Chemistry (with Industrial Training Year) BSc Honours
UCAS Code: F102 (4 Years)

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Student in the laboratory Making new compounds, determining their structures and exploring their reactivities are just part of a chemist’s job.

The work of chemists has led to many things we now take for granted: from cosmetics to detergents, perfumes to adhesives, drugs to dyes, and paints to painkillers.

This degree provides you with a thorough understanding of all the main areas of chemistry. Organic, inorganic and physical chemistry form the backbone of your study programme at each Stage.

We also cover vocational topics aimed at developing graduate skills such as problem solving, teamworking, presentation and communication skills, as well as the laboratory skills required by professional chemists.

In Stage 3 you undertake a non-assessed year in industry. This provides you with the necessary training and work experience to make you more competitive in the job market after graduation.

Quality and ranking

The quality of the chemistry study experience at Newcastle is recognised with an overall satisfaction score of 92% in the National Student Survey 2013. 

 


Professional accreditation

This degree is professionally accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Studying an RSC-accredited degree satisfies the academic requirements for the award of Chartered Chemist (CChem) and leads to full membership of the RSC on graduation.

Teaching and assessment

The School of Chemistry at Newcastle contributes to an internationally recognised portfolio of chemistry research – a breadth of study that caters for a wide range of interests and career aspirations. Our research feeds directly into our teaching material. This makes sure that you have the chance to learn about some of the latest discoveries in your subject area, from the people responsible for making them.

Teaching is by a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops. You will have practical classes for two afternoons each week in Stage 1 and these increase in later Stages. 

Assessment is by in-course assessment, laboratory work and written examinations. Teaching and assessment methods may vary from module to module; more information can be found in our individual module listings.

Visit our Teaching and Learning pages to read about the outstanding learning experience available to you at Newcastle University.

Facilities

The School of Chemistry at Newcastle is home to some of the highest specification laboratory facilities in the country:

  • a state-of-the-art £2.8m synthetic teaching laboratory
  • a £1.9m chemistry research laboratory
  • a £750,000 refurbishment of the physical chemistry teaching laboratory

Take a virtual tour of our facilities on the School's website.

School of Chemistry

The School of Chemistry is based in the Bedson Building, which houses newly-built teaching laboratories, specialist computer facilities and refurbished lecture theatres.

We provide all of our first-year students with a welcome pack worth £200, containing everything you need to make a smooth transition to University study – from textbooks and a calculator to a lab coat and alarm clock.

Our student-run society Nu:Kem organises a busy schedule of social and academic events throughout the year to help you meet people from all years and really feel part of life in the School of Chemistry.

From the very start of your studies, you will also be appointed a Personal Tutor from within the School who can provide guidance on both academic and non-academic matters.

+ Flexible degree structure

All of our chemistry degrees share the same first year with modules covering:

  • basic organic chemistry
  • physical chemistry
  • structural and inorganic chemistry
  • biological and medicinal chemistry
  • data handling

This gives you the chance to see where your interests lie. It also means that it is possible to transfer to one of our other chemistry degrees before the start of second year should your ideas change as your skills and knowledge develop.

At the beginning of second year, you begin to organise your industrial placement which you will complete in Stage 3.

At the same time, you continue to study alongside our chemistry students. You study organic, inorganic and physical chemistry in modules that build on the material covered at Stage 1.

You take a unique group assignment module on a given chemistry topic, which develops your transferable skills set and leads to the creation of a learning pack.

You also study further specialist topics, such as light-activated reactions and polymers, and natural product chemistry.

This high level of shared content means you have the opportunity to transfer to our three-year Chemistry BSc degree or four-year Chemistry MChem degree (depending on your academic performance for the first two years) up to the end of Stage 2.

+ Industrial training year

Studying a chemistry degree with a paid industrial training year is a great opportunity to gain first-hand experience of working in the chemical industry. You will also develop valuable skills such as teamwork, communication, time and project management – and if you impress your host company, it could even result in a job offer on graduation.

All of our industrial training degrees last four years, with the placement in year three. This is an assessed part of the degree for MChem students, who also complete a research project and distance learning modules in advanced organic and inorganic chemistry.

For BSc students the placement year is not assessed and is a good opportunity to gain valuable work experience in the industry.

While on your placement you are employed by your host company but also retain your student status.

The School of Chemistry will give you extensive support to find a placement, including help to write your CV to send out to our wide range of industrial contacts. In the past students have found placements throughout the UK and, occasionally, overseas with companies including Akzo Nobel, AstraZeneca, Corus, GlaxoSmithKline, and P&G.

+ BSc or MChem?

  • We offer Chemistry and Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry degrees at Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Chemistry (MChem) levels.

  • All of our degrees satisfy the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) guidelines for professional accreditation.

  • Studying an RSC-accredited degree satisfies the academic requirements for the award of Chartered Chemist (CChem) and leads to full membership of the RSC on graduation.

  • Students who are planning for a career in chemical research in industry or academia, or who may wish to study for a higher qualification such as a PhD, are encouraged to apply for an MChem degree.

  • Our MChem degrees last four years and provide a more in-depth study of chemistry than our BSc degrees. They also include a research project in the fourth year, which gives you experience of working in a research environment. 

Find out more on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website.

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