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).
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.
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
With an increase in the number of undergraduate degrees offering the MChem qualification, our Chemistry MRes allows BSc graduates to become equally competitive by studying for an enhanced qualification that will set them apart throughout their career.
Our MRes qualification is also a convenient entry point into the UK academic system for overseas students, and many of our MRes graduates go on to successfully complete a PhD.
Our academics are at the forefront of their field, having recently discovered a method for the rapid detection of drugs from a fingerprint; and a naturally sourced, environmentally safe chemical for the treatment of an important agricultural pathogen.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of three taught modules and a research project, which contributes 75 per cent of the final credits to the degree and includes the laboratory based research, library work, COSHH, record keeping and writing the dissertation.
We would normally expect the laboratory based part of the project to be, on average, two to three full days per week during the teaching semesters and five days per week during non-teaching times (for example, over the Christmas, Easter and summer breaks).
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
The Chemistry programme is run within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the cross-faculty Surrey Materials Institute (SMI). Staff in the Department of Chemistry have expertise which includes all aspects of chemistry:
You will receive a thorough education in advanced aspects of chemistry, but also undertake independent research via a project, guided by a dedicated and experienced supervisor.
Projects are available across a range of topics in chemistry, and may extend into areas of biology, forensics or materials science. Past MRes students have continued to further (PhD) education and to posts in research in industry.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Materials Chemistry has emerged as an important sub-discipline within Chemistry. It cross-cuts the traditional Organic/Inorganic/Physical boundaries of Chemistry and overlaps many disciplines from Engineering to the Biosciences.
Materials chemists now have a leading role in areas such as microelectronics, polymer science, catalysis and nanotechnology. They also make an important contribution to areas of more traditional chemistry such as the pharmaceutical sector where understanding the 'physical properties' of intermediates and products is now recognised as essential in optimising the synthesis and properties of pharmaceutically active ingredients in medicines.
The degree consists of advanced lecture courses such as:
These are studied concurrently with a predominantly practical based course offering an introduction to research methods.
Students then proceed to a period of full-time research project work leading to the submission of their Master's dissertation.
Lectures are given by leading researchers in the area of materials chemistry. The lecture courses are supported by tutorial sessions and assessed by examination in April/May.
The Introduction to Research Methods course includes an exciting problem solving exercise where you learn important skills such as Communicating Science, Innovation, Dealing with Intellectual Property and Grant Application Writing, together with a literature survey and written report, defining the scope of the subsequent individual research project work.
On completion of the course, you should have developed a depth of comprehension and critique in the core elements of your subject area, including:
Additionally you will have enhanced your professional/practical skills through:
You will also have had the opportunity to develop transferable skills such as:
This twelve month chemistry MSc is designed primarily for international students, either to act as a preparation for PhD studies or for students wishing to broaden their research experience and knowledge of chemistry within the context of the English language.
The programme consists of taught modules, worth a total of 90 credits, delivered in the first six months of the course followed by a substantial research project, also worth 90 credits.
The modules will include both analytical and synthetic topics and a research project from a wide range of areas may be selected.
To provide students with essential skills in the characterisation of materials by spectroscopic, structural and analytical techniques. This will be achieved with reference to organic, organometallic and polymeric materials.
To give students an in-depth experience of chemical research through individual, extended Masters research projects.
To develop confidence in the use of English oral and written skills within a chemical context
Taught modules.
The taught modules cover a wide range of modern advanced chemistry and include aspects of:
The taught modules will be delivered as lectures with extensive support from workshops and practical classes. The project and Research skills module will address issues of scientific report writing, presentation skills and database searching as a preparation for the research project.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
The MRes in Analytical Chemistry is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of students. In particular, it is geared towards the analytical professionals seeking to refresh their knowledge of analytical chemistry and recent graduates in a wide range of sciences allied to chemistry including, biology, chemistry, environmental science, forensic science and physics.
This course enables you to develop and further your knowledge of chemical analysis, with a carefully put together range of core modules. You can expand your interests further by selecting module options and an analytical chemistry led research project within one of the diverse range of internationally recognised analytical chemistry research groups (alongside PhD students and post doctoral research fellows).
We have links with scientists from AstraZeneca and Vectura who deliver some of the module content relevant to their workplace. Other guest lecturers from a variety of other companies and universities also present their research.
Visit us on campus throughout the year, find and register for our next open event on http://www.ntu.ac.uk/pgevents.
Sample modules:
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
You will acquire a number of valuable transferable skills relating to organisation and time management, communication, information handling, numeracy, problem solving and team working.
Many of our master’s graduates go on to pursue a career in research and development.
This MRes Advanced Materials Engineering course will provide you with the advanced knowledge, skills and attributes required for a career in analytical chemistry and its sub-disciplines, or act as a base for entry to PhD studies.
This course enables you to develop and further your knowledge of materials with a carefully put together range of core modules. You can expand your interests further by selecting a materials research project within one of the diverse range of internationally recognised material engineering research groups (alongside PhD students and post doctoral research fellows).
We have links with scientists from AstraZeneca and Vectura who deliver some of the module content relevant to their workplace. Other guest lecturers from a variety of other companies and universities also present their research.
Visit us on campus throughout the year, find and register for our next open event on http://www.ntu.ac.uk/pgevents.
The course is a part of the School of Science and Technology which has first-class facilities.
This multidisciplinary course covers the fundamentals of modern imaging methodologies, including their techniques and application, along with the chemistry behind imaging agents and biomarkers.
Bioimaging sciences have played a vital role in improving human life. A wide range of imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), ultrasound and optical imaging, are now important tools for the early detection of disease, understanding basic molecular aspects of living organisms and the evaluation of medical treatment.
This one-year MRes course covers the fundamentals of modern imaging methodologies, including their techniques and application within medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, along with the chemistry behind imaging agents and biomarkers.
Imperial's research strength in imaging sciences is recognised both nationally and internationally, as exemplified by the creation of the Imaging Sciences Centre (ISC).
The course will progress interdisciplinary development in imaging sciences and create a multidisciplinary team involving chemists, immunologists, radiologists, image scientists, physicists, biomedical scientists and computer scientists.
Our MRes in Bioimaging Sciences places graduates in an excellent position to begin a PhD or pursue an industrial career in imaging science.
You will have developed the ability to carry out research within multidisciplinary teams, and possess knowledge of basic and advanced concepts in bioimaging sciences.
The course aims to produce highly trained and motivated scientists who will be ideal candidates for research (industrial and academic) positions within imaging science.
With the current world-wide lack of well-trained imaging scientists we are confident that MRes in Bioimaging Sciences graduates will have exceptional career prospects.
For full information on this course, including how to apply, see: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/chemistry/bioimaging-sciences/
If you have any enquiries you can contact our team at: [email protected]
This analytical chemistry masters is structured around a solid core comprised of the three main analytical techniques – Mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Each of these techniques contains a number of key common themes (data collection, analysis and management). Supporting modules feature further analytical techniques and serve to embed themes of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), facility management and enterprise into the programme. A group analytical project develops interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team and will be the first opportunity for students to independently fully exercise some of the components of the course taught in the first semester. The integral research project provides an opportunity to explore any of the main themes directly or as part of a collaborative synthetic/analytical investigation.
Analytical Chemistry is the largest employment area for the chemical sciences. The Instrumental Analytical Chemistry MSc gives you a boost to your bachelor’s degree that significantly increases your employability. We offer an advanced, instrumentation-driven postgraduate education in modern analytical chemistry with some elements in combination with one or more specialist research areas such as synthesis or data science.
You will receive comprehensive, hands-on, training with state-of-the-art research-led instrumentation in the techniques and provision of Mass Spectrometry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction. This training will then be used in your research project, which focuses on the application of these techniques to most areas of mainstream chemistry.
The MSc masters in analytical chemistry programme will provide you with knowledge, understanding and strong practical skills in:
¹ Analytical science currently defined by the EPSRC as principally consisting of mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction
View the programme specification document for this course
With a masters in analytical chemistry you could find employment with:
