Course description

Chemistry is the fundamental cornerstone for many economically important industries today, creating a demand for high quality chemistry graduates. The constant desire for innovation, new products and new solutions continually drives forward research and development. By studying the interaction of molecules, their structure and properties, we learn vital information about the world we live in and this offers opportunities to find answers to many of the problems we, as a society, face today.

If you choose to study for a BSc or MChem degree in Chemistry, you will find it is an incredibly exciting science, with substantial hands-on practical work. You will graduate with the skills and expertise that may lead you to make new discoveries. These discoveries can result in advances in many important fields such as health and medicine, energy and the environment, materials and technology or food and agriculture. As a chemistry graduate you will have a diverse range of career options open to you.

The School of Chemistry at Leicester is one of the best in the UK for both teaching and research. We have a reputation as a friendly, supportive department that produces highly trained graduates with skills valued by employers. This is because we offer high quality courses that are designed to give you a wide range of employment opportunities, and are carefully structured to ensure you will cover all the relevant topics.

Whichever degree you study, you will always benefit from our excellent teaching, our well-equipped laboratories, our high-quality welfare provision and academic support. You will also reap the benefits of the cutting-edge research being carried out in the department by our academics – the same academics who teach you.

Our specialist research areas include atmospheric chemistry, chemical biology, materials and interfaces, spectroscopy and dynamics, and sustainable synthesis and catalysis. You can be sure of learning about the very latest breakthroughs in each area throughout your course. In your final year, you will carry out your own personal research project, working under one of our academic staff and applying the knowledge and practical skills which you have gained on the course – placing you at the cutting-edge of chemistry research.

What's the difference?

We offer two different Chemistry subjects, which are available as follows:

• BSc (3 years), BSc with a Year in Industry (4 years)
• MChem (4 years), MChem with a Year in Industry (4 years), MChem with a Year Abroad (4 years)

Study for a BSc and you will receive rigorous training in chemistry and related, transferable skills – which will put you in a strong position to apply for a range of different employment sectors. Or you may want to continue your studies by applying for a Masters degree (MSc).

If you specifically want to find work as a chemist, whether in industry or the public sector, you should consider an MChem. The extra depth of experience and knowledge you will gain is valued by prospective employers that use chemical processes, and will keep you competitive in the job market against graduates who may have studied for the longer degrees taught in some European countries. Alternatively, an MChem provides a solid basis for progressing to a PhD.

Each of our MChem degrees share a common first two years with the respective BSc, during which you can switch between them (transfer from BSc to MChem is subject to satisfactory progress). Both the MChem and BSc degrees are taught and assessed to the same high standards. The difference is one of content, not quality.

Also please note that the Year Abroad option is not available on our BSc degrees.