [according to the Swiss grading system, which involves grades
from 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest)],(4 and the language prerequisites set out in Section 1.3 have
been satisfied.
2Admission is always subject to the acquisition of additional study achievements
comprising at least 44 credits.
3 To fulfil the additional requirements the following course units must be completed:

4 The total grade is always calculated by ETH Zurich. The method of computation used, and other details such as how
letter grades are transposed, are stipulated in the Directive on Admission to Master’s Degree Programmes.

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Master’s degree programme in Chemistry Appendix 1 / Admission

– Anorganische Chemie [Inorganic Chemistry] III: Metallorganische Chemie

und Homogenkatalyse [Organometallic Chemistry and Homogenous
Catalysis] (4 credits)
– Anorganische Chemie IV: Synthese und Eigenschaften von festen Stoffen
und Nanomaterialien [Synthesis and Characteristics of Solid Materials
and Nanomaterials] (4 credits)
– Organische Chemie III: Methoden der asymmetrischen Synthese
[Methods of Asymmetrical Synthesis] (4 credits)
– Organische Chemie [Organic Chemistry] IV: Qualitative
Molekülorbitaltheorie [Qualitative Molecular Orbital Theory] (4 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie [Physical Chemistry] III: Molekulare
Quantenmechanik [Molecular Quantum Mechanics] (4 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie IV: Magnetische Resonanz [Magnetic Resonance]
4 credits)
– Physikalische Chemie V: Spektroskopie [Spectroscopy] (4 credits)
– Electives from the ETH Bachelor’s degree programme in Chemistry (total
of 16 credits)

3 Specific stipulations for persons holding Bachelor’s degrees in

disciplines other than Chemistry

3.1 General regulations

Application
Interested parties who hold a qualifying Bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than
Chemistry should apply for the Master’s degree programme via the ETH Zurich
Admissions Office, and are subject to the admissions procedure set out in Section 4.

3.2 Bachelor’s degree from ETH Zurich

Admission
1For admission to the degree programme all the prerequisites set out in Section 1 must be
satisfied. Very good performance in the preceding course of studies is also required.
2 Admission may be subject to additional requirements.
3Admission is not possible if the number of additional credits required to satisfy the
academic prerequisites exceeds
– 30 credits in total, or
– 13 credits from Part 1 of said academic prerequisites (see Section 1.2.1).

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Entering the Master’s degree programme

1For all Bachelor’s degree students who are already matriculated at ETH Zurich and who
progress to an ETH Master’s degree programme, the following applies:
a. The normal ETH enrolment dates and deadlines apply.
b. Admission is provisional until the Bachelor’s degree is issued. Admission will be
revoked if the Bachelor’s degree is not or cannot be issued.
2Students from an ETH Bachelor’s degree programme who have been granted admission
can enrol in the programme once they have acquired that number of credits which would
qualify them to enrol in the Master’s degree programme consecutive to their original
subject. 5

3.3 Bachelor’s degree from another university

Admission
1For admission to the degree programme all the prerequisites set out in Section 1 must be
satisfied. Very good performance in the preceding course of studies is also required.
2 Admission may be subject to additional requirements.
3Admission is not possible if the number of additional credits required to satisfy the
academic prerequisites exceeds
– 30 credits in total, or
– 13 credits from Part 1 of said academic prerequisites (see Section 1.2.1).

Entering the Master’s degree programme

Candidates who have been granted admission can enter the programme when they have
completed the preceding Bachelor’s degree programme.

3.4 Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences

Admission
1For admission to the degree programme all the prerequisites set out in Section 1 must be
satisfied. Very good performance in the preceding course of studies is also required.
2 Admission is subject to the acquisition of additional study achievements comprising at
least 40 credits.
3 Admission is not possible for candidates from a Swiss university of applied sciences if
more than 60 additional credits must be acquired in order to satisfy the academic
prerequisites.

5 The permitted number of missing credits is set out in the Programme Regulations of the respective consecutive

Master’s degree programme (e.g., B.Sc. Physics > M.Sc. Physics).

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Entering the Master’s degree programme

Candidates who have been granted admission can enter the programme when they have
completed the preceding Bachelor’s degree programme.

4 Application and admission procedure

1 All interested parties – with the exception of matriculated ETH Zurich students from the
Bachelor’s degree programme in Chemistry – must submit an application for admission to
the degree programme. The specifications for application, in particular the documents
required and the dates/deadlines for submission, are published on the website of the ETH
Zurich Admissions Office (www.admission.ethz.ch).
2 Application may be made even if the required preceding degree has not yet been issued.
3The admissions committee of the degree programme determines how far the background
of the candidate corresponds to the profile of requirements and submits an application for
admission/rejection to the Director of Studies.
4The Rector makes the final decision regarding admission without additional
requirements, admission with additional requirements, or rejection.
5The candidate receives a written admissions decision which includes relevant information
concerning any additional admission requirements.

5 Fulfilling additional admission requirements

5.1 General regulations

1 Candidates who are admitted subject to the fulfilment of additional requirements must
acquire the required additional knowledge and competences before or during the Master’s
programme via self-study or by attending classes. The corresponding individual
performance assessments must take place by set deadlines.
2 If the candidate fails said performance assessments or does not respect the set
deadlines he/she will be regarded as having failed the degree programme and will be
excluded from it.
3 The deadlines and conditions for undergoing said performance assessments depend
upon the background of the candidate (see Sections 5.2 and 5.3).

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5.2 Candidates with a university Bachelor’s degree

1Candidates holding a university Bachelor’s degree must undertake all of the performance
assessments pertaining to the additional admission requirements by the end of the first
year of the Master’s programme at the latest. All additional requirements, including any
assessment repetitions, must be fulfilled within 18 months of the start of the Master’s
programme at the latest.
2 A pass grade in each individual performance assessment is required.
3 A failed performance assessment may be repeated once.

5.3 Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied

sciences
1Candidates holding a Bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences must
undertake all of the performance assessments pertaining to the additional admission
requirements by the end of the first year of the Master’s programme at the latest. All
additional requirements, including any assessment repetitions, must be fulfilled within two
years of the start of the Master’s programme at the latest.
2 The performance assessments may be undertaken as examination blocks. A pass grade
in the examination block is achieved if the average of the individual grades is at least a 4.
3A failed performance assessment or a failed examination block may be repeated once.
Repeating an examination block entails repeating all of the performance assessments
belonging to it.

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