StudyQA — Master: Chemistry with Research Abroad and a Year in Industry

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These courses help many graduates look towards careers overseas.

They combine a four-year Chemistry degree of full MSci status with the opportunity to carry out their final year research project and some of their final year eleactive chemistry modules in a partner university abroad.

In years 1 and 2: the courses follow the F103 MSci Chemistry programme with the requirement that
you take and pass the appropriate language option as your ancillary subjects (if the research
placement is to be in a non-English-speaking country).
In year 3: F104/F101 students who are planning to carry out their research placement in a nonEnglish-speaking
country are required to take and pass an appropriate language ancillary subject (6
ECTS) and a „Preparation for year Abroad‟ course run by the Humanities Department (3 ECTS). To
compensate for this extra workload they are not required to write a Literature Report (worth 5 ECTS to
F103 students).
Research Abroad placements are applied for in the third year on condition that your academic
performance to the end of year 2 meets a threshold level.
Year in Industry
The „Chemistry with a Year in Industry‟ F101 course offers an alternative to a gap year between
school and university. It allows you to gain experience at a level more appropriate to a graduate.
Many students find that using chemistry in an industrial context gives them greater experience and
motivation during their final year studies. They also find this gives them confidence as they choose
their career direction.
This course is one year longer than its F104 counterpart without the year in industry, but its content is
otherwise identical. This contrasts strongly with many „...with study in Industry‟ courses offered by
other Universities which are 4 years in duration and so have a reduced core chemistry content to
accommodate the time spent in Industry. For our course, the penultimate year is spent in industry.
Year in Industry placements are applied for in the third year. Most companies will look for at least a
2:1 performance on the course to date as an interview prerequisite.
We have an extensive list of firms willing to accept students, some of them in continental Europe;
alternatively, in consultation with the department, you may make arrangements with another suitable
company. In either case, the work must be predominantly related to chemical research, at an
appropriately challenging, professional level. The placement is normally for 12 months (September to
August). During this year you receive an industrial salary but no student loan. The industrial partner
helps with local orientation e.g. securing accommodation etc.
You are assigned a Departmental supervisor and an Industrial supervisor. The Departmental
Supervisor visits you twice during the year and maintains e-mail contact throughout. The first visit will
be towards the start of the placement, to ensure that the arrangements for the project are in place and
to ensure that you have a plan for the work to be carried out. By the end of the year, you will be
required to draw up a full scientific report on the work that you have carried out according to the same
criteria applied to final year project reports. The reports must contain an appendix entitled 'reflective
self assessment' in which you summarise what you have gained from personal development/training
programmes during the placement. The final meeting provides an opportunity for you to make a 30
min oral presentation of your work to the Departmental and Industrial supervisor (and any other
Industrial personnel). Assessment of your report will be by the Industrial supervisor, the Departmental supervisor and by an independent Departmental assessor. A confidentiality agreement (CDA) is
normally signed to enable this to take place. The Industrial and Departmental supervisors assess your performance during the year, your report and your oral presentation but the marks do not count towards your eventual degree class; rather a threshold level of achievement needs to be attained as a condition for passing the year; failure results in the designation „...with a year in Industry‟ being dropped and formal transfer to the F104 degree.
You are additionally required maintain contact with the Humanities Department during the Year in Industry so as to allow for arrangements to be made in preparation for your final research abroad
period during the final year.

YEAR 1
Inorganic Chemistry
Atomic Structure
Spectroscopy and Characterisation
Main Group Chemistry
Transition Metal coordination and Organometallic Chemistry
Crystal and Molecular Architecture
Organic Chemistry
Structure, Mechanism, Reactivity
Stereochemistry
Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkynes
Haloalkanes, Alcohols, Amines
Chemistry of Carbonyls and Carboxyls
Introduction to Physical Organic Chemistry
Aromatic Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Chemical Kinetics
Spectroscopy
Solvents and Solvent Effects
Measurement Science
Thermodynamics I: Chemical Equilibria
Thermodynamics II: Molecular Driving Forces
Quantum Chemistry I: Models
Mathematics Courses
Maths I
Maths II
Maths III
YEAR 2
Inorganic Chemistry
NMR Spectroscopy
Molecular Orbitals in Inorganic Chemistry
Main Group Chemistry
Transition Metal coordination and Organometallic Chemistry
Crystal and Molecular Architecture
Organic Chemistry
Organic Synthesis Pt1
Heteroaromatics
Pericyclic
Bio-organic Chemistry
Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Quantum Chemistry II: Molecular Orbital Theory
Photochemistry
Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Kinetics
Modern Analytical Instrumental Techniques
Spectroscopy and Characterisation II
Thermodynamics III: Applications
Mathematics Courses
Maths IV
YEAR 3
Inorganic Chemistry
Inorganic Mechanisms and Catalysis
Advanced Main Group
Advanced Transition Metal Chemistry
Bioinorganic Chemistry
Lanthanides and Actinide Chemistry
Flow Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Organic Synthesis
An Introduction to Reaction Stereoelectronics
Fundamentals of Polymer Chemistry
Reactive Intermediates
Organometallic Complexes in Organic Synthesis
Biological Chemistry
Polymers: Structures and Properties
Carbohydrate Chemistry
Process Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
Quantum Chemistry III
Statistical Thermodynamics
Photochemistry
Molecular Reaction Dynamics
Molecular Electronic Materials
Lyotropics
Soft Condensed Matter
Advanced Topics in Electrochemistry: Pulse Techniques, Sensors and Diagnostics
YEAR 4
Inorganic Chemistry
Molecular Imaging
Nanotubes
Industrial Inorganic Chemistry
Green Chemistry
Metals in Medicine
Palladium Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Asymm Catalysis
Understanding Organic Semiconductors
Advanced NMR
Biosynthesis
Advanced Synthesis
Pharmaceuticals
Advanced Stereochemistry
Agrochemicals
Kinetics in Catalysis
Physical Chemistry
Solar Energy
The Theory, Modelling and Simulation of Nanoscale Systems
Advanced Surface Science
Fuel Cells and Renewable Energy
Robot Chemistry

Candidates should normally offer three A levels at A grade: chemistry, mathematics and one other (not general studies). We will also consider candidates with equivalent qualifications including:  International Baccalaureate, for which we require chemistry HL at grade 7, mathematics HL at grade 6 and at least 38 points overall.  Scottish Advanced Highers, which we consider equivalent to English/Welsh A levels. For the Chemistry with Research Abroad (F104/F101) courses, study of the appropriate language to at least GCSE level grade B is required. For all courses, passes are required in English, mathematics and physics or combined science at GCSE, typically grade B or better (grade B for English).