Chalmers University of Technology, PhD in chemistry& chemical engineering
Reviewed on Sep 5, 2025(Enrolled 2024)What Students Say
Likes
- Strong focus on equality and respect, both academically and socially.
- Work-life balance is highly valued, which creates a healthier lifestyle.
- Individuals are punctual and well-organized, so collaborations are seamless.
Dislikes
- Social interactions can feel reserved at first, making it harder to build connections quickly.
- Cold and dark winters can be mentally challenging, especially for newcomers.
- There is less small talk, which can seem strange in everyday interactions.
Course Curriculum
10
- I don't have to take any course. my work is research-based only. I have to do teachings only. here in sweden gender ratio is maintained. in my division there are 5 students who are doing either a PhD or a postdoc. so here is the largest number of indians i have seen. in masters also there is a huge ratio of indian students because i have seen it during my teachings.
Admission Experience
- 4-5 Colleges I applied for.
- I got interview calls from many other institutes. I got a call from the Max Planck Institute and a research institute in the Czech Republic.
- But I applied for other PhD positions as well which were not exactly similar to my research and could be a reason that i was not good with the fundamentals of other positions while interview and i got rejected either after the interview or was not shortlisted for them.
- I was applying to other colleges as well, but for a PhD the focus is usually on positions rather than institutes. So, I used to search for PhD positions based on my research interests. One day, I found a position on the Chalmers vacancies page that matched my interests, and I applied for it. At the same time, I realised that Chalmers is one of the best universities, ranked 2nd in Sweden and 127th globally.
- The admission procedure started with an online application where I submitted my Bachelor’s and Master’s documents, along with my research assistant experience after my Master’s thesis. I was then shortlisted for an interview. There were two rounds — I cleared both, and out of 157 applicants, I was the one selected.
- What I appreciated most was that they didn’t expect perfect English or complete knowledge of everything. Instead, they assessed basic understanding and emphasised that “we are here to teach you.” That philosophy truly attracted me.
- I had taken the TOEFL, but as far as I remember, it was not a major deciding factor. To be honest, repeatedly finding positions, writing applications, and submitting documents was a bit tiring. But once you secure a position, the whole journey feels worthwhile.
- I applied in january and then joined in spring, May 2024.
- Application process started in december when the position showed up on the website and then by the end of December, students were shortlisted for the interview. I had my first interview in january and then one at the end of January.
- After that I got an email that i am selected for the position and HR sent me an email about how to apply for a resident permit, housing and everything else. it all took a month; on may 15th i joined here.
Faculty
10
- I have no idea about this ratio. So i would not say anything about it. Teaching here is way better because there are 2-4 classes per week and they are not heavy. also there is experimentation.
- I don't know if faculty can help master students with jobs. But there are students who find part-time jobs easily in sweden. For me I can talk about my supervisor and he is extremely nice with teaching and knowledge.
Campus Life
10
- Chalmers University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has two campuses: Johanneberg (engineering, architecture, management) and Lindholmen (IT, shipping, innovation). Facilities include libraries, labs, sports, and health services. Students enjoy clubs, societies, sports, cultural events, and festivals like Cortège, a major annual parade. They have a great campus and maintenance.
Part Time Jobs
- Chalmers students can work as TAs, RAs, or mentors. TA pay ranges from ~SEK 23 to 167/hr, and RA from ~SEK 167 to 262/hr. Other roles include tutoring or mentoring; off-campus jobs pay ~SEK 140–160/hr. Students usually work <20 hrs/week to balance studies. TA roles are fairly accessible, but other jobs can be competitive, especially without Swedish. but if you know swedish then there are great jobs
- Students in Gothenburg earn \~SEK 120–160/hr in part-time jobs; TAs/RAs may earn more. TA roles are relatively accessible, while off-campus jobs are competitive, often requiring Swedish. Students search openings online/portals, submit CVs, and attend interviews. networking and strong academics improve chances. also an option for on-campus teaching students who are junior and are studying what you studied in your bachelor's or master's that can give you income as well
Placement
8
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About 33% of Chalmers grads secure jobs before graduation, 20% within 3 months, and 16% by 6 months. Starting salaries: engineers ~SEK?480–550?k/year, business ~400–700?k/year, CS ~45–50?k/month. Jobs via campus fairs, internships, networking, and portals. Major employers: Volvo, Ericsson, Spotify, Google, AstraZeneca, IBM, SKF, and Scania. This data was taken from the internet; they have good placement and start-ups as well.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- There is one site sgs studentbostader. I applied through it and I got a room with a kitchen and bathroom. My apartment lease is for 2 years and then I have to change it and once you register at this site. Then you queue points and based on those points you get housing again.
- My apartment is 1 km away from the university. Some people are living away as well. My rent is 4600 SEK. For sure the upcoming students should apply for these websites or contact indian people you will find something for sure. There are WhatsApp groups for indian people as well
Exams
- I gave TOEFL only though it was not that important. 2 letter of recommendation from professor whom i worked with. my CV and statement of purpose.
- Interview was a part and there were 3 professor who took my first interview and then my supervisor took my second interview. admission was based on interview and research experience only. my master and bachelor were eligbility criteria only.
Fees
- I don't have to pay any fee. when i got selected i had secured a salary. Which is around 35000 SEK and is taxable, which is 22% and in-hand salary is 28000 SEK. The monthly expense is rent and food or personal expenses only. which is not more than 7000-8000 SEK. You can save a big amount. Average rent is 4500-5000 SEK for a studio apartment and if the apartment is far, then a monthly transportation ticket is 659 SEK but is valid everywhere.
- But for sure this saving and all might be tough in a master's student scenario.
Scholarship
- For every phd student there is a fixed salary. but for master's students, they can apply for scholarships and i am not sure about the ratio per year but my friends have applied, and as they were doing their master's, all 3 of them got it.
- It just depends on what percentage you get. some of them got more, some less. But most of them easily got part-time jobs here and they can pay off their educational loan as well.
