Master of Chemistry drafted

Program Overview

The MChem degree at the University of Aberdeen is a 5-year program accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, leading to the professional qualification of Chartered Chemist. This research-intensive program provides in-depth exploration of contemporary and emerging topics in chemical sciences, fostering critical thinking, communication, and research skills. Graduates are equipped for careers in drug discovery, food safety, forensic research, climate action, and further research or doctoral study.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Overview:

The MChem degree at the University of Aberdeen is a 5-year program accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and leading to the professional qualification of Chartered Chemist. This flagship degree builds on the knowledge and skills gained in the four year BSc (Hons) program and offers students the opportunity to specialize their studies within a chosen research area. Entry into the final 2 years is dependent on achieving at least an upper second-class Honours level of performance in third year. This degree equips graduates with a broad range of skills that can be directly applied in many areas – from tackling drug discovery challenges to food safety, forensic research to climate action – as well as providing a strong foundation for further research or doctoral study within a broad range of scientific areas. This degree places great emphasis on research experiences. In their third year and fifth year, students have opportunities to work on significant, hands-on research projects - often in overseas universities, research institutes, or in industry labs, allowing for the application of theoretical concepts and the development of lab and critical thinking skills. All MSc (Hons) degrees offered are designed to develop graduates' critical thinking skills, research and information skills, digital communication and writing skills as well as team and self management abilities. Graduates of MSc (Hons) degrees in chemistry proceed to work in highly rewarding, high demand careers across a diverse landscape including the development of pharmaceuticals and sustainable solutions as well as the implementation of environmental policies and forensic research.

Objectives:

This degree program provides in-depth exploration of a range of areas within chemical sciences while fostering the essential critical, communication, information-gathering, and self-management skills necessary for thriving as a leader in research, industrial, commercial and administrative settings in an ever-changing, dynamic world. The key objectives include:

• Providing expertise to allow graduates entry onto a professional pathway to achieve the qualification of Chartered Chemist as defined by the RSC, recognized globally as a mark of excellence within the Chemistry field
• Equipping students with the knowledge, research and lab-acquired expertise necessary for successful entry to a broad and exciting variety of job opportunities across the private and governmental sectors related to the advancement of chemical sciences or in a range of diverse and dynamic business areas
• Developing graduates' research, information-gathering, critical, and digital literacy skills so that they become adept users of research and scholarship, as well as able evaluators and curators of a broad and significant variety of source and data types, both professionally and within their personal lives

Program Description:

This five-year, research-intensive Master in Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen is the ideal option for those driven by curiosity to seek the secrets within matter itself and in the universe as a whole. Offering the deepest and most engaging exploration in Chemical science, these 500 - level courses allow graduates a deep dive into the frontiers and limits, the history and future possibilities and applications related directly to chemical processes in all of their varied and vast expressions across human life and endeavor.

Outline:

Program Content:

This five-year program covers the breadth and depth of contemporary and emerging topics and trends within areas of contemporary research in Chemistry, while fostering research-related skillsets. Some examples provided below are listed as illustrative, and do not encompass the complete range of topics engaged.

• The fundamentals in chemistry in areas including organic, physical, theoretical and Inorganic chemistry
• Key concepts and cutting-edge theories in kinetics of reactions within a broad variety of systems, thermodynamics
• Concepts of spectroscopic analysis, organic and analytical chemistry, including advanced lab techniques associated within these subfields, including those related in applications to environmental concerns and their potential for remediation and sustainability as a driving element in advancing such technologies
• Principles, concepts and practical applications related to: electrochemical systems; energy storage, energy production systems, generation and deployment and related issues within a dynamic field including solar cells, batteries for energy purposes, fuel cells – including hands-on exploration and experimentation within this core program component

Modules:

Year-One

• Four introductory courses provide students with grounding in essential areas including the theoretical and applied, as well as related historical aspects and developments.

Introductory

modules in Chemistry are designed to enable a smooth transition for incoming student to ensure a strong foundation: 1) An introduction and overview, addressing topics including time and self, study and learning; diversity issues in life and science, 2) An overall survey in chemistry (first half), introducing the fundamentals and foundational concepts and key figures of chemistry: an exploration in structure-function relationships of organic or biological compounds; shape, conformation; basics in chemical kinetics and reactions, energy transfer in chemistry systems (second half) for a solid grounding and foundation across the discipline and its various subdisciplinary areas

• Introductory survey, Part Two (Chemistry for the Physical Sciences 1 and 2) - This 15 credit-point two-part introductory series introduces students to core concepts, theories, and methods fundamental within chemistry – covering areas including quantum mechanical principles applied to atomic structures and periodic tables, the fundamental building units of atomic- and molecular -level systems and properties; basics in chemical bonding as an essential introductory topic, with an introductory and preparatory exploration into reaction kinetics; the laws that govern equilibrium states in chemistry, with an additional emphasis placed on concepts of energy and how energy transformations can impact and alter reaction rates for a more in-depth look at underlying mechanisms and potential applications across diverse fields
• Elements in Chemistry- Part One - designed as part of a two module introductory set, with the second occurring at the third credit points mark in the same academic term, offering a survey into areas essential within the scientific field and preparation in fundamental skills, this 15 point credit introductory set provides learners with foundational skills alongside conceptual frameworks for continued, self-guided learning to be applied within a research context, Part 1- An introductory overview into the nature of chemical research and practices in scientific inquiry; development in core skills for the scientist.
• Additional 60-course credit point electives in areas of the student's choice
• Year - Two:
• Compulsory Courses
- 15-point courses in this half-session provide students a foundational grounding in key subdisciples within contemporary research, with lab work incorporated as key component
• Introductions to Materials,
• Chemical Kinetics and Thermodynamics,
• Analytical and Spectroscopic Chemistry,
• Organic & Biological Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• A further 65 credit points can be chosen as electives from the university or department course catalog, based in student interest.

Assessment

Assessment in the undergraduate programs of this school are typically a combination of:

• Coursework/Assignments/Quizzes completed throughout semester/term/course duration,
• Laboratory or field practical assessments
• End-year traditional exam/assessment covering knowledge-specific content from all areas within a course curriculum
The specific mix, ratio or weighting will be varied by program, semester/quarter or school and department regulations, with some weighting more heavily in specific skills-acquisition or research design/production as opposed to knowledge assessment, based on program objectives as defined in departmental and course syllabi. Each department within its area of specialization is the ultimate arbiter concerning grading criteria, standards for evaluation and weighting for each program, with overall university policies serving a regulative and guideline function, ensuring parity across program and degree types.

• Teaching
Students are provided instruction from leading faculty, most of them leaders or actively engaged within their specialized field. There is frequent application to real-world situations, including a final-year research placement in an active professional or academic, or research setting in specialized laboratories and/or research groups at universities, research or applied science centers, institutes of technology.
• A hallmark element of this undergraduate research-intensive program - M Chem research Project (45 credit point value), which occurs in Year Five and encompasses 30 points, is usually undertaken at one of multiple universities within Europe, in industrial labs or, alternatively within a departmental research group.

• Other :
• Access to an array of specialized high tech labs for research within the department and across campus provides access to cutting edge technologies, allowing graduates industry readiness.
Some of those technologies which are accessible to undergraduate Chemistry student in their course work as well as their independent projects include the following representative selection.
• Scanning Probe Microscopy Suite (Oxford Asylum Research Cypher S AFM/SPM) and a Dimension Icon Atomic Force Microscope (Bruker) (in the Facility for Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, based within the Nanolithography Laboratory) equipped for advanced nano manipulation and characterization.
• for research in Materials science
• Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory
• NMR Suite (700, 500, 400, 300 MHz), with dedicated research labs equipped with 400 and two 500 MHz NMRs for research involving structural characterization including protein structures and dynamics, materials chemistry and catalysis and method development
• Mass spectrometers - a Q Exactive mass spectrometer; a 9.4 Tesla Bruker Solarix FTICR mass spectrometer, designed with an emphasis to enable a high dynamic range for complex analysis within biological chemistry, alongside a Waters Synapt G2-Si mass

Careers for graduates

• With the knowledge and professional experience acquired during this academic program students can pursue career opportunities for example in areas like:
• Drug and medicinal chemist, working in drug and pharmaceutical fields - research, design of drugs , formulation, analysis
• Regulatory affairs and policy specialist in areas related to governmental oversight in food production and its safe consumption
• Technical or research officer, in roles requiring expert analysis in areas requiring the application or expertise to the area of food production and health, safety
• Food science researchers - in diverse research and lab environments or with companies, in a range of roles related areas like the improvement or production within the food production industry (such as meat or dairy research), as well as new products or formulation of current ones
• Forensic scientists - within government, criminal or legal and policy settings
• Environmental specialists, consultants or research specialists/officers
• Policy specialists or analysts - within governmental, non -profit, environmental or social justice areas
• Chemical Engineer, focusing on research, chemical engineering design

Additional Notes :

• An overall 3.7 GPA and one year of chemistry or a minimum of three years equivalent high school level coursework is strongly recommended, with one year at the advanced course level of chemistry and one additional year in an area such as algebra, physics or biology
• Application deadlines vary by year of entry
• Standard entry is within the academic semester/term beginning at the close of August or the late summer
• Late entry can occur into the spring term in late January/February

Other This degree focuses on providing students an in-depth analysis of current research trends within chemistry by offering an array of diverse courses, some in emerging or specialized fields or as newly emerging areas within chemical sciences including:

• Theoretical, Inorganic, Organic Chemistry
• Physical and Theoretical - with emphasis on spectroscopic methods and lab skills
• Organic, Physical as well as Materials science and related chemistry subdisciples
• Environmental Chemistry/Analysis, and in Energy Production and associated chemistry (e.g.
photo-catalytic, and electrolysis methods and applications across areas like solar production, battery technology/design
• Polymer science
• In Year Three students have the additional opportunity beyond coursework in their 15 point-credit Professional Skills for Physics and Chemistry, to engage directly in project-focused research under faculty direction, in preparation for their final, year-long independent, in depth research experience .
This research project experience allows them to focus their area within specialization. Some areas of current research within the department, by faculty member are listed here as potential topics for exploration, as areas in which a faculty-student relationship could form, depending on interests. They are listed as representative of potential options, not an exhaustive listing:
• Professor David Smith, Chair and Professor
• Computational simulations
• Computational Catalysis

• Professor Eleanor Campbell
• Synthesis
• Organometallic chemistry in areas including pharmaceutical research, design of catalysts
• The research and design within her lab focuses primarily on catalysis and catalysis mechanisms and design - development in areas associated with chemical and pharmaceutical design and production, including drug development
• Current faculty-led Research projects of current interest at the Department

• Inorganic/Materials science-related projects currently ongoing and some options in development include

• Materials for use with solar or catalytic processes, design and analysis
• Battery design,
• Energy harvesting technologies
• Additional options for areas for a faculty supervised and faculty mentored undergraduate student research experience, in which the work could commence as a directed individual experience and could lead towards the Year -Five culminating independent project work include, but are NOT limited to:
• Areas including medicinal, inorganic/organo metallic/synthetic and materials for students with interest in these subdisciples including their applications within emerging and other technologies.

Overall:

The M. Chem (Master’s of chemistry- 5 years) at the University of Aberdeen in its curriculum is a research focused degree plan designed as an intensive exploration within areas of chemical research with the goal that students learn how and by extension can then undertake to carry out independent research with an emphasis focused on areas including the synthesis or analyses within a laboratory, theoretical chemistry and advanced theoretical concepts, computational and theoretical simulations, quantum mechanical and kinetic applications in areas focused on contemporary energy research, production or development areas and emerging technology areas - in battery production, solar power/production applications or research, as well as other technologies as they emerge and new areas in chemistry-related energy policy or production design are identified, as students will be at the cutting edge within this degree program as leading research in those areas is being actively conducted, analyzed by faculty in this department This course of study is an ideal, intensive exploration within chemistry for those students driven intellectually to explore how the universe operates, the nature of matter itself and potential solutions in areas like climate and environmental technologies or the research, analysis involved and development in battery and solar-energy production as it is increasingly required and at the core of technological development in areas in need of energy transition or energy harvesting, production for growing global needs in the 21st century. This course is also excellent in preparing graduates as leaders within their chosen scientific areas. This course of study will also prepare them well to further pursue this line or area of inquiry at higher academic levels as it provides an in-depth and thorough preparation within areas of scientific inquiry at an advanced research preparatory level for students desiring to enter a doctoral, Ph.D studies at leading academic institutions on a global basis or in pursuit of professional standing and certification as a registered chemist in a variety of public, government or commercially related or sponsored jobs, research and industrial areas in need in a rapidly developing globalized economy for highly specialized, advanced technical training, as it will provide them an edge within their selected areas, as those areas continue in their rapid and ongoing expansion and development in their applications, research areas or theoretical frameworks, this course provides the key element in advanced theoretical training in Chemistry for continued exploration at an advanced scholarly level in areas across all subdisciples within this diverse, dynamic branch of scientific study

Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year

RUK

£9,250

EU / International students

£24,800

Home Students

£1,820