The Erasmus Mundus Master in
Quality in Analytical Laboratories (EMQAL) is a master's course for
laboratory managers and scientists who wish to implement and manage
quality systems in analytical laboratories, or work in a quality system
environment in accredited analytical laboratories.
After ten years of running as
an Erasmus Mundus Master's Course, EMQAL was in 2019 reevaluated and
reselected by the European Commission for Erasmus Mundus funding.
In
the 2019 call, EMQAL was one of only 44 programs to be selected for
Erasmus Mundus funding. As a result, EMQAL is again able to offer
Erasmus Mundus grants to students and scholars. Fundiong has been
awarded for four intakes, starting in 2020. The last intake in this
funding period will be in 2023, and these students will graduate in
2025.
This third phase of EMQAL is
coordinated by the University of Bergen.
The master is offered by a
consortium of five European universities:
- University of Bergen
(Norway, NO) - coordinator
- University of Algarve
(Portugal, PT)
- University of Barcelona (Spain, ES)
- University of Cadiz (Spain,
ES)
- Gdansk University of
Technology (Poland, PL)
EMQAL has more than 50 associate partners. These including several
higher education institutions, private and public companies, accredited
laboratories and research centers. The Partner Institutions section
includes details anout the partners.
The
programme duration is 24 months, which corresponds to 120 ECTS. The
first year (60 ECTS) consists of 30 theoretical and practical modules
taught at one of the partner universities. The second year involves a
research project and a three month internship in an accridted
laboratory or a laboratory with an implemented quality management
system. The activities undertaken are summarixed in a master's
thesis.
In the first year, classes
take place at a host university. Classes are taught by specialists from
all the partner institutions, as well as invited scholars. The role of
host university rotates among the partners of the Consortium.
The
main language of instruction is English. The university hosting the
first year also offers an intensive local language school prior to the
programme, as well as the opportunity of local language training during
the course.
For
the current EMQAL edition the host institution is the University
of Bergen, Norway. This edition was delayed to January 2021 due to
covid-19, and classes lasts throughout 2021. To complete the master's
programme, the students must
travel to another partner university in a different country to do the
research project and an internship. This means travelling to Poland,
Portugal or Spain. Parts of the resarch project may be spent with our
associated partners as longs as the mobility scheme of the Erasmus
Mundus is adhered to.
After
graduation, a European Joint Master Degree in Quality in Analytical
Laboratories is awarded by the partner universities of the consortium.
Details of the modules, internship and research project undertaken by
the student are given in a diploma supplement.
