Green Chemistry

https://www.uniupo.it/en/courses/undergraduate-bachelor%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%93-degrees/green-chemistry
Degree programme
3-year undergraduate
Course title (Classe)
L - 27 – Chemical Science and Technology
Admissions

Unrestricted

Departments

DISSTE - Department for sustainable development and ecological transition

Student Services Office

c/o Department of Humanities
Vercelli, Via G. Ferraris 107

Teaching locations

Vercelli, Piazza S. Eusebio 5

Course Director

Enrico Boccaleri

Course Overview

The three-year undergraduate degree in Green Chemistry is aimed at students interested in environmental sustainability in chemical processes, the reduction in use of natural resources, and processes for salvaging, recycling and developing materials with a view to establishing a circular economy.
The degree programme uses the tools of Chemistry in a new and broader approach with new teaching methods. This commitment involves a working relationship between two departments - the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DISIT) and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DSF) – with combined methodologies and a strong multidisciplinary approach.
The course includes a basic grounding in mathematics and physics and the various sectors of chemistry along with theoretical and experimental principles of green chemistry, chemical processes and biotechnologies based on renewable sources with low environmental impact and development strategies for waste and scrap materials. The course involves theory and practice-based workshops aimed at acquiring skills and knowledge in organic and inorganic chemistry, and in the fields of physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, industrial chemistry and materials. 
Particular attention is paid to the most up-to-date processes and products that can contribute to a Green Chemistry approach. The course allows graduates to continue studying for a Master’s degree or to enter the labour market.
Apart from the teaching classrooms equipped with the best technological support and an increased number of scientific/IT laboratories to respond to the educational demands of the entire programme, all students have access to the most effective and advanced digital tools for study, including access to numerous library resources (8,500 e-journals) within a campus which intends to become (with this teaching initiative and others, and the development of strongly relevant research activity) a point of reference for green culture and sustainability.

Key features

  • The degree course is extremely relevant; society is increasingly aware of the urgent need to change the way progress is made, transforming economic and industrial growth into sustainable and harmonious development of mankind with nature and the planet, and chemistry will be one of the key disciplines to achieve this change.
  • The course is designed to complement the fundamental topics of chemistry with various cultural contexts such as green processes and materials, biotechnologies, management and development of resources and raw materials and the tools for analysis of environmental impact (Life Cycle Assessment – LCA)
  • The programme involves numerous laboratory activities (48 academic credits) and courses on the most recent methodologies in chemistry, such as computational and IT tools, advanced methods for data analysis, biochemical conversion processes and the environmental impact of chemistry
  • The course includes a co-planning board and the educational involvement of a number of companies in the sector, with the possibility of completing a 250-hour final internship in companies or external organisations, linking the course content with strong professional experience and values.

Erasmus partner institutions

  • Spain: “Miguel De Cervantes” (Valladolid), Zaragoza, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Politécnica de Catalunya (Barcelona)
  • France: Nantes, Sophia-Antipolis (Nice), Lumière 2 (Lyon). 
  • Poland: PJ-IIT (Warsaw)
  • Portugal: Nova (Lisbon)
  • Hungary: University of Debrecen (Debrecen)

Career and employment opportunities

A graduate in Green Chemistry can work in:

  • development and management of processes and chemical plants based on renewable primary and/or secondary raw materials from circular processes
  • reduction of energy and environmental impact of production cycles, energy transformation, and treatment of air, water and soil
  • management of problems linked to chemical issues within biotechnological processes for the production of new substances (bio-based chemicals, biofuels, bioplastcs) and for the treatment of civil and industrial effluents, and the reduction of impact and spread of pollutant and harmful substances
  • research in the public sector and industry for development and application of principles of green chemistry and the analysis of energy and environmental impact of new products, new chemical processes of production and energy transformation, salvaging processes and recycling of waste and scrap material
  • freelance roles (Junior Chemist – section B of the Professional Register) subject to the State licensing exam
  • continued further education with a Master’s degree such as Chemical Sciences in the DiSIT department at Alessandria.
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Further Information