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Chemistry with a Placement Year Abroad (MChem)

Overview

The Chemistry with a Placement Year Abroad (MChem) program is a four-year degree that offers students the opportunity to gain advanced research experience and a solid grounding in the fundamentals of chemistry. The program includes a 9-12 month overseas placement during the third year, where students will work on a research project and develop their employability skills.

Why Study This Course

• Take your research worldwide and gain an advanced degree in chemistry with significant research experience.
• Graduate with privileges, including eligibility for full membership to the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC) and the potential to apply for the title of Chartered Chemist.
• Learn from acclaimed researchers involved in course design and teaching, with 99% of the university's research being world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021).
• Emphasis on research, with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of chemistry and an extended research project in the fourth year.
• High employment rates, with 94% of graduates employed, in further study, or doing other activities 15 months after their course (Graduate Outcomes survey 2020/21).
• Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), partially fulfilling the academic requirements for Chartered Chemist (CChem).

Subject Area

• Subject area: Chemistry
• UCAS code: F102
• Next intake: September 2026
• Duration: 4 years
• Mode: Full time with year abroad

Entry Requirements

• A level: AAB-BBB, including grade B in Chemistry. Students must pass the science practical element of the A-level if this is part of their programme of study.
• International Baccalaureate: 34-31 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects, including grade 5 in HL Chemistry.
• Baccalaureate Wales: Accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.
• GCSE and other essential requirements:
  • English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent.
  • GCSE Maths grade C/4 or equivalent qualification (subject and grade).
• English language requirements:
  • GCSE: Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.
  • IELTS (academic): At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.
  • TOEFL iBT: At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.
  • PTE Academic: At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.
  • Trinity ISE II/III: II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits. III: at least a Pass in all components.
• Criminal convictions: Students are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

Tuition Fees for 2026 Entry

• Fees for home status:
  • Year one: £9,535
  • Year two: £9,535
  • Year three (sandwich year): £1,430
  • Year four: £9,535
• Fees for overseas status:
  • Year one: £30,700
  • Year two: £30,700
  • Year three (sandwich year): £4,605
  • Year four: £30,700

Additional Costs

• The School covers the cost of everything that is an essential part of the programme.
• Students may be required to cover additional costs associated with the placement, including travel, subsistence, and visa/work permit costs.
• Students may be required to cover the cost of additional insurance.

Course Structure

• Each year is made up of modules totalling 120 credits.
• Year one: Compulsory chemistry modules worth 110 credits, including 30 credits of practical, and an optional module worth 10 credits.
• Year two: Compulsory chemistry modules in various different subject areas, including a 30 credit practical module.
• Year three: A 9-12 month research project (80 credits) in an overseas placement provider and a compulsory theory module in each branch of the subject across both semesters (40 credits) by distance learning.
• Year four: Half the credit comes from a specialised research project in one of the research groups in the school, working alongside PhD students and Post-doctoral workers. Optional modules (6 x 10 credits) are chosen and make up the remainder of the year.

Learning and Assessment

• Teaching is undertaken through a series of lectures, tutorials, workshops, and practical classes.
• Lectures: Typically 10-12 per week of 50 minutes duration.
• Laboratory work: Typically 10-12 hours each week, with an emphasis on basic techniques and simple but accurate recording of observations in year one.
• Small-group teaching: Small group tutorial classes are given in all years, allowing practice, discussion, and analysis of the lecture material.
• Distance Learning: During the placement year, lectures, learning resources, and assessments for theory modules will be provided online through the University's Virtual Learning Environment.
• Placement: The placement will be spent working overseas on a research project assigned by the placement provider.
• Research project: All students on this course will undertake a two-semester research project within a Cardiff Chemistry research laboratory in their fourth year.

Careers and Placements

• Career prospects: Chemists play a vital role in tackling society's most urgent challenges, and a degree in chemistry opens the door to a wide range of careers both inside and outside the lab.
• Graduate careers: Research Scientist, Laboratory Technician, Formulation Scientist, Quality Control Analyst.
• Placements: All students on this course will undertake a 9-12 month overseas placement during year three. The School will help students find a placement related to their interests and strengths.

Next Steps

• The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible.
• Every student has three academic tutors, one of whom also acts as their personal tutor.
• The School's overseas placement coordinator will assist students in finding a suitable project supervisor matching their research interests in the institution or country of their choice.