Hands-on HPLC and LC-MS
- Duration: 5 days for live courses
- Experience level: Intermediate
- Delivery methods: Face-to-face | Offsite training & consultancy | Onsite training & consultancy | Tailored training |
- Type of course: Universal
- Applicable to manufacturer(s): Agilent | Bruker | JASCO | PerkinElmer | Sciex | Scion | Shimadzu | Thermo | Waters |
- CPD Approved: Approved
- Scheduled course price: £2,850.00 + TAX per delegate
- Course discounts: RSC CAMS HEaTED Cambridge Network members receive a discount on this course
Your Hands-on approach to learning High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
Combine the practical theory of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with this Royal Society of Chemistry approved for Continued Professional development (CPD-on HPLC and LC-MS training. Designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, the course allows you to apply the knowledge learnt to instrumentation within the laboratory. Gain experience with all aspects of HPLC and LC-MS, including mobile phases, pumps, autosamplers, columns, detectors, ionisation sources, mass analysers, vacuum systems, calibration and tuning of the instruments. This course combines HPLC theory and methods, HPLC maintenance, LC-MS theory and methods, LC-MS maintenance as well as HPLC and LC-MS troubleshooting.
This Hands-on HPLC & LC-MS course is ideal for analysts, students and professionals who already have a basic understanding of HPLC and LC-MS and would like to develop more in-depth knowledge, and hands-on experience using, maintaining and troubleshooting instrumentation.
Why should I join?
On completion, you will have both the theoretical knowledge and practical experience required to operate, optimise, maintain and troubleshoot HPLC and LC-MS systems, with the confidence to apply these skills immediately within your own laboratory.
This Hands-on HPLC & LC-MS course gives you:
- Strong theoretical and practical skills for using HPLC and LC-MS
- Clear explanations and examples of HPLC and LC-MS instrumentation and components
- Guidance on mobile phase preparation, method development and optimisation
- An understanding of chromatographic separations and detector technologies
- Practical insight into LC-MS calibration, tuning and performance optimisation
- Hands-on experience of routine maintenance procedures for both HPLC and LC-MS systems
- A structured approach to troubleshooting chromatographic and mass spectrometric problems
- Improved confidence in interpreting chromatograms, mass spectra and analytical data
- An understanding of common causes of contamination, carryover and sensitivity loss
- A valuable refresher for existing HPLC and LC-MS users
What would I learn?
A user-friendly HPLC and LC-MS course that combines in-depth theory with practical laboratory exercises, you will learn:
- The principles behind liquid chromatography and chromatographic separations
- How stationary phases and mobile phases interact to separate compounds
- The functions of key HPLC components including pumps, degassers, autosamplers, columns and detectors
- The influence of solvent composition, gradients, buffers, pH and temperature on chromatographic performance
- The theory behind common HPLC detectors including UV and PDA systems
- The principles of mass spectrometry and how liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry are hyphenated together
- The operation of common ionisation techniques including ESI, APCI and APPI
- The role of vacuum systems, ion optics, mass analysers and detectors in LC-MS systems
- The differences between single quadrupole, tandem quadrupole, ion trap, time-of-flight (ToF) and OrbitrapTM mass analysers
- How calibration, tuning and mass resolution are used to optimise analytical performance
- The principles of routine maintenance, preventative maintenance and performance verification
- How to identify, diagnose and correct common HPLC and LC-MS problems
What knowledge will I gain?
- Understand the complete analytical pathway from sample preparation through to chromatographic separation, mass spectral detection and data analysis
- Be confident discussing the principles, operation and applications of HPLC and LC-MS instrumentation
- Understand mobile phase selection, buffer preparation and solvent compatibility
- Select suitable columns and chromatographic conditions for different analytical applications
- Understand retention, selectivity, efficiency, resolution and their impact on separations
- Be familiar with calibration procedures, mass resolution optimisation and compound-specific tuning
- Understand the operation and maintenance requirements of pumps, autosamplers, detectors and columns
- Perform routine maintenance on LC-MS components including ion sources, electrospray probes, sample cones and vacuum systems
- Understand the operation of rotary pumps, scroll pumps, turbomolecular pumps and vacuum diagnostics
- Recognise the causes of contamination, carryover, ghost peaks, baseline drift and poor sensitivity
- Troubleshoot common HPLC problems including leaks, pressure fluctuations, retention time shifts and poor peak shapes
- Diagnose common LC-MS issues including charging, contamination, vacuum faults and tuning problems
- Understand preventative maintenance schedules and methods used to maximise instrument uptime and reliability
- Interpret chromatograms, mass spectra, tune reports and instrument diagnostics
- Comprehend the principles behind data generation, integration, interpretation and reporting
Is this course for me?
This RSC approved for CPD training is designed for anyone who needs a solid understanding of HPLC and LC-MS, including:
- Analysts & technicians requiring training or a clear structured refresher of HPLC and LC-MS
- Laboratory or line managers overseeing HPLC and LC-MS instrumentation
- Data analysts and report writers who interpret results but don’t use the instruments
- Service and consultant engineers who need both a theoretical and a hands-on reminder
- Sales, marketing or commercial teams working with HPLC and LC-MS systems, consumables, data or laboratory services
If HPLC or LC-MS touches your work in any way, this well-planned course delivered by experts in the field equips you to understand the science behind these techniques.
Course combinations
Can’t attend the full course? No worries, combine days or modules to create training that works best for you. The more days you book the larger the discount.
- For 2 days, pay £1250
- For 3 days, pay £1825
- For 4 days, pay £2350
- For 5 days, pay £2850
Please note, discounts won’t apply when booking but will appear on your invoice.
What's next?
Feedback from previous attendees
“The practical skills in LC-MS & the knowledge of MS systems with their functions. It has greatly improved my practical skill and will be very helpful in my work. I would especially recommend the LC-MS instructor, he is super professional. It was a valuable & good experience!” Senior Research Fellow, 2026
“The quality of the information provided. I have worked with HPLC systems for a number of years, but it was embarrassing to realise how much I didn’t know. This course gave me a good understanding of the systems. Furthermore, the amount of info provided on LC-MS was fantastic.” Analytical Chemist, 2026
“Tailored content, with the instructor easily helping problem solve & understand the individual & specialised problems. I’ve only ever trained with Anthias – consistently great knowledge.” QC Shift Analyst II, 2026
