Your English skills should enable you to read and later write specialized literature.

The ideal prerequisite for success in the Biomedical Chemistry degree program is a general interest in natural science – particularly in chemistry and biology. Knowledge from advanced courses taken in school is helpful in this regard, but not a requirement.

At the beginning of your studies, you’ll require good prior knowledge of mathematics (algebra, logarithms, differential/integral calculus). As you will undertake a range of practical laboratory work, you should enjoy conducting experiments independently.

Good communication skills and a marked ability to learn and work in a structured manner, as well as good time management, will play a key role in enabling you to complete your studies quickly and successfully.

The Biomedical Chemistry degree program will be of interest to you if you see your professional future in the life sciences with a chemical/pharmaceutical focus.

Please note: A master’s degree is generally required to start working in this field; however, most graduates start their professional career after acquiring a doctorate.

You should therefore assume that the total study period will last either 5 years (master’s degree) or 8–9 years (doctorate).

1st–4th semester

Basic modules (lectures, practice classes, and labs) in

• General and inorganic chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Organic chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Analytical chemistry
• Computer chemistry and molecular modelling
• Cell biology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Biochemistry

5th–6th semester

• Biochemistry lab
• Module in clinical chemistry and pharmaceutical and medical chemistry
• Advanced module in organic chemistry
• Required elective module

6th semester

• Required elective module
• Soft skills modules
• Module in law and scientific writing
• Bachelor’s thesis

Areas of specialization

In the 5th and 6th semester, you can use the two elective modules and your bachelor’s thesis to determine your individual areas of specialization.

In addition to the aforementioned subjects, the specialization options also include:

• Biostatistics and bioinformatics
• Microbiology and biotechnology
• Nuclear chemistry
• Coordination chemistry
• Macromolecular chemistry
• Sustainable chemistry
• Animal and plant physiology
• Pharmaceutical biology
• Theoretical chemistry
• Toxicology
• Foundations of immunology

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for half a year or a whole year? Do you want to get to know another language and culture? Would you like to get a different perspective on your particular degree program? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various partnerships with foreign universities.

For information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. An overview of cooperating universities that would suit your degree program can be found on our Student Exchange Platform.

However, in the Biomedical Chemistry bachelor’s degree program, a semester abroad is difficult to incorporate into the curriculum due to its very specific course content. Therefore, it is more sensible to go abroad in the elective or the thesis-writing phase near the end of your studies. In the master’s degree program, on the other hand, a semester abroad is entirely possible.

Lab courses and internships

In the bachelor’s degree program you’ll complete the following lab courses at the university:

• General and inorganic chemistry
  during the first semester (hourly basis)
• Cell biology (one week in the lecture-free period after the first semester)
• Computer chemistry and molecular modelling (one hour per week during the semester)
• Organic chemistry (basic lab course)
  two afternoons per week during the semester
• Organic chemistry (advanced lab course)
• Inorganic chemistry synthesis lab course (during the semester)
• Analytical chemistry
  4 weeks full-time in the lecture-free period
• Biochemistry
  one afternoon per week during the semester
• Required elective module
  4 weeks full-time, upon arrangement

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

In the bachelor’s degree program in Biomedical Chemistry, you will acquire initial skills in manufacturing and analyzing chemical substances. You will also learn the foundations of biochemical, biomedical and pharmaceutical/clinical research and develop a specialized understanding of disciplines related to chemistry.

As a graduate of the bachelor’s degree program in Biomedical Chemistry, you will possess fundamental knowledge that will enable you to make the transition to the job market in an entry-level position. Those who want to start at the middle or higher career level will generally need a master’s degree and/or a doctorate.

Typical career fields for graduates of the bachelor’s degree program include:

• Laboratory work in chemical & pharmaceutical research
• Laboratory work in basic medical research
• Chemical or biological production, analytics, and documentation
• Participation in procedure or product development
• Process validation
• Sales and documentation (chemicals, equipment, pharmaceuticals, consumables)
• Work with authorities and administration (e.g. chemical safety, monitoring of genetic engineering etc.)

Typical professional fields after a master’s degree and doctorate include:

• Management of laboratories in the pharmaceutical industry, e.g., developing active substances
• Process development
• Production management
• Patent law (after additional training)
• Career as a university professor
• Quality control
• Management of a service department for analytics
• Consulting
• Regulatory affairs

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.