Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Copenhagen offers a Bachelor's program in Crystallography, denoted as NKEB13008U. This program is designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge about crystallographic methods used to determine the structure of crystalline materials.

Program Details

• Program Name: Crystallography - BSc
• Program Code: NKEB13008U
• Credit: 7.5 ECTS
• Level: Bachelor
• Duration: 1 block
• Placement: Block 2
• Schedule: C, with a few hours possibly scheduled outside group C after agreement with the students
• Course Capacity: 20, with the possibility of reduced places for late registrations or credit/single subject students

Learning Outcomes

The students must demonstrate knowledge of:

• Crystallization and diffraction theory
• Crystal symmetry
• Crystallographic structure determination methods
• Structure validation

The student must be able to:

• Carry out, under guidance, crystallographic experiments and data analysis
• Determine crystallographic space groups from diffraction data
• Read, critically evaluate, and explain original articles in English where crystallography is used as a main method
• Make use of selected crystal structure databases for structural comparison and to evaluate structure quality
• Solve simple quantitative problems in crystallography

Competencies

The students must be able to analyze and present selected types of data from crystallization and crystallographic experiments, evaluate and discuss crystallization and crystallographic data and the derived structural information based on primary literature and/or database information.

Literature

Reading material from different textbooks and articles will be used, including but not limited to:

• W. Massa, Crystal structure determination 2nd edition 2004, Springer-Verlag
• D. Blow, Outline of Crystallography for Biologists, 2002, Oxford University Press
• Gregory S. Girolami, X-ray Crystallography, 2015, University Science Books
• Rhodes, Crystallography made crystal clear, 2006, Academic Press

Recommended Academic Qualifications

It is expected that the students are familiar with the content of the courses in introductory maths, chemistry, and/or biochemistry at a level expected for first or second year Chemistry or Biochemistry students.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course consists of a theoretical part (lectures, exercise classes, and presentation/discussion of original articles) and a practical part (laboratory and computer-based practical sessions). The theoretical part is supported by compulsory electronic quizzes, and the practical sessions are also compulsory.

Remarks

The course is very suitable for Chemistry, Biochemistry, and NanoScience students. Students from other disciplines are recommended to contact the teacher before registering to discuss their background knowledge as compared to the level of the course. The course cannot be taken if the Crystallography MSc course has already been taken.

Workload

• Lectures: 24 hours
• Class Instruction: 6 hours
• Preparation: 140 hours
• Theory exercises: 8 hours
• Practical exercises: 18 hours
• Excursions: 4 hours
• Guidance: 5 hours
• Exam: 1 hour
• Total: 206 hours

Exam

• Type of assessment: Oral examination, 20-30 minutes
• Examination prerequisites: Active participation in practical classes (80% compulsory attendance), satisfactory written short group reports, satisfactory presentation of 1-2 original articles, and satisfactory completion of all compulsory electronic quizzes.
• Aid: Only certain aids allowed, including short lists of key points prepared at home and appropriate tables in textbooks or International tables provided at the oral exam.
• Marking scale: 7-point grading scale
• Censorship form: No external censorship, with several internal examiners.

Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam, with all electronic quizzes satisfactorily completed. If the student has not participated in compulsory article presentation, a PowerPoint must be handed in. If the student has not participated in 80% of practical classes, completion of 80% of the practical work will have to be carried out as self-study.

Course Information

• Language: English
• Study Board: Study Board of Physics, Chemistry, and Nanoscience
• Contracting Department: Department of Chemistry
• Contracting Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Course Coordinators: Leila Lo Leggio
• Lecturers: Leila Lo Leggio, Anders Kadziola, Jesper Bendix

Final Notes

This program provides a comprehensive introduction to crystallography, covering both theoretical and practical aspects. It is designed for students interested in chemistry, biochemistry, and nanoscience, but students from other disciplines may also find it suitable after discussing their background knowledge with the teacher. The program includes a mix of lectures, exercises, and practical sessions, culminating in an oral examination. It is an excellent opportunity for students to gain a deep understanding of crystallography and its applications in various fields.