This one-year taught programme offers the opportunity to study Chemistry at an advanced level, covering both the traditional core areas of chemistry, as well as more specialist courses aligned to the research groupings of the department. The course provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate advanced knowledge, understanding, and practical/research skills.
Would you like to upgrade your bachelor’s degree to a master’s and gain access to a chemistry career in industry or research? Join the MSc Chemistry and develop your lab and theoretical skills. Specialise in inorganic and materials, organic or physical chemistry, or maintain a broad portfolio, for a more detailed description of the available pathways, click the Pathways tab. Courses are available in synthesis, advanced structural, analytical and spectroscopic techniques, materials chemistry, modelling, biological and medicinal chemistry, and electrochemistry.
The MSc Chemistry course combines the opportunity for students to take modules from a wide range of cutting-edge fields in chemistry with sessions on practical, technical skills, and scientific writing, communication and presentation and a three month summer project supervised by one of Southampton’s expert academics. The course aims to:
Find out more about the course visit the programme specification
A Chemistry masters degree will give students valuable insight into postgraduate research skills. Independent project work will support students to develop transferable skills in areas such as time management, communication and presentation skills that are key for career success in a wide range of areas such as industry, analysis, policymaking and scientific communication. Completing an MSc qualification will help individuals tackle the challenges of an advanced research degree at PhD level and prepare them for a career in academia.
The following information summarises the typical pathways offered when choosing the MSc Chemistry degree programme:
Organic Chemistry
This area focuses on synthetic organic chemistry, total synthesis, synthetic methodology, reaction mechanism, organocatalysis, organofluorine chemistry, photochemistry and carbohydrate chemistry, both towards the synthesis of bioactive compounds and organic materials, and includes the study of organic reactions under flow conditions. This pathway offers the opportunity to specialise in the following areas
This pathway consists of advanced postgraduate courses in synthetic reaction mechanisms and is best suited to students who already have a thorough BSc level grounding in aspects of nomenclature, stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms.
Inorganic chemistry and materials
This area focuses on the synthesis of functional inorganic, solid-state and supramolecular materials and assemblies to address key challenges in energy, sustainability, healthcare and diagnostics and the deposition of nanostructured materials. This pathway will give you the opportunity to specialise in the following areas
This pathway is best suited to students who already have a thorough BSc level grounding in the fundamentals and applications of inorganic chemisry.
Physical chemistry
This pathway is best suited to students who already have a thorough BSc level grounding in the fundamentals and applications of inorganic chemistry. This area covers a wide range of fundamental and applied topics. This pathway will give you the opportunity to specialise in the following areas
This pathway is best suited to students who already have a thorough BSc level grounding in the fundamentals and applications of physical chemistry, in particular quantum chemistry, spectroscopy, thermodynamics and kinetics
General chemistry
You can choose to further your knowledge across a blend of advanced courses from organic, inorganic and/or physical chemistry (any combination). This pathway is suited to those wishing to develop an interdisciplinary expertise. If you choose this pathway you should already have a sound BSc-level grounding in the areas of chemistry in which you intend to choose modules (see other boxes).
Chemistry research at Swansea University is vibrant and covers a wide range of research areas and interests, and will be growing at a fast pace over the next 2-3 years. It is focused on 4 themes: Energy, Health, New and Advanced Molecules and Materials, and Water and the Environment. These research initiatives transcend the traditional discipline boundaries, integrate the core areas of inorganic, organic, physical and analytical chemistries and intersect with other scientific disciplines, engineering and medicine.
The new Department of Chemistry has excellent, purpose-built modern laboratories and has access to a diverse type of laboratories research infrastructures to develop its research. For example, high-quality, high-impact chemistry research is already taking place in World Class Centres based in Swansea such as The Centre for NanoHealth, The Institute of Mass Spectrometry, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Energy Safety Research Institute, Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Centre, The Centre for Water Advanced Technologies and Environmental Research and The Materials Research Centre. The integration of the new Chemistry Department with Engineering, the Medical School and other departments in the College of Science provides an environment of research excellence and allows our chemistry students and research staff to invent, innovate and develop products in a way that is best suited to research in the 21st century and the need to generate disruptive, step-change advances with impact on current global challenges.
Energy: One of the key areas where advances in chemistry will be needed is in providing solutions to the global energy challenge. Chemistry research in Swansea University is participating in fundamental and applied research initiatives focused on:
Health: Chemistry research provides new routes to more effective, cheaper and less toxic therapies and to non-invasive disease detection and diagnosis tools – a requirement to transform the entire landscape of drug discovery, development and healthcare, which is unaffordable and needs to benefit more patients. The chemistry research laboratories for this theme are adjacent to Swansea Medical School – which ranked 1st in the UK for research environment, and 2nd for overall research quality in the REF 2014.
Current chemistry research includes:
New and Advanced Molecules and Materials: There is major interest in synthesing, designing and controllling molecular and macromolecular assemblies at multiple length scales. In Swansea this research involves use of:
Water and the Environment: Chemistry at Swansea university has a strong profile in the development of analytical tools for measuring environmental impact, environmental impact assessment of polymer-based materials through their lifetime (including the effects of recycling and biopolymers), technologies for the efficient removal of environmentally harmful materials (and thus reduced emissions per output of discharge), membrane technologies and new methodologies for desalination, and for dewatering and killing pathogens for sanitation applications and the use of new molecules and materials for photocatalytic water splitting and development of self-propelled micro and nanomotor systems for environmental remediation. In collaboration with the Biocontrol and Natural Products (BANP) group in the Department of Biosciences, there is also growing research interest around the characterisation and application of natural products, in particular those derived from fungi and microalgae, to provide therapeutics and nutraceuticals and to act as agents for biocontrol and bioremediation.
Our new state-of-the-art teaching laboratories are being built as part of a multi-million pound investment to create a chemistry hub for the high quality Chemical Sciences research being carried out across the Colleges of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
A chemistry qualification opens the door to a wide range of careers options, both in and out of the lab. There are endless interesting and rewarding science-based jobs available – these can be in research, outdoors or in other industries you might not have thought of. Please visit the Royal Society of Chemistry website for details.
Find out more about the huge range of jobs in chemistry by exploring the job profiles on the Royal Society of Chemistry website (eg Cancer Researcher, Flavourist & Innovation Director, Chief Chemist, Sustainability Manager, Fragrance Chemist, Household Goods Senior Scientist, Analytical Scientist, and many more).
Molecular chemistry is a creative science, where chemists synthesize molecules with new biological or physical properties to address scientific or societal challenges. Think of new catalytic conversions, lead compounds for future medicines or the next generation of conducting polymers. The specialisation Molecular Chemistry offers education in connection with top-level research in the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM), enabling you to develop in-depth knowledge of the design, synthesis and characterization of unprecedented functional molecular structures.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/chemistry/molecular
- The IMM at Radboud University hosts an internationally renowned cluster of molecular chemistry groups, where you will participate in challenging research projects.
- The IMM Organic Chemistry department was recently awarded a 27 million euro NWO Gravity programme grant. Among the teaching staff are two ERC advanced grant and two ERC starting grant winners.
- Teaching takes place in small groups and in a stimulating, personal setting.
1. A completed Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Science or a related area
In general, you are admitted with the equivalent of a Dutch Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Science with relevant subjects, or a related programme in molecular science. In case of other pre-education, students must have passed preliminary examinations containing the subject matter of the following well-known international textbooks (or equivalent literature). Any deficiencies in this matter should be eliminated before you can take part in this specialisation. If you want to make sure that you meet our academic requirements, please contact the academic advisor.
- Organic chemistry: e.g. Organic Chemistry (Bruice)
- Biochemistry: e.g. Biochemistry (Lehninger)
- Physical chemistry: e.g. Physical chemistry (Atkins)
- 30 EC of chemistry or chemistry-related courses at third year Bachelor's level
2. A proficiency in English
In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English. Non-native speakers of English* without a Dutch Bachelor's degree or VWO diploma need one of the following:
- A TOEFL score of >575 (paper based) or >90 (internet based)
- An IELTS score of ≥6.5
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher
Approximately 40% of our graduates take up a PhD position, either in Nijmegen or elsewhere in the world. Our research institutes, in particular the Institute for Molecules and Materials, have vacancies for PhD projects every year. Our graduates also find work as researchers and managers in the chemical industry, or in one of our spin-off companies. A small proportion will not work in science, but for instance as a policymaker at a governmental organisation.
The Master's specialisation in Molecular Chemistry offers main stream chemistry courses and research topics, for those students that aim to deepen their knowledge and experimental skills in the heart of chemistry. The Institute for Molecules and Materials offers a state-of-the-art research infrastructure and hosts world-class research groups where you can conduct independent research, under the personal guidance of a researcher. Often, this leads to a scientific publication with you as a co-author.
Besides an internship in fundamental science, you can also chose to perform research in an industrial environment. Approximately one third of our students do one of their internships in a chemical company, both large (e.g. DSM, Synthon, AkzoNobel) and small (e.g. MercaChem, FutureChemistry, Chiralix).
Interested in going abroad? Contact one of our researchers, they can easily connect you to top groups elsewhere in the world. In the past few years, molecular chemistry students did internships in Oxford (UK), Princeton (US), Berkeley (US), Karolinska Institute (Sweden), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), etc.
In the Master's specialisation Molecular Chemistry, the unique research facilities that Radboud University has to offer are coupled with the top level research within the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM). A selection of research groups for this specialisation are:
- Synthetic organic chemistry (Prof. Floris Rutjes): The group focuses on the development of new and sustainable synthetic (multistep)reactions by using bio-, organo- or metal-catalysts or combinations thereof, synthesis of druglike compound libraries, synthesis of bio-orthogonal click-reactions and chemical synthesis in continuous flow microreactors
- Analytical chemistry (Prof. Lutgarde Buydens): Research involves new chemometric methodologies and techniques for the optimisation of molecular structures. The research programme is designed around four areas: Methodological chemometrics, spectroscopic image analysis, molecular chemometrics, and analysis of genomics, metabolomics and proteomics data.
- Bio-organic chemistry (Prof. Jan van Hest): This groups uses Nature as inspiration for the design of functional molecules. Research lines that fit in this specialisation include: design and synthesis of modified peptides to alter their biological function, hybrid polymers containing biomolecules for use as antibacterial materials, and smart compartmentalisation strategies to enable multi-step reactions in a single reaction flask.
- Molecular materials (Prof. Alan Rowan): The aim of the group is the design and synthesis of novel polymers, self-organising molecules and ordered crystals and the subsequent investigation of their properties. Research topics related to his specialisation are: functional systems for application in catalysis, new OLEDS (organic LEDS), and liquid crystals.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/chemistry/molecular
The Masters in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry will extend your depth and breadth of knowledge in all branches of chemistry, but with some specialisation in medicinal chemistry, suitable for a professional medicinal chemist capable of conducting research.
From September to March, you will attend lectures and tutorials. You will undertake a 12-week research project from June to August, which will provide practical application and consolidation of earlier work and enhance your ability to do independent work and present results effectively.
Career opportunities in the chemical or pharmaceutical industry, from bench work and instrumentation to regulatory affairs, health & safety, and intellectual property/patents. Research-related jobs usually require a PhD, for which this programme provides an ideal preparation.
Graduates of this programme have gone on to positions such as:
This course aims to:
You will build upon your previous undergraduate studies to develop an in depth knowledge of selected aspects of advanced cutting edge topics in chemistry.
MSc Chemistry Level 7 Programme (all modules are 20 credits unless otherwise specified)
*Advanced Topics in Organic Chemistry
*Advanced Topics in Inorganic Chemistry
*Advanced Topics in Physical Chemistry
*Advanced Topics in Chemical Analysis
MSc Research Project (120 credits)
*Select three from these four core option modules.
The UK’s chemical industry is one of the leading industrial contributors to the national economy and there are many opportunities to apply chemical knowledge, principles and skills to a successful career in the chemistry, pharmaceutical science, chemical engineering or other chemistry-related disciplines. “Chemistry will underpin economic growth, say industry leaders”, it was reported in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) publication, Chemistry World, on the “Strategy for delivering chemistry-fuelled growth of the UK economy”. Currently the Chemistry-using industries contribute ~£195bn to the UK economy with approximately £10bn coming from chemical manufacturing and £9bn from pharmaceutical manufacturing. The areas of chemical manufacture, process technology, product development and application, and formulation skills are key areas of these chemical sciences. In chemicals (including pharmaceuticals) 95.6% of UK companies are SME’s employing 42% of the total workforce and account for 29% of turnover.
If you choose not to go into the chemical industry there are still extensive career opportunities in teaching and academic research
You will have evidenced good practical skills, be literate, numerate, have high level of IT skills and be capable of logical, scientific, critical thinking and problem solving. You will have developed a great deal of autonomous decision making and research capability and you will be able to evidence a range of professional, personal transferable skills and be well versed with the concept of continuous professional development. These skills will make you well equipped for the workplace, be it in a chemistry environment or the wider world of work in general, or for further research if you so choose.
We are currently working with the RSC to achieve accreditation of our new BSc (Hons) Chemistry degree. This will be an on-going process over the first two years of the course, which started in September 2014, and will mean that our first cohort of graduates in July 2017 will be eligible for Associate Membership of the RSC shortly thereafter. We will look towards accreditation of our MSc courses in the foreseeable future.
Our Chemistry Master's programme provides you with an exceptional toolbox for your future. The programme is closely associated with the research Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM). Its mission is to fundamentally understand, design and control the functioning of molecules and materials. The institute is a centre of excellence that trains the next generation of leaders in science and entrepreneurship. Research in the IMM ranges from condensed matter science to chemical biology, and builds on novel theoretical, synthetic and spectroscopic methods. Our goal is to explore new roads proceeding from synthesis and growth to design and architecture of molecular constructs and materials with specific, desired properties. The cooperation of chemists and physicists, and increasingly biologists, in one research institute is unique worldwide. It is the secret of IMM's success and its many scientific breakthroughs.
The Master's programme in Chemistry offers you three specialisations:
- Chemistry for Life
- Molecular Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
The funding we have received for our research reflects the achievements we have made. Prof. dr. Wilhelm Huck received an ERC Grant for his research on chemical reactions in extremely small drops of water. The ultimate goal is to build a synthetic cell for this. We need to understand how complex networks function in confined spaces and how the physical environment of the cell impacts on enzymatic reactions. Prof. dr. Roeland Nolte received an ERC to do research on the development of supramolecular catalysts and materials using nature as a guide. Prof. dr. Jan van Hest received funding from the Gravitation programme for his work on self-repairing materials, materials that continually adapt to their environment. This includes the idea of how the body repairs its cells and ensures that the right substances reach the right places at the right time. They want to gain fundamental understanding of the complexity of that dynamic.
The first thing you will notice as you enter our Faculty of Science is the open atmosphere. This is reflected by the light and transparent building and the open minded spirit of the people that you will meet, working, exploring and studying there. It is no wonder students from all over the world have been attracted to Nijmegen. You study in small groups, in direct and open contact with members of the staff. In addition, Nijmegen has excellent student facilities, such as high-tech laboratories, libraries and study ‘landscapes'.
Studying by the ‘Nijmegen approach' is a way of living. We will equip you with tools which are valuable for the rest of your life. You will be challenged to become aware of your intrinsic motivation. In other words, what is your passion in life? With this question in mind we will guide you to translate your passion into a personal Master's programme.
Most of our graduates take up a PhD position, either in Nijmegen or elsewhere in the world. Our research institutes have many vacancies for PhD projects every year. Our graduates also find work as researchers and managers in industry, in business and in research institutes.
"The Republic has no need of chemists and savants", were the words with which Antoine Lavoisier, one of the founders of modern chemistry, ended up on the guillotine during the French revolution. Fortunately these days the importance of chemistry for the benefit of a sustainable society is well-recognised. As such, chemistry has been designated a key area by the Dutch "innovatieplatform". So there will be many chemistry-related innovation initiatives in both industry and academia. This will be substantiated by a steering committee formed by the Association of Dutch Chemical Industries (VNCI) and the Chemical Science division of the Netherlands' Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO/CW). These developments demand a continuous influx of well-trained chemists.
An integrated Chemistry programme was set up at the University of Nijmegen in 1962. The current Master's degree programme in Chemistry derives from the integrated programme that was established in 1999.
Radboud University Nijmegen aims to provide a Master's degree programme in Chemistry at an internationally recognised level. The programme is based on the research themes that exist within the Research Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM) and to a somewhat lesser extent, the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS). In recent years, the IMM has focused on chemistry research in the areas of organic chemistry (synthetic, bio-organic, supramolecular and materials), nuclear magnetic resonance (solid state NMR and biophysical chemistry), and solid state chemistry. Furthermore, increasing research interaction with biology and physics groups has emerged to offer ample opportunities for new research and education. Based on this research, modern, high quality education can be provided within the Master's degree programme.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/chemistry
Chemistry is the central science enabling a healthy future in a sustainable society. During this master's programme you will learn to take a fundamental approach in finding tailored solutions for complex societal problems in human health and environmental issues.
The aim of this two-year programme is to train you as an independent scientist and to develop the necessary skills and proficiency to advance your career. The master’s programme in Chemistry offers you access to cutting edge research. The research is concentrated in two major research areas:
Read more about our Chemistry programme.
Find more reasons to choose Chemistry at Leiden University.
The programme is open for students with an internationally recognized bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry. Chemistry is the right master’s programme for you if you are interested in fundamental chemistry and applied research. You will be trained for a career in research within or outside academia. You can also choose a specialisation where you combine one year of Chemistry research with one year of training in business, communication or education.
Read more about the entry requirements for Chemistry.
Chemists have always been in demand worldwide with pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, fine chemicals, and within research laboratories across the globe. The programme at Aberdeen is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Aberdeen is noted for Nobel prizes within Chemistry which include the invention of modern chromatography (Synge 1952) and the discovery of a new element - protactinium (Soddy 1921). Teaching at Aberdeen is informed by world class research within food security. Class sizes are kept small to enable you to have strong teaching interaction and support in your studies. You will be taught by many staff in the environment group (TESLA) and (MBC)
The programme focuses on specialised modern analytical methodology. The range of industries or institutes where these skills are asked for includes the pharmaceutical industry, environmental institutions, research institutes and also the oil & gas industry. There are many new innovations which require chemists with advanced skills to analyse and test new methods of providing health via IOT devices, smart phones and small sensors deployed throughout the body to quickly provide analysis and customised recommendations.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees:
Find out more from the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
You might be interested in:
This masters in chemistry by research is a one year course beginning in October each year and is intended for participants with high quality first degrees in chemistry or a closely related subject.
Would you like to carry out an extensive piece of research whilst developing your theoretical skills? Our most research-intensive MSc programme includes a year-long research project embedded into one of our leading research groups and with access to our state of the art facilities.
Theory modules can be selected from topics in synthesis, advanced structural, analytical and spectroscopic techniques, materials chemistry, modelling, biological and medicinal chemistry, and electrochemistry.
You can specialise in a research area of your choice, within one of our main six research groups:
This programme provides training in chemical research and involves both lecture based units and a one year research project that constitutes 66 per cent of the assessment. In addition to units to enhance knowledge in chemistry, participants are offered training with regard to safety in the laboratory and to improve their professional skills, such as data analysis and presentation and oral presentations for example.
View the programme specification document for this course
The principal component of this degree is an intensive novel research project providing 'hands-on' training in methods and techniques at the cutting edge of scientific research. The programme is particularly suitable for those wishing to embark on an academic career, with a strong track record of students moving into graduate research at UCL and elsewhere.
Students develop a systematic approach to devising experiments and/or computations and gain familiarity with a broad range of synthetic, analytical and spectroscopic techniques, acquiring skills for the critical analysis of their experimental and computational observations. They also broaden their knowledge of chemistry through a selection of taught courses and are able to tailor the programme to meet their personal interests.
You will undertake Chemistry modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of core literature (30 credits) and research projects (90 credits), and a research and professional skills development module (15 credits) and optional taught modules (45 credits in total). Optional modules are chosen in consultation with your research advisor.
All students undertake a literature project (30 credits) and a research dissertation (90 credits), which are linked. In addition students take a module (15 credits) to develop their research and professional skills.
Students choose three optional modules from the following:
All students undertake an independent research project which features an oral examination and culminates in submission of an extended dissertation (90 credits).
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory classes and research supervision. Assessment is through the dissertation, unseen written examinations, research papers, a written literature survey, and an oral examination. All students will be expected to attend research seminars relevant to their broad research interest.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Chemical Research MSc
This MSc is designed to provide first-hand experience of research at the cutting-edge of chemistry and is particularly suitable for those wishing to embark on an academic career (i.e. doctoral research) in this area, although the research and critical thinking skills developed will be equally valuable in a commercial environment.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
With departmental research interests and activities spanning the whole spectrum of chemistry, including development of new organic molecules, fundamental theoretical investigations and prediction and synthesis of new materials, students are able to undertake a project that aligns with their existing interests.
Students develop crucial first-hand experience in scientific methods, techniques for reporting science and using leading-edge research tools, as well as further essential skills for a research career.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Chemistry
94% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.
The programme is suitable for students wishing to progress to a research degree in chemistry or those seeking to acquire research skills which are valued in a commercial environment.
All applicants
27 July 2018
Applicants can select the research projects in Computational, Inorganic, Organic or Physical Chemistry. In the application cover letter students are asked to indicate which area(s) of chemistry they are interested in studying, clearly indicating why they chose this particular area, and indicating (at least) three academic members of staff they are interested in working with.
For more information see our Applications page.
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