KJM5240 – Mass Spectrometry
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
This course is addressed to unexperienced mass spectrometry users from various fields (e.g., chemistry, biology, pharmacy, medicine, physics, geology) who want to understand how their instrument works and how to properly interpret the obtained data. Although no hands-on is provided, the course is very much oriented towards helping you with your everyday work on a mass spectrometer, equipping you with the essential technical and chemical-analytical knowledge.
Learning outcome
After completing this course, you will:
- understand how the most common mass analyzers work: quadrupole (QMS), triple quadrupole (TQMS), cylindrical and linear ion trap (CIT-MS, LIT-MS), Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR-MS), Orbitrap-MS, time-of-flight (TOF-MS), and magnetic sector MS analyzers.
- know the principles of the main ionization methods that are currently in use: electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), Penning ionization (PeI), electron capture negative ionization (ECNI), photoionization (PI), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), fast atom bombardment (FAB), and electrospray ionization (ESI).
- understand the ion chemical and physical processes in an ion source and be able to choose the best ionization method for your sample
- be able to understand and describe the chemical-analytical performance of a mass spectrometer (mass resolution, mass accuracy, sensitivity, limit of detection, etc.)
- be able to interpret mass spectra (mostly ESI-generated) and know the basic principles of ion fragmentation.
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must?apply for courses?in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may?apply to take this course as a single course student.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with KJM9240 – Mass Spectrometry.
Teaching
The course duration is one semester, and consists of:
- 30 hours of lectures
- 15 hours of exercises.
Examination
- Final oral exam which?counts 100% towards?the final grade.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: KJM9240 – Mass Spectrometry
Examination support material
Smartphone or notebook (for using online MS interpretation tools)
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a?postponed exam?at the beginning of the next semester.
New examinations?are offered at the beginning of the next semester for students who do not successfully complete the exam during the previous semester.
We do not offer a re-scheduled exam for students who withdraw during the exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.