The Master of Science in Chemical Sciences and Instrumentation (MSCSI) programme at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) was launched in July 2021. This brand-new postgraduate programme covers advanced chemistry concepts, instruments, data science, and technopreneurship. It is intended for professionals looking to maximise their potential in the energy and chemicals industries, as well as recent graduates seeking headstarts in this field.
Recently, we caught up with Professor Atsushi Goto, who is teaching a newly-created core module for the MSCSI programme, and Ms Charlene Tan, a student enrolled in the programme.
Charlene Tan (left) with Professor Atsushi Goto (right). Photo credit: Evangeline Ong
Professor Atsushi Goto is the Nippon Shokubai Professor in Chemistry at the Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry in the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS). He designed and is teaching Advanced Chemical Instrumentation (CS6810), a core module for the MSCSI programme that gives students hands-on experience in using chemistry instruments commonly employed in industry.
Ms Charlene Tan is a graduate of the BEng in Chemical Engineering programme at the National University of Singapore (NUS). After graduation, she applied for and was accepted into the MSCSI programme.
Professor Goto, you are teaching a newly-developed postgraduate course in Advanced Chemical Instrumentation. What is this course about?
Professor Goto: The Advanced Chemical Instrumentation course, CS6810, aims to teach students the basic concepts and applications of instruments frequently used by chemistry researchers, as well as chemists working in industry. The course covers a wide range of instrument types, including chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, electron and atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, lasers, bio-analytical instrumentation, and X-ray crystallography.
Students in the course don’t merely learn about the instruments in lectures. They also go through laboratory exercises to operate the machines.
What’s unique about this course, compared to other chemistry modules?
Professor Goto: I would say that the hands-on experience with the instruments is the most unique feature of the course. The students learn how to operate these instruments, as well as associated skills like how to interpret the raw images, spectra, and chromatograms produced by the instruments. They are guided by CBC faculty members and staff who are expert users of these instruments, who are available for consultation throughout the course. Furthermore, this practical experience is paired up with lectures that impart the theoretical knowledge about how these instruments function, which is very important for using the instruments properly.
How would this course benefit students after they graduate from the MSCSI programme?
Professor Goto: After going through this course, students will know how to use a wide range of chemistry instruments, and how to correctly interpret the data produced by those instruments. These are critical skills for anyone working professionally in synthetic, physical, biological, analytical, or materials chemistry. We have in mind not only academic researchers but also chemists working in industry, from the technical level all the way up to management. Industries that this course would be relevant for include food science, speciality chemicals, forensics, urban farming, marketing, and intellectual property management, to name a few.
Ms Charlene Tan operating an attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared spectrometer. Photo credit: Evangeline Ong
Charlene, this is a brand-new Master’s programme. How did you decide to enrol in the programme after finishing your bachelor’s degree?
Charlene Tan: After graduating from the Chemical Engineering programme at NUS, I knew I wanted to pursue a Master’s course. As I was looking through the offerings by NTU and NUS, I came across the MSCSI programme and was intrigued by its description. It offered the chance of getting more in-depth knowledge of the world of chemistry, as well as improving my analytical skills. I wanted to try out research in chemistry, and this seemed like a good way to get into that.
Before applying, I did think about the fact that this programme is completely new, with no student reviews, and I had no way of knowing what exactly it has in store for me. Ultimately, I made the decision to enrol in MSCSI on the strength of the programme outline.
After entering the course and interacting with the professors, my interest in chemistry has only grown. I now intend to pursue a PhD after finishing the MSCSI programme. I think I will be well prepared for what lies ahead, and I’m excited for it!
What specialisation did you pick for your MSCSI journey?
I picked the Analytical and Nanotechnology specialisation (one of the two possible specialisations offered by the programme). In this specialisation, I will be able to learn a diverse range of subjects, from materials chemistry to the use of machine learning models in chemistry, which complement the core modules on analytic chemistry. I am excited to be taking these modules soon.
My own interests in chemistry tend towards materials and analytical chemistry. I had been introduced to materials engineering before, but did not learn much about the chemistry behind it. I always wondered how certain materials engineering processes actually worked. Taking this postgraduate programme has been giving me a lot of answers!
Registration for the MSCSI programme for Academic Year 2022/2023 closes on 31 January 2022. To apply, click here.