Teaching and Learning

Your degree course is designed to feed your curiosity for chemistry, to encourage you to express your ideas clearly and logically and to develop your approach towards independent learning. We achieve this through a series of modules that broaden your previous knowledge, and introduce you to topics that you may not have encountered at school or college. The academic year is divided into two semesters and you will complete 120 credits of study per year. There are typically 10 lectures per week in addition to laboratory classes.

Small-group tutorials

You will also take part in a series of small-group tutorials that provide an opportunity for you to analyse and use the material that has been presented in lectures and laboratory classes.  These meetings also ensure that you have grasped the key points of the lectures and that you fully understand the course material.

Laboratory experience

You will gain laboratory experience in hands-on practical classes that run for up to eight hours in a typical week during the first year of your course, and which extend to 10 hours in a typical week in the second and third years. These modules introduce you to the current synthetic and analytical approaches in chemistry and the operation of modern instrumentation. Practical sessions are held in modern laboratories housed within the School of Chemistry. In your third year you will work on short-term, team-based projects to develop your independence and time management skills. These projects will prepare you for your fourth year research project.

Research projects

During their fourth year, MSci students are invited to join an active research group within the School to contribute to projects that are at the cutting-edge of chemistry. You will be given greater independence and you will be responsible for driving your own project, although a postgraduate research student and an academic member of staff in your research group will always be available to help.

Personal tutors

You will be assigned a personal tutor who will guide your studies and help you to select modules that match your interests and ambitions. Your personal tutor is your first port of call in the school and they will take an interest in your personal and academic development, offering you help, encouragement and guidance.

Assessment

Our courses are assessed in a variety of ways, including traditional written exams, coursework assignments, dissertations, computing assignments, essays and laboratory reports. The final degree classification is based on marks gained for the second and subsequent years of study.

The modules we offer are inspired by the research interests of our staff and as a result may change for reasons of, for example, research developments or legislation changes. The above ovierview is a sample of the typical ways we engage with students, not a definitive list.