The International Master in Fragrance Formulations (IMFF) is managed by PIN under the patronage of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Florence in partnership with world-class flavours and fragrances companies.The Master offers a high level specialized training in the field of fragrances and perfumes. The program will be delivered entirely online, in English, all lectures will be recorded and made available online 24/7.
IMFF focuses on the theoretical concepts and practical aspects of fragrance formulations for industrial and scientific applications.
IMFF represents a unique opportunity in the fragrance training panorama. Most of the lecturers are affiliated to the University of Florence: the city of Florence has a long history of perfumery and fragrance manufacturing, from the Renaissance up to the present times.
The Master is well suited for graduate students interested in fragrance formulations, particularly those who seek a high-level, specific knowledge in this field for a potential future employment. The program is also designed for all the stakeholders (employees, operators, managers, R&D) involved in cosmetics, textile, cleaning products and food industry, in which fragrances play a key role in the formulation of commercial products.
From May 19, 2025 to July 31, 2025 and from September 1, 2025 to November 21, 2025.
Once the maximum number of participants is reached (50) all other requests will not be considered. In case of withdrawal or unsuccessful application procedure the first excluded applicants will be enrolled.
Participants will receive an attendance certificate upon the successful completion of 7 mid-term exams and the final examination. Further details can be found in the “Exam and Certificate” tab.
All lectures will be held online, via Google Meet.
Laboratory sessions and olfactory training will be entirely online: the participants will receive a training kit via express courier in order to perform the smelling and the formulation sessions from remote.
All lectures, laboratory and training sessions will be recorded and uploaded on a dedicated and shared Google Drive folder for the students. The recordings will be available for the download and the online view until the Master end date. Lecture notes, articles, extracts and presentations will be uploaded and filed on the Google Drive folder as well.
We will provide the lessons online in live sessions on a daily basis (usually 2-4 hours per day from Monday to Friday, mostly in June, July and September).
Live presence is not required since participants can follow the entire Course outside their working hours through the recordings.
The middle term and the final exams will be performed asynchronously as well. The professors are available anytime via email to interact with the participants.
A distinctive feature of our master’s program is the exclusive kit with 100 samples (including raw materials and formulated products). The kit will be shipped by express courier to all participants.
The content of the kit is provided directly by our course partners, the major players in the fragrance industry, worldwide: Symrise, IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances), DSM-Firmenich, Mueller&Koster, and Eurofragance.
This exclusive kit will allow participants to work with high-quality raw materials and attend the laboratory lectures on smelling, formulations and olfactive families. The participants will also be provided with blotters, pipettes and test tubes to reconstruct the final accords.
Seven midterm exams will be scheduled at the end of the following courses: Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Olfactive Families, Toxicology, Neurophysiology of Olfaction, Fragrances and Flavours.
The final examination (October – November 2025) will focus on the creation and discussion of a fragrance formulation.
The midterm exams and the final examination will be held online (remote asynchronous examinations, no physical presence will be required).
Upon successful completion of the midterm and final examinations the student will receive an official certificate of attendance.
IMFF DIRECTOR
Prof. Pierandrea Lo Nostro
Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”
University of Florence
Via della Lastruccia, 3 – Sesto Fiorentino (FI), 50019, Italy
email: pierandrea.lonostro (at) unifi.it
phone: +39 055 4573010
IMFF COORDINATORS
Dr. Duccio Tatini
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry & Pharmacy
University of Siena, Italy
email: duccio.tatini (at) unisi.it
Dr. Mert Acar
Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”
University of Florence
Via della Lastruccia, 3 – Sesto Fiorentino (FI), 50019, Italy
email: mert.acar (at) unifi.it
In case you need further information please fill out the form and you will be contacted by our team.