KJM5912 – Radiochemistry

Course content

The subject provides a thorough introduction to nuclear and radiochemistry, with a primary focus on how to work in a radioactivity laboratory. Basic radiochemical methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of radionuclides are reviewed, as well as how radionuclides can be used as tracers to follow processes and reactions

Learning outcome

After completing this course, you:

• will learn how to safely handle radioactive materials in a chemistry laboratory
• will become acquainted with common measurement techniques for determining the level of radioactivity in samples from such laboratory work
• have practical training in the laboratory which is a significant part of the course, constituting about 60% of the workload. This complements the lectures and provides hands-on experience with common radiochemical analysis and separation techniques.

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.

Maximum 12 students due to Laboratory capacity. If more than 12 students apply they will be accepted in the following order:

1. Ph.D. candidates at the MN-faculty
2. Master students with the course in their approved study plan
3. Master students at the MN faculty
4. Others

Formal prerequisite knowledge

The safety when working with radioactive material is very strict. For this reason, it is demanded that the students attend HMS course in radiation protection which's arranged by the group of Nuclear Chemistry. This will go over 4 coherent days in August/September. The HMS-course will be organized in the schedule for the course. The students who have the course KJM5903 – Radiation Protection from before don't need to follow the HMS-course, since this is included in the course KJM5903 – Radiation Protection

Recommended previous knowledge

The course is based on fundamental knowledge about radioactivity (equal to what you learn from for example the course KJM3900 – Radioactivity) and basic knowledge about chemistry. It is possible to take KJM3900 – Radioactivity in parallel to  KJM5912 – Radiochemistry, but it's recommended taking KJM3900 – Radioactivity in advance.

Overlapping courses

• 10 credits overlap with KJM9912 – Radiochemistry.
• 6 credits overlap with KJM5911 – Laboratorieøvelser i radiokjemi (discontinued).
• 4 credits overlap with KJM5901 – Radiochemical methods (discontinued).

Teaching

The teaching consists of:

• Lectures (20 hours in class room and approx. 10 hours video record)
• 8-10 laboratory exercises of a total of approx. 8 days duration (with mandatory reports that will form the basis of the oral exam). Parts of the laboratory exercises will be carried out abroad, in collaboration with other universities.

The course has 60 % hands-on exercises and laboratory work in radiochemical laboratories (type C) and 40 % lectures.

The mandatory laboratory exercises with reports must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

It is mandatory to attend the first lecture (including students on the waiting list). If you are unable to attend the first lecture, you must notify the Department of Chemistry before the start of the lecture, otherwise, your course registration will be canceled.

Attendance at the laboratory course is mandatory. If you are prevented from meeting, you have to show documentation that you were legally absent (medical note from a doctor or similar).

As the teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.

Access to teaching

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Examination

• Folder exam with final oral exam.

The mandatory exercises and reports must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for the following course: KJM9912 – Radiochemistry

Examination support material

Table of nuclides.

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 examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass the original examination.

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.