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Life Science and Technology (LST)

Master

The Leiden Institute of Chemistry organises two MSc programmes: MSc Life Science & Technology and MSc Chemistry

The Master’s programme Life Science and Technology (LST) consists of the following specialisations:

  • Life Science Research and Development

  • Life Science and Education

  • Life Science and Communication and Society

  • Life Science-Based Business Development

Details about their programmes and organisation can be found at:

MSc Programmes at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry

For our current research activities visit

Leiden Institute of Chemistry

For the course schedule visit:

MSc schedule Chemistry and Life Science and Technology

Programme structure

MSc Life Science and Technology

All master students must follow a basic theoretical training comprising of at least

  • Academic writing 2 EC

  • Science Methodology 4 EC

  • Core courses 24 EC

Futhermore, all students must take the compulsory co-curricular component "WORK" for career orientation.

Additional training within the specialisations:

Life Science Research and Development

The research specialisation offers the student the opportunity to spend two full years on training and specialisation not only to become an independent and creative researcher, but also someone who can use their analytical skills to resolve challenges in their career in science or in society. The majority of the students with an MSc in Life Science Research and Development will continue their career in a PhD position.

  • Essay & Colloquium 6 EC

  • Research training projects 60-80 EC

  • Electives 24-4 EC

Life Science and Business Studies

The specialisation Life Science and Business Studies (BS) offers students the possibility to combine Life Science with knowledge, insights and skills in the area of management and business.
Students are encouraged to broaden their horizon, to form an opinion on and prepare for a career in industry and to enhance competences for pursuing business opportunities created in science and research.

  • Research training projects 30-50 EC

  • Business Studies programme 40 EC

  • Electives 20-0 EC

More information

Life Science and Science Communication and Society

The specialisation Life Science and Science Communication and Society (SCS) offers students the possibility to combine life sciences and science communication. Students are prepared for a career in popularisation of science or for a career as a scientist with a communicating mind-set.

  • Research training projects 30-50 EC

  • Science Communication and Society programme 40 EC

  • Electives 20-0 EC

More information

Life Science and Education

The specialisation Life Science and Education (EDU) prepares students for a career as chemistry (scheikunde) or biology (biologie) teacher qualified to teach in Dutch secondary education.

  • Research training project 30 or 40-60 EC

  • Education programme 60 or 30 EC

More information

Compulsory courses

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2
Academic writing (AWR) 2
Research training project 20/60
Science Methodology (SCM) 4
WORK (Career Orientation & Competence Reflection) 0

For research only:
Essay & Colloquium 6

Core courses MSc LST

The programme offers nine core courses organised in three course series: Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Sciences and Biophysical Sciences. Students have to choose at least one course from each of the three series.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Four core courses should be chosen: at least one from each series

Biomedical Sciences
Biomedical Informatics (BMI) 6
Chemical Immunology (CHI) 6
In-vivo biomolecular interactions underlying diseases (IBID) 6

Molecular Sciences
Metals and Life (MAL) 6
Molecular Chemistry (MC) 6
Chemical Biology (CB) 6

Biophysical Sciences
Biomaterials (BMAT) 6
Bionanotechnology (BNT) 6
Enzyme dynamics: NMR spectroscopy and kinetics (EDNMR) 6

Elective courses

  • Dependent on the chosen specialisation, a number of elective courses can be selected from the MSc Chemistry and MSc Life Science and Technology programme.

  • For more information visit the programmes website

  • Students may choose additional core courses as elective courses.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

NOTE All core courses may be chosen as electives

Master students LST may also choose additional core courses from LST and core courses from MSc Chemistry as elective courses.
Computational Chemistry and Molecular Simulations (CCMS) 6
Organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis (OCHC) 6
Supramolecular Chemistry (SUP) 6
Surface Science (SUS) 6
Synthetic Organic Chemistry 5
Density Functional Theory in Practice (DIP) 6
Genome organization and maintenance in cancer and aging (GCA) 6
Heterogeneous Catalysis (HET) 6
Reactivity in Organic Chemistry (ROC) 6
Chemistry and Physics of Solids (CPS) 6
Design and Self-assembly of Biomolecules (DSB) 6
Electrochemistry (ELE) 6
Modern Organic Chemistry (MOC) 6
Molecular Aspects of RNA Viruses (MRV) 4
Photochemistry (PC) 6
Integrated Cell Biology (ICB) 2
Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Discovery (MCDD) 6
Bioinorganic Catalysis (BIOC) 6
Computational Techniques for Chemical Biology (CTCB) 6
Cross-domain chromatin organisation (CDC) 4
Photosynthesis and Bioenergy (PBE) 6
Stereochemistry (STC) 6

Biennial courses given every even year
Solid State NMR (SSNMR) 6
Theory of Spectroscopy and Molecular Properties (TSMP) 6
Quantum Reaction Dynamics (QRD) 6

Biennial courses given every odd year
Scientific Computing and Programming (SC) 9
Dynamics of Molecule-Surface Reactions (DST) 6
Molecules of Life (MOL) 6