School of Chemistry

Studying Chemistry at Leicester

Teaching

Average teaching week

A Leicester chemistry student's week is characterised by a strong emphasis on practical skills, alongside rigorous theoretical learning delivered through an innovative balance of structured lectures, tutorials, problem classes, and workshops. A typical teaching week in your first year consists of approximately 20 hours contact time including experimental and group project work.

We place a strong emphasis on small group tutorials and problem classes.

Tutorials consist of 5-7 students meeting with a member of the academic staff to discuss questions arising from the lectures. Tutorials give you an ideal opportunity to discuss any problems you have with your understanding of your course content, and they also give you the chance to get to know some of the other members of staff in the Department.

Problem classes usually revolve around a series of problems. However, in contrast to tutorials, the problem sheets are solved by dividing the class into small groups of students. Teamwork makes these sessions an enjoyable learning experience.

A vital part of university learning is self-study. You will be expected to dedicate private study time each week to answering problem sheets, carrying out project work, and reading around the different courses you will be taking.

If you have any specific questions about our teaching methods, please contact us.

Innovative modules

Computing is an increasingly important component of both chemistry and the modern world as a whole, and so provides a highly-transferable skill. Training in scientific computation and programming for chemists, using our dedicated computing facilities, is built into our degree programme at all levels.

We will supply all the teaching and practise necessary to master the scientific computer programming you will need for your degree studies, and for a career in chemistry and beyond.

Project work

Working on goal-oriented projects, both individually and as part of a team, is a crucial requirement for employers in a variety of industries. You will begin with small group project work from as early as your first year. By your final year, you will carry out a full-scale research project in collaboration with one of our research groups.

As a 3rd year BSc student you will carry out two semester-long projects, gaining complementary experience directly relevant to the project-focussed methods used by the main employers of graduate chemists. As a 4th year MChem student you will be integrated into one of our research groups and carry out a long-term project answering a specific question at the forefront of scientific research. Our projects give every student a taste of the cutting-edge research we do in the School of Chemistry. In a lot of cases, students find their results are published in leading journals - so not only will you have experience working on innovative research, you can also boost your CV by having your name on a published article.

Laboratory classes

Chemistry is a very practical subject, and so strong emphasis is placed on the acquisition of laboratory skills. To help with your confidence, familiarity and understanding of laboratory practical work, you will have access to a range of instructional video clips that we have prepared in order to guide you through the experimental techniques before you go into the laboratory. In the laboratory, you will explore a range of experiments covering the main areas of chemistry in our dedicated teaching laboratories under the guidance of our expert research and teaching staff.

Our innovative approach to laboratory classes incorporates data analysis and reporting within the core contact hours, minimising the self-study time required for completing post-lab reports.

Learning materials

There is no requirement to purchase textbooks in order to support your studies. The University Library is well-stocked with multiple copies of all the core texts that are needed throughout your studies, and the majority of textbooks are also available electronically. A set of comprehensive notes will be provided for each lecture and laboratory course.

You will be provided with a calculator, a molecular modelling kit, and all the personal protective equipment (PPE) that you will need.

Prior knowledge of mathematics

We do not expect students to begin with knowledge beyond that of GCSE-level mathematics, and A-level mathematics is not an entry requirement for our course. Weekly sessions throughout the first year are dedicated to teaching all the mathematics and key skills you will need.

Personal tutor and student support

All new students are allocated a personal tutor, and you will meet with them regularly throughout your studies. Your personal tutor is a member of the academic staff in the School of Chemistry who acts as a personal confidante during your time as an undergraduate. All our students are provided with a comprehensive set of materials and resources to ensure they get the most out of their degree.

We appreciate that modern students can have a range of commitments outside their studies. Whether you have caring responsibilities or need to undertake part-time work alongside your studies, we will provide you with all the support needed to achieve here at Leicester. We constantly work hard to ensure that student workload is managed on our courses. In recent years we have reworked our laboratory courses to enable the majority of report writing to be completed in class, making it easier for students to plan around their other commitments.