Career

A Master’s degree in Chemistry and Molecular Sciences qualifies you for expert positions in a wide range of fields, such as industry, research or education. The chemical industry is a major employer and one of the largest export industries in Finland. You can also apply for postgraduate studies in a doctoral programme.
Career prospects

Chemistry is needed in many sectors. Similarly, Master’s studies in Chemistry and Molecular Sciences allow you to specialise in many kinds of tasks. In your Master’s degree studies, you will familiarise yourself thoroughly with at least one branch of Chemistry, after which you will be qualified to work in demanding expert positions. 

As a chemistry expert, you can work in industry, research, education, or commercial positions. Training institutions, public agencies and supervisory authorities are also potential employers. There are also plenty of career opportunities abroad and in international organisations.

Your work and duties might involve:

  • applications of environmental sciences or biosciences
  • the manufacture of pharmaceuticals
  • the development of engineering materials or new energy solutions
  • analysing samples for customs or forensic, or environmental purposes 

A traineeship completed during your studies could help with choosing your career. 

You can also pursue a career in academia. As a Master’s graduate, you can apply for postgraduate study in a doctoral programme. Approximately 1/4 of chemistry graduates continue to complete a doctorate.

The chemical industry is a major employer and one of the largest export industries in Finland.
Networking

Researchers at the Department of Chemistry have joint projects with several University of Helsinki units as well as research institutes and companies outside the University. These connections allow you to network with various parties in the field of chemistry and related disciplines.

In addition, the Department of Chemistry has close connections with several organisations in the field of chemistry, through which you can acquaint yourself with professional chemists and the job market. Key partners include, for example, the Finnish Chemical Society, the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, various trade organisations and the Finnish Association for Teachers of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Informatics.

Alumni story

Wei-Min Li, an alumnus of the University of Helsinki, realised the significance of hard work and kindness during his time as a student. Now, the company he founded is transforming the world by developing renewable energy production.

In my studies, I understood the importance of not only hard work but also kindness and friendship.
Postgraduate studies

A completed Master’s degree qualifies you to pursue postgraduate studies, i.e., a doctoral degree. You can complete a doctoral degree in one of the doctoral programmes at the University of Helsinki or pursue postgraduate studies at other universities in Finland or abroad. Approximately one quarter of Master of Science graduates in chemistry continue to complete a doctorate.

Potential doctoral programmes at the University of Helsinki include:

Career services

Studies are part of your career. The Career Services at the University of Helsinki supports, in cooperation with the degree programmes, the growth of your expert identity as part of your studies and with separate services. 

From the start of your studies until one year after the completion of your degree, the Career Services supports your career path by:

  • giving career counselling and job-seeking support, 
  • arranging info sessions, workshops and events, 
  • providing suitable job and traineeship offers for students,
  • sharing the university’s subsidy for traineeships and  
  • facilitating group mentoring programmes.
Group mentoring programme: UNITalent

Do you want to build a career in Finland? Get valuable insight into Finnish working life and build your professional networks by applying to our group mentoring programme. 

In the HelsinkiUNI International Talent Programme (UNITalent), a group of international talents is hosted by a local company or organisation. 

Successful applicants will get to:

  • learn about expert work first-hand from a local organisation.
  • hear about different kinds of career paths in a specific sector in Finland.
  • start building their professional network in Finland.
  • support the host in gaining an international perspective by sharing their perspective. 
  • learn career management skills. 

International master’s degree students at the University of Helsinki can apply as well as Finnish students who have completed their degree abroad.

Improve your career options with Finnish

Although international students can get by with English in the Helsinki region, learning Finnish will significantly improve your career options after graduation.

The University of Helsinki offers free Finnish language courses for enrolled international degree students. The beginners and intermediate level courses are not only a way to learn the language, but you also learn more about Finnish culture and get to network with other international students across the fields.

Where students work after graduation?

The University of Helsinki conducts career monitoring surveys to collect information on graduate employment and the skills needs of employers. Career monitoring aims to determine how well a university education can meet the requirements of professional life. The data collected are used, among other things, for developing the career skills of current students.

According to the surveys, general skills gained from the studies include :

  • the ability to describe their skills (this had been the most important factor for their employment)
  • the ability to learn and adopt new things as well as self-direction/initiative
  • cooperation skills
  • problem-solving skills and stress tolerance.
International experience, organisational work or hobbies, and social media activity have been important or highly important for the employment of some respondents, even though these factors don’t stand out at the University level"
Alumni of the Uni­versity of Helsinki

After graduation, the world is wide open and full of possibilities. How can you venture forward to make the career path you want? What kind of work would you like to do? What kind of life should you lead? The Helsinki alumni community is there to support you as you transition from the University to the world of work.

All previous University of Helsinki degree and exchange students, as well as staff, are our alumni. As a member of the University of Helsinki alumni network, Finland’s largest network of experts, you get valuable support, knowledge and contacts for your working life.

More about the programme