PhD Courses in Denmark

Analytical Chemistry for Non-Analytical Chemists

PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE at University of Copenhagen

Enrolment guidelines

This is a toolbox course where 80% of the seats are reserved for PhD students enrolled at the Faculty of SCIENCE at UCPH and 20% of the seats are reserved for PhD students from other Danish Universities/faculties (except CBS). Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules.

Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university (except CBS), you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.


Aim and Content
This toolbox PhD course aims to equip students without extensive analytical chemistry backgrounds with core analytical skills. It covers analytical methodologies such as sampling and sample preparation (liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, super-critical fluid extraction, pressurised liquid extraction), chromatographic methods (HPLC, GC), spectroscopic techniques (UV-VIS, ICP-MS), mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS), data processing, method validation, and quality assurance.

Hands-on laboratory sessions form the core experience, emphasizing practical competencies and analytical problem-solving relevant to students' research fields.


Learning outcomes
Intended learning outcome for the students who complete the course:

Knowledge:
• Fundamental principles of analytical methodologies.
• Chromatographic and spectroscopic analytical methods.
• Qualitative and quantitative mass spectrometry analyses.

Skills:
• Practical application of analytical techniques.
• Statistical and chemometric data interpretation.
• Quality assurance in analytical processes.

Competences:
• Develop and validate analytical methods.
• Critically evaluate analytical data.
• Apply analytical chemistry to interdisciplinary research.


Target Group
PhD students from various scientific disciplines who require analytical chemistry skills in their research but have limited formal training in analytical methodologies.


Recommended Academic Qualifications
Basic university-level chemistry knowledge required. No prior analytical chemistry training necessary.


Research Area
Analytical Chemistry; Environmental Chemistry; Food Chemistry; Plant and Soil Chemistry, Biotechnology and other non-chemistry research areas


Teaching and Learning Methods
Lectures, theoretical and practical exercises, laboratory experiments, and an excursion to an analytical laboratory (e.g. Novozymes assays department).


Type of Assessment
Completion of laboratory exercises (40%), and oral exam of curriculum (60%).


Literature
Daniel C. Harris: Quantitative Chemical Analysis Ed. 11.
Laboratory compendium and electronic resources via Absalon


Course coordinator
Professor Jan H Christensen (PLEN)


Guest Lecturers
Asger Geppel and other researchers from Novonesis during visit to Novonesis.


Dates
Mondays and Wednesday
Start Date: 8 February 2027
End Date: 17 March 2027 + 7 April April

Exam 12 or 13 April 2027


Expected frequency
The course is recurrent annually in the same time period


Course location
Frederiksberg Campus


Registration
Deadline: 26 January 2027. Basic university-level chemistry knowledge required. No prior analytical chemistry training necessary.


Requirements for signing up
PhD students must contact the course coordinator before registration to ensure prerequisites are met.



Course fee and participant fee
PhD courses offered at the Faculty of SCIENCE have course fees corresponding to different participant types.

In addition to the course fee, there might also be a participant fee.

If the course has a participant fee, this will apply to all participants regardless of participant
type - and in addition to the course fee.



Course fee
• Participant fee (all participants in add. to course fee): DKK 8.000
• PhD student enrolled at SCIENCE: DKK 0
• PhD student from Danish PhD school Open market: DKK 0
• PhD student from Danish PhD school not Open market: DKK 6.000
• PhD student from foreign university: DKK 6.000
• Master's student from Danish university: DKK 0
• Master's student from foreign university: DKK 6.000
• Non-PhD student employed at a university (e.g., postdocs): DKK 6.000
• Non-PhD student not employed at a university (e.g., from a private company): DKK 16.800



Cancellation policy
Cancellations made up to two weeks before the course starts are free of charge.

Cancellations made less than two weeks before the course starts will be charged a fee of DKK 3.000

Participants with less than 80% attendance cannot pass the course and will be charged a fee of DKK 5.000

No-show will result in a fee of DKK 5.000

Participants who fail to hand in any mandatory exams or assignments cannot pass the course and will be charged a fee of DKK 5.000