Faculty of Natural Sciences II – Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics

Master's level

Master's programmes are research-oriented and allow meaningful specialisation. The Master's in Chemistry offers six specialisation tracks including Environmental Analytics, Macromolecular Chemistry, Biophysical Chemistry and Liquid Crystals. The Master's in Physics focuses on condensed matter with four specialisations: Theoretical Physics, Solid-State and Surface Physics, Physics of Synthetic and Biological Macromolecules, and Photonics and Photovoltaics. The Master's in Medical Physics deepens into Biophysics, Medical Engineering, and Radiation Physics & Dosimetry. The standout English-taught Master's in Polymer Materials Science — reflecting the faculty's core research focus on soft matter and polymers — trains chemists, physicists and engineers jointly in functional materials synthesis and characterisation, preparing graduates for both industry and doctoral study. The Master's in Renewable Energies is interdisciplinary (physics, chemistry, engineering, economics) and includes laboratory placements at MLU and industry partner sites. Most master's programmes (Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Renewable Energies) have no entry restrictions; Polymer Materials Science and Medical Physics operate with a local numerus clausus.

PhD / Doctoral studies

Doctoral candidates can pursue a Dr. rer. nat. (or Dr.-Ing. / Dr. paed.) in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or adjacent fields. Dissertations are typically completed within one of the faculty's research groups. Structured doctoral training is available through DFG-funded Graduate Schools (Graduiertenkolleg) and Collaborative Research Centres (Sonderforschungsbereiche), as well as the International Max-Planck Research School for the Science and Technology of Nanostructures, jointly run with the neighbouring Max-Planck institute.

• Unique programme portfolio: Medical Physics as a full Bachelor–Master track exists at only two German universities; the faculty is one of them.
• English-taught Master's: Polymer Materials Science is fully taught in English, removing the German-language barrier for international master's applicants in this field.
• Direct research-institute access: Students work alongside the Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik and the Fraunhofer Institut für Werkstoffmechanik, both on or near the Halle campus.
• Industry scholarship initiative: The IHK Stipendieninitiative connects high-performing students with Saxony-Anhalt companies, offering early industry ties and financial support.
• Open admission for core programmes: Bachelor's degrees in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Business Mathematics currently have no admission restrictions — apply and you're in, provided deadlines are met.

• Institut für Chemie: Synthesis and characterisation of complex materials; chemistry of biorelevant molecules. Research groups also participate in DFG-Forschergruppe 1145, investigating the interaction of synthetic polyphilic molecules with model membranes — a joint chemistry–physics project.
• Institut für Physik: Condensed matter physics (theory and experiment), covering solid-state physics, nanostructured materials and surfaces, photovoltaics, soft matter physics, and biophysics. Close collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik and Fraunhofer Institut für Werkstoffmechanik, both based in Halle.
• Institut für Mathematik: Modelling, analysis and simulation of complex systems — discrete, continuous, deterministic and stochastic structures — with applications in natural sciences and economics.

All programmes start in the winter semester (1 October). Admission deadlines for programmes with a local numerus clausus are 31 May (if your school-leaving certificate was issued before 16 January of the application year) or 15 July otherwise. Core Bachelor's programmes in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Business Mathematics currently have no entry restrictions, simplifying the path for international applicants who meet academic requirements.

The faculty maintains an International Office and coordinates Erasmus exchanges. Doctoral candidates from abroad are specifically supported through a dedicated international doctoral track, and the International Max-Planck Research School for the Science and Technology of Nanostructures provides structured, English-language PhD training in collaboration with the Max-Planck institute. A university-wide StudyPhone advisory line ([email protected]) is available Tuesday–Thursday, 10:00–15:00 for orientation, application and enrolment questions.

The faculty building itself sits on the Heide campus alongside the Institut für Chemie (Kurt-Mothes-Straße), Institut für Physik (Von-Danckelmann-Platz) and Institut für Mathematik (Theodor-Lieser-Straße). Students in Physics have ready access to the neighbouring Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik — one of the world's leading centres for electron microscopy and surface science — and the Fraunhofer Institut für Werkstoffmechanik for materials testing and research placements.

Halle offers substantially lower living costs than Munich, Hamburg or Berlin, making it an attractive base for self-funded international students.

Physics graduates — especially those from the Photonics and Photovoltaics and Nanotechnology tracks — are in demand in the semiconductor industry, solar energy sector, medical devices firms, and R&D departments of automotive and electronics manufacturers. The Medical Physics track prepares graduates specifically for roles as medical physicists in clinical or research settings, a regulated profession in growing demand across Europe. The Physics and Digital Technologies programme targets roles at the intersection of IT infrastructure and industrial applications.

Mathematics and Business Mathematics graduates enter financial services (actuarial roles, risk modelling, quantitative analysis), consulting, the insurance sector, and software or data-intensive industries. The IHK Stipendieninitiative creates direct pathways to employers in Saxony-Anhalt's manufacturing and technology sector, with scholarship partners often converting to graduate employment.