Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon compounds. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics describes organic chemists as studying the structure, properties and reactions of molecules that contain carbon, and as designing and making organic substances for new commercial products such as medicines and plastics. The subject underlies pharmaceuticals, polymers, dyes, fuels, agrochemicals and much of biochemistry.

Students learn how organic molecules are named and drawn, how their structure determines the way they react, how reactions proceed step by step, and how to plan the synthesis of a target molecule. They also learn to determine the structure of a compound with spectroscopic techniques. Laboratory work is central: preparing, purifying and identifying compounds.

Qualifications and levels

Organic chemistry is a core area of the bachelor's degree in chemistry, and it is also taught in pharmacy, biochemistry and chemical engineering degrees. A separate qualification in organic chemistry is normally a master's degree or a doctorate.

  • Bachelor's degree in chemistry. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits; the Grado en Química of the Universidad de Alcalá, for example, lasts four years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that undergraduate chemistry programmes require several chemistry courses, most with a laboratory component.
  • Master's degree in Spain. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Química Orgánica is a joint degree of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, which coordinates it. It lasts one year (60 ECTS credits): 18 compulsory credits, 12 optional and a 30-credit master's thesis carried out in a research laboratory. It covers organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry and bioorganic chemistry.
  • Master's degrees elsewhere. At the University of Madras the Department of Organic Chemistry, started in 1950, teaches a two-year M.Sc. with specialisation in organic chemistry. At Sorbonne Université the two-year Master de Chimie includes course units on stereoselective synthesis and retrosynthetic analysis and on biological organic chemistry within its molecular chemistry area.
  • Doctorate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chemists may need a master's degree or PhD for some jobs, such as research positions, and those interested in pharmaceutical research may choose to build a strong background in medicinal or organic chemistry.

Admission and costs: the Spanish joint master's as an example

The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid states that applicants need previous training in chemistry (a bachelor's degree or similar) or in related fields such as pharmacy, chemical engineering or biochemistry. The master's is taught in Spanish at that university, and applicants who are not Spanish speakers must provide proof of Spanish at level B2. Applicants with a degree from outside Spain must also submit the grade-average equivalence issued by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

The programme offers 100 places, 30 of them at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela lists 20 places and Spanish, Galician and English as languages of use. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid gives an approximate price for first enrolment of €836 for the course, or €2,313 for non-EU students who are not residents, alongside its 2026-27 course offer.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 15 active schools for organic chemistry. Eight are in Spain and two in the United States; India, Finland, Bermuda, France and Sweden have one each. The Spanish list includes the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, the Universitat de Barcelona, the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Huelva and the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Elsewhere it includes the University of Madras, the University of Jyväskylä, Uppsala Universitet and Sorbonne Université, as well as Amarillo College, a two-year community college in Texas.

In Spain the subject is taught mainly in Spanish, with co-official languages and some English depending on the university. Check the language of each programme before applying.

Careers

Organic chemists work in the discovery and manufacture of medicines, in polymers and materials, agrochemicals, cosmetics, food and petrochemicals, and in research and teaching. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid names the pharmaceutical, petrochemical and materials industries as destinations for graduates of the master's, together with consultancies and company research and development departments. The Universidad de Santiago de Compostela describes the degree as preparation for doctoral studies or for work as a chemist in laboratories and production.

In the United States, chemists held about 84,900 jobs in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The largest employers were chemical manufacturing (33%), scientific research and development services (16%) and testing laboratories and services (11%). The Bureau projects overall employment of chemists and materials scientists to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a bachelor's degree in organic chemistry?

Usually not. Organic chemistry is a core part of the bachelor's degree in chemistry, which in Spain has 240 ECTS credits. Specialised degrees are normally master's degrees and doctorates.

How long does a master's in organic chemistry take?

One or two years. The joint Máster Universitario en Química Orgánica in Spain lasts one year (60 ECTS credits), and the M.Sc. with specialisation in organic chemistry at the University of Madras lasts two years.

Do I need a chemistry degree to be admitted?

Not necessarily. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid also accepts related backgrounds such as pharmacy, chemical engineering or biochemistry for the joint master's.

What language level do I need for the master's in Madrid?

The master's is taught in Spanish at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, which requires proof of Spanish at level B2 from applicants who are not Spanish speakers.