Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Physical Chemistry

Physical chemistry applies the methods of physics to chemical questions. In the definition of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physical chemists study how matter behaves and how chemical reactions occur. The subject asks why a reaction takes place, how fast it goes, how much energy it releases or absorbs, and how the structure of atoms and molecules explains what is measured in the laboratory.

It became a field of its own in the late nineteenth century. Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, who is considered one of the founders of physical chemistry, received the first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1901 for the discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions. According to the Nobel Prize organisation, a key step in establishing the field was the start of the journal Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie in 1887.

What students learn

Physical chemistry is one of the core areas of every chemistry degree, next to organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry. The main topics are:

  • Thermodynamics: energy, equilibrium and phase changes
  • Kinetics: reaction rates and mechanisms, catalysis
  • Quantum chemistry: the electronic structure of atoms and molecules
  • Spectroscopy: how matter interacts with light, and what that reveals about structure
  • Electrochemistry, surfaces and colloids
  • Computational chemistry: modelling molecules and materials

The subject is mathematical and experimental at the same time. The Department of Chemistry of the University of Jyväskylä in Finland describes its teaching as lectures and exams combined with laboratory work, calculation practice in small groups and seminars.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree: physical chemistry is taught as a series of compulsory courses within a chemistry degree; a bachelor's degree in physical chemistry alone is unusual.
  • Master's degree: here the specialisation begins. The University of Madras in India offers an M.Sc. Physical Chemistry for holders of a B.Sc. in Chemistry with Mathematics or Physics as an allied subject. At Sorbonne Université in Paris, the two-year Master de Chimie starts with a 24 ECTS common core in physical chemistry, molecular chemistry and materials chemistry, and one of its specialisation areas covers analytical chemistry, theory, spectroscopy and electrochemistry. It is aimed at students with a bachelor's degree (licence) in chemistry, chemistry-physics or chemistry-biology.
  • Doctorate: the usual route into research. The University of Madras offers a PhD in Physical Chemistry, and Sorbonne Université names a doctoral school for physical and analytical chemistry among the options after its master's degree.

In Europe, a bachelor's degree consists of 180 or 240 ECTS credits and a master's degree usually of 90 or 120, according to the European Commission. In Spain, a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits and an official master's degree has 60, 90 or 120.

Where to study physical chemistry

SpainExchange lists six schools for this subject, one in each of six countries: Spain, India, Finland, China, France and Sweden.

  • The University of Madras has a Department of Physical Chemistry, established as a research department in August 1952. Its research has covered polymers, catalysis, solution equilibria, electrochemistry, photochemistry, surface chemistry and, more recently, nanomaterials.
  • At the University of Jyväskylä, research in Chemical Nanoscience develops and applies methods of spectroscopy and computational modelling, and the department has a group for computational and theoretical electrochemistry. It works closely with the university's interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre.
  • Sorbonne Université teaches physical chemistry within its Master de Chimie, as described above. The programme page is in French.
  • The list also includes the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, Uppsala Universitet in Sweden and Shanghai Normal University in China.

The language of instruction varies with the country and the level, so check it for each programme, together with the research groups in which a master's or doctoral thesis can be done.

Careers

Physical chemists work in research and development, in analytical and testing laboratories and in teaching. According to the BLS, they may develop theories, such as how complex structures are formed, and research potential uses for new materials. The University of Jyväskylä lists product development and quality assurance in industry, expert posts in regulatory bodies, teaching and research among the jobs of its chemistry graduates. Typical sectors are chemicals, energy and batteries, materials, pharmaceuticals and instrumentation.

The BLS does not count physical chemists separately. In the United States, chemists as a whole held about 84,900 jobs in 2025: 33 percent in chemical manufacturing, 16 percent in scientific research and development services and 11 percent in testing laboratories. Employment of chemists and materials scientists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,500 openings a year. A bachelor's degree is the typical entry level, but research positions may require a master's degree or PhD.

Frequently asked questions

Is physical chemistry the same as chemical physics?

They overlap. Physical chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses physical methods to explain chemical behaviour and is taught in chemistry departments. Chemical physics approaches similar problems from the physics side.

How much mathematics does physical chemistry need?

More than other branches of chemistry. Thermodynamics, kinetics and quantum chemistry rely on calculus and physics, and universities such as Jyväskylä include calculation practice in small groups in their chemistry teaching.

Can I take a degree in physical chemistry only?

At bachelor's level it is normally part of a chemistry degree. Dedicated programmes exist at master's and doctoral level, for example the M.Sc. Physical Chemistry and the PhD at the University of Madras.