Address: Avenida Complutense, s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry
The Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) offers degrees in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, and Food Science and Technology.
The Facultad de Ciencias Químicas of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid is the chemistry faculty of one of the oldest universities in Spain. The Complutense traces its history to the University of Alcalá de Henares, founded in 1499, and it moved to Madrid in 1836. The faculty is on the Avenida Complutense, in the Ciudad Universitaria in the north-west of the city. It has about 4,000 students and 500 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad.
The faculty teaches bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, together with double degrees and master’s programmes in fields such as chemistry, nanochemistry, materials, industrial chemistry, chemical engineering and sustainable processes. Its departments cover organic, inorganic, physical, analytical chemistry and chemical engineering, together with materials science. Laboratory work is a large part of the curriculum, and students can take internships in chemical, pharmaceutical and energy companies.
Chemistry teaching in Madrid has a long past. The Central University, the predecessor of the Complutense, trained many Spanish scientists, among them Severo Ochoa, who studied medicine in Madrid and received the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on the synthesis of nucleic acids. Research at the faculty covers catalysis, polymers, nanomaterials, electrochemistry, environmental chemistry, organic synthesis and chemical processes for energy. Many professors collaborate with CSIC institutes in Madrid.
Admission to bachelor’s degrees uses the national university entrance exam and the cut-off marks of each degree, which vary every year. Public universities in the Community of Madrid set tuition per credit, with prices that are higher for repeated subjects and for students from outside the EU. Check the current tariff. Master’s degrees have separate application rounds and fees, and doctoral candidates are recruited through calls and fellowships.
Courses are mostly in Spanish. The Ciudad Universitaria is served by metro and bus, and students can find rooms in shared flats, residence halls and colegios mayores.
Domains taught:
Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Engineering, Food Science, Materials, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Process Control
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of UCM, with extensive international partnerships and strong collaborations with chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries, as well as research centers.
Research:
Leading research in all fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, and food science, including catalysis, materials, drug discovery, and food processing.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
500
Current students***:
4000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
25000
Pros
Highly renowned faculty with excellent research facilities and strong industry connections. Part of a top-ranked university.
Cons
Large faculty, potentially competitive environment.
Best For
Students seeking a world-class education in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, or food science at a historic and highly-ranked university.
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas is the closest domestic counterpart for food science, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it covers ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly larger, at about 5,000 students against roughly 4,000 here.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of food science, nanotechnologies and process control can consider Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is far smaller, with about 1,000 students against roughly 4,000 here.
Facultad de Ciencias Físicas shares the core fields of this university, namely nanotechnologies, materials and engineering; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience and aerospace as well.
A good alternative in the same country is Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, which likewise covers engineering; it covers statistics and mathematics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 2,000 students against roughly 4,000 here.
Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales is the closest domestic counterpart for microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and chemistry; it covers marine science and ecology and sustainability as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 1,500 students against roughly 4,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Students considering a move abroad can look at Università degli Studi di Camerino in Italy, where food science, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies also form the core, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers geotechnics and industrial design as well.
The closest overseas parallel on bioinformatics, nanotechnologies and microbiology and genetics is Universiteit Antwerpen, located in Belgium; it covers computer vision and telecommunications as well, and is far larger, with about 22,000 students against roughly 4,000 here.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on food science, bioinformatics and microbiology and genetics is Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden, and it covers agriculture and ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly larger, at about 5,000 students against roughly 4,000 here.
In Japan, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology teaches much the same core subjects, food science, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai in India pursues a similar profile in food science, bioengineering and chemistry, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
What is the Facultad de Ciencias Químicas?
The chemistry faculty of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Where is it?
On Avenida Complutense in the Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.
How old is the university?
Its history goes back to the University of Alcalá de Henares, founded in 1499, and it moved to Madrid in 1836.
How large is the faculty?
About 4,000 students and 500 staff.
What does it teach?
Chemistry and chemical engineering, with double degrees and master's programmes in nanochemistry, materials, industrial chemistry and sustainable processes.
Which departments does it have?
Organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistry, chemical engineering and materials science.
Who studied at the Central University?
Severo Ochoa studied medicine in Madrid and received the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
How do you apply?
Bachelor's applicants use the national university entrance exam and the cut-off marks of each degree.
What does it cost?
Public universities in the Community of Madrid set tuition per credit. Check the current tariff.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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