Course summary

The MChem degree at the University of Aberdeen is a 5 year programme accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and leading to the professional qualification of Chartered Chemist. Ranked 7th in the UK for Chemistry, Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022. Ranked 1st in Scotland for Overall Student Satisfaction, National Student Survey 2021. The brand-new Science Teaching Hub provides the latest high-tech teaching labs and equipment to support your learning and to help you develop industry-standard skills and techniques to launch your chemistry career. Chemistry is a core science that is not only the very essence of life, but is also concerned with the quality of life and its continuous improvement. It is often regarded as the central science, and a degree in chemistry provides a student with many key skills which can be used in many areas not necessarily restricted to the discipline. Students who study chemistry at university go on to work in a wide range of highly rewarding careers, tackling the problems we face today in areas such as drug discovery, environmental protection, forensics, food and agriculture as well as academic careers in teaching or cutting-edge research. Chemistry is also central to the transition to clean and sustainable energy and this programme will also provide you with the foundation for a career in developing battery and fuel cell technology, carbon capture technologies and also the hydrogen economy. The BSc (Honours) degree is the traditional route to a chemistry qualification. It involves four years of full time study (although direct entry into second year is possible for well qualified applicants, and all four years may be undertaken part time). This degree was instigated about 10 years ago at the request of employers and the RSC to provide graduates with a wider range of skills (including transferable skills and more research experience) than those in the BSc (Hons). A feature of all of these programmes is a final year 4-month research project placement in the area of specialisation, usually at an overseas university, research institute or industrial laboratory. The MChem is seen as the flagship degree, and entry into the final two years is dependent on achieving at least an upper second class Honours level of performance in third year. Chemistry graduates are very employable because a degree in chemistry opens many opportunities in areas such as drug development, environmental protection, food chemistry, petroleum chemistry, forensic science and materials development.