Master of Science in Soft Matter and Materials

Please have a look at our degree programme video! The Master of Science in Soft Matter and Material is a jointly offered, research-focused degree programme with an increasing emphasis on practical components. It is offered by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Technical University of Darmstadt, both members of the Rhine-Main Universities Alliance. The study of soft matter and soft materials requires a comprehensive understanding of physics and chemistry in this field. The goal of the Soft Matter and Materials Master's programme is to provide technical knowledge and conceptual competence in the production of building blocks (e.g. polymers, supramolecular tectons, colloids) and in the structure-dynamics-property relationships of soft matter and materials. Functional concepts will be taught using both general synthetic components and biologically-relevant components. Knowledge of the technical processing and industrial utilisation of soft materials will round off the training. All teaching and learning content will be in English. The first two semesters of the programme lay the physical and chemical foundations and take place exclusively on the Mainz and Darmstadt campuses, respectively. Following the initial two semesters, the programme offers research-focused content that can be flexibly selected. Throughout all semesters, there is a gradual increase in practical components. As early as the second semester (assuming you start your studies in the winter semester), students will be offered a module in which they can choose two of four main subjects, e.g. polymers at interfaces, sustainable polymer chemistry, and technical polymer science. In the third semester, students will choose two research modules from a wide range of courses offered by the chemistry and physics faculties of TU Darmstadt and Mainz University (JGU) as well as the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Mainz. In addition, a flexible module is available where students can choose from several current offerings each semester.