Full entry requirments

International students can progress directly on to BSc Chemistry (F100) and MChem Chemistry (F105) from the International Foundation Year in Science and Computing.

About these Courses

These chemistry degrees reflect the very latest developments in modern chemical science. They also offer the opportunity to broaden your horizons by incorporating a study year in Industry or Abroad (e.g., USA, Europe, Canada or Australia). We have highly enthusiastic staff members who take great pride in teaching all aspects of chemistry.

The aim of the four-year MChem course is to provide the necessary training for those considering a career as a professional research chemist. The BSc course is designed to prepare you for a career in industry, teaching, commerce, or in a government laboratory where the emphasis is less heavily weighted towards research. The first two years are common to both the MChem and BSc courses so transfer in either direction is possible.

The MChem degrees involving a Year in Industry or a Year Abroad give you a unique opportunity to put your chemistry into practice.

The Chemistry with a Year Abroad degree will allow you to gain greater confidence and maturity from living and working in a foreign country.

With the globalisation of economies, knowledge of a foreign language can be extremely important. In the Year Abroad (Europe) degree you will be able to develop your language skills.

The chemical and pharmaceutical industries are the largest employers of scientists in the UK and the Chemistry with a Year in Industry degree will allow you to spend a year on a research project in a company and will provide you with excellent preparation for a career in the chemical industry.

Skills Gained

In addition to extensive training in the theory and practice of chemistry, a multitude of transferable skills will be acquired including IT, team and individual project work, presentation skills, numeracy, analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. These skills are sought after by employers in both scientific and non-scientific areas e.g. commerce and law.

You will also gain insight into the way chemical science is applied to real world problems and challenges.

The Year Abroad (Europe) degree will give you fluency in a foreign language, while the Year in Industry degree will provide you with the valuable knowledge and skills required to embark on a successful career in all areas of industrial chemistry (e.g. pharmaceutical, petrochemical and analytical).

Graduate Opportunities

You will have a wide range of career opportunities throughout the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Chemists can also be found in the petrochemical, agriculture, food processing, water, medical and electronics industries as well as more generally in education, the media, the public service and the finance and business sectors.

If you are keen to pursue a career in research, you could stay on after graduating to complete an MSc or a PhD degree.

First Year – BSc/MChem

Core modules:

• Chemical Principles
• Organic Stereochemistry and Reactivity
• Thermodynamics and Kinetics
• Organic Functional Groups
• Co-ordination Chemistry
• Mathematics for Chemists.

Supplementary modules:

• Chemistry in Society
• Molecules in Nature
• Environmental Chemistry
• Quantitative Methods
• Scientific Reasoning, Ethics and Communication.

Second Year – BSc/MChem

Core modules:

• Molecular Spectroscopy
• Colloids and Interfaces
• Kinetics and Mechanisms
• Bifunctional Molecules
• Chemistry of Rings
• Organometallic Chemistry.

Supplementary modules:

• Industrial Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Communicating Chemistry
• Bioanalytical Chemistry
• Introduction to Analytical Chemistry

Third Year - BSc

In your Final Year you can choose five modules from:

• Advanced Organic Chemistry
• Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
• Advanced Physical Chemistry
• Biological Chemistry
• Metals in Organic Synthesis
• Advanced Analytical Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry.

In addition, you will undertake a mini-research project which will be assessed as part of your degree. Recent BSc research projects have included:

• Triol Protecting Groups
• Probing the Potential of Iminoquaterpyridine in Double Helicate Formation
• 31P-NMR Spectroscopic Studies on Acylphosphine Oxide Photoinitiators 

Third and Fourth Years – MChem

In the Third Year, if not studying abroad or working in industry (see below), you will take the same core modules as those in the Final Year of the BSc course, in addition to some optional modules. You will also take a laboratory course on specialist preparative, analytical and spectroscopic techniques.

In the Fourth Year all MChem students will take four research-level modules. Modules currently on offer include:

• Advanced Structure Determination
• Advanced Synthetic Methods
• Earth System Science
• Green Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Cancer Chemistry

A major research project that will last for two semesters is also undertaken in the fourth year. Recent MChem research projects have included:

• Protein Kinases as Novel Drug Targets
• New Methods for the Purification of Biodiesel
• Following Radical Reactions using EPR Spectroscopy

Third Year in Industry - MChem (where chosen)

In the Third Year you spend a year working in paid employment with a chemical or pharmaceutical company. Companies that have recently participated include:

• Glaxo SmithKline
• AstraZeneca
• Pfizer Central Research
• Lubrizol
• Novartis

During the year working in industry you will undertake a project with the company, which is written up as a report and assessed as a module contributing to your degree. There are three chemistry modules that must be completed by distance learning. We have also had a number of students who have worked for chemical companies in Europe. These students have been able to add fluency in a foreign language to their collection of skills. The Year in Industry option is only available to those doing a MChem degree.

Third Year in Europe - MChem (where chosen)

The Third Year of your degree will be spent at a European university.

At present our partner universities in this Erasmus exchange scheme are in

• Nice (France)
• Siena (Italy)
• Stuttgart (Germany)
• Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

The marks obtained in your year abroad count towards your final degree.

To study in Europe you will receive an Erasmus grant (approx €378 per month) and intensive language training during your Second Year. The Year Abroad option is only available to those doing a MChem degree. Many organisations have an international scope so knowledge of a foreign language and a global outlook can give you a vital edge in the graduate jobs market.

Third Year in the USA - MChem (where chosen)

The Third Year of your degree will be spent at one of the following universities in the USA:

• Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• University at Buffalo, New York State
• Kent State University, Ohio
• University of Florida, Gainesville

During the Year Abroad your time will be split between lecture courses and a research project. The project will be undertaken in one of the research groups in the Chemistry Department at the selected university. This will give you the chance to make a real contribution to science during your Year Abroad. The marks obtained during your Year Abroad count towards your final degree.

The Year Abroad option is only available to those doing a MChem degree.

Third Year in other countries – MChem

We are currently developing new Year Abroad programmes for countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. These programmes will be rolled out in the next few years. If you are interested in any of these programmes please contact the Admissions team for more information.

The Year Abroad option is only available to those doing a MChem degree.

Contact

Admissions Tutor: Dr Corey Evans
0116 252 2100
Fax: 0116 252 3789
chemadmiss@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/chemistry/

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