Program Overview

Chemistry, BSc

Introduction

Chemistry is not just about chemicals in laboratories – chemistry touches every aspect of our daily lives. Chemistry is about understanding how matter changes and how these changes affect everything from the food we eat and air we breathe, to the medicines we take and the energy we use to power our homes, cars and phones.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: BSc
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: F100
• Pathway Programme Available: Undergraduate Foundation Programme

What You'll Study

Our teaching in the first two years aims to give a balanced treatment of all the main branches of the subject. In the third and fourth years we develop a selection of topics in more depth, and offer options which enable students to tailor their programmes to suit their own aptitudes and interests.

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Chemistry for the Physical Sciences 1 (CM1021)
  • Elements of Chemistry 1 (CM1022)
  • Chemistry for the Physical Sciences 2 (CM1513)
  • Elements of Chemistry 2 (CM1522)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select a further 60 credit points from courses of choice
  • Mathematics for Sciences (MA1515)

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Introductions to Materials (CM2012)
  • Chemical Kinetics and Thermodynamics (CM2015)
  • Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy (CM2016)
  • Organic & Biological Chemistry (CM2514)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (CM2519)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select a further 45 credit points from courses of choice

Year 3

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Energy and the Environment (CM3041)
  • Inorganic and Solid State Chemistry (CM3037)
  • Professional Skills for Physics and Chemistry (CM30PS)
  • Organic & Biological Chemistry (CM3534)
  • Molecular Structure and Reactivity (CM3536)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select a further 15 credit points from courses of choice

Year 4

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Honours Chemistry Research Project (CM4028)
  • Honours Inorganic & Physical Chemistry (CM4037)
  • Honours Analytical & Organic Chemistry (CM4038)
  • Advanced Honours Chemistry (CM4537)
  • Integrated Chemistry (CM4538)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select a further 15 credit points from courses of choice

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

• Group Projects
• Individual Projects
• Lab Work
• Lectures
• Research
• Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course
• Practical assessments of the skills and competencies learnt on the course
• Written examinations at the end of each course

Why Study Chemistry?

• The brand-new Science Teaching Hub provides the latest high-tech teaching labs and equipment to support your learning and to help you develop industry-standard skills and techniques to launch your chemistry career.
• We are ranked 7th in the UK for Chemistry, Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 and 1st in Scotland for Overall Student Satisfaction, National Student Survey
• Our teaching is informed by cutting-edge research at the forefront of human health, clean energy technology and materials and we have a number of spin-out companies such as TauRx Pharmaceuticals, who specialise in Alzheimer's research.
• A feature of our MChem programme is a final year 4 month research project placement in the area of specialisation, usually at a university, research institute or industrial laboratory.
• In the most recent Research Excellence Framework, published in 2014, the report found that Aberdeen had the largest research impact in Scotland, with over 80% of its research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. Your fourth or fifth-year project will be placed alongside these PhD and post-doctoral scientists, giving you first-hand experience of world-class research work.
• With industry-standard equipment housed in our state-of-the-art teaching facilities, our students are given all the tools they need to immediately enter the workforce, using technology and techniques that will feel immediately familiar once they start their career.
• The University of Aberdeen has a long history of excellence in Chemistry, with two Nobel Prize winners and an academic staff that includes some of the most experienced chemists in the UK.
• We pride ourselves on our sense of community, with students and staff collaborating on real-world research projects. The active student-run Chemistry Society also allows you to develop skills and make connections outside of the classroom.
• Students who study chemistry at university go on to work in a wide range of highly rewarding careers, tackling the problems we face today in areas such as drug discovery, energy, environmental protection, forensics, food and agriculture as well as academic careers in teaching or cutting-edge research. Chemistry graduates also work in sectors such as banking and IT, where their analytical and problem-solving skills are in high demand.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

• SQA Highers:
  • Standard: AABB
  • Minimum: BBB
  • Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS:
  • Standard: BBB
  • Minimum: BBC
  • Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 OR AAABB, obtained in a single sitting. (B must be at B2 or above)

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535
• EU / International students: £24,800
• Self-funded international students commencing eligible undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 will receive a £6,000 tuition waiver for every year of their programme
• Home Students: £1,820

Careers

A degree in Chemistry will prepare you for a career in Chemistry, but it can also be a stepping stone to many other opportunities. Chemistry graduates are very employable due to the breadth of career opportunities in many areas, such as:

• drug development
• environmental protection
• food chemistry
• petroleum chemistry
• forensic science
• materials development
• business

Accreditation

• Royal Society of Chemistry