Course summary

Study BSc Chemistry with a Year in Industry or Research and gain first-hand experience of the chemical or pharmaceutical industry. During the first two years you will learn the core chemistry topics which all chemists need to know. Topics include trends in the periodic table, carbonyl group chemistry and chemical kinetics. You will be taught by world-leading experts through a combination of lectures, lab classes, workshops and tutorials. If you do not have an A level in Maths, you will take our first year Maths for Chemists module which covers all the topics you will need for Chemistry. Depending on your level of maths, you may have the opportunity to take an option from outside the department. The work placement in your third year gives you the opportunity to gain industrial experience as well as the chance to apply your knowledge and skills to real-life situations. Recent host companies have included GSK, Unilever and Procter & Gamble. In your final year you will study more advanced topics influenced by the cutting-edge chemistry taking place around you. The Department 's staff specialise in a number of areas including nanotechnology, synthesis, polymers and advanced materials, surface science and forensic analysis, providing a wide range of options for your final year research project. If you are interested in teaching as a career, we offer a school-based project in your final year. You will spend one day a week for two terms working alongside both teachers and pupils on an individual project. This project gives you the necessary experience for teacher training applications and helps develop your professional skills for careers which involve working with people. All our chemistry courses are very flexible and, depending on your grades, you can transfer between them at the end of your first or second year. This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). For more information, please visit the Department of Chemistry website. Placement We have a dedicated placements officer who can advise on career options, CVs and letters of application, as well as help you to find a placement. We have previously sent students to companies such as Coty (Rimmel), Dow Corning and GSK. Students have also been placed at foreign research institutions such as the University of Zaragoza, Aarhus University, the University of South Australia and NASA.