Course structure

The first year of the course covers the traditional areas of Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry, together with Mathematics for Chemistry. These are broadly based, and include topics such as Biological Chemistry and Physics, which are presented in a chemical context.

Students are taught through practical work, lectures and small group classes and tutorials.

Students must pass the Preliminary Examination in all four subjects at the end of the first year. The level of the examinations is set so that with reasonable commitment the vast majority of students pass, and there is a resit opportunity in September.

During the second year of the course, students build up their understanding of the subject and cover most of the core material in the degree. Examples of some of the topics included are: Theoretical chemistry, Biological chemistry, Molecular spectroscopy, and Synthetic chemistry.

Students are taught through practical work, lectures and small group classes and tutorials.

Students take the Part IA Examination at the end of the second year, which comprises three papers – one each in Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry – covering the material from the first and second years and counting 15% towards the overall degree classification.

The third year begins by completing the core material, followed by a range of Options courses. Approximately fifteen different Options topics are offered each year, some of which relate to research interests in the department.

Students are taught through practical work, lectures and small group classes and tutorials.

Students take the Part IB Examination at the end of the third year, which comprises seven papers in total – six synoptic general papers and one paper on the Options topics, in which students are asked to answer questions on three topics of their choice. These examinations count 50% towards the overall degree classification.

The fourth year is spent exclusively on research, providing students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a significant project in one of the world’s premier research departments. A wide range of research themes are available, and there are also opportunities to work in related sciences in other departments. Students are supervised by a member of academic staff and have full access to the research facilities of their host laboratory. The year’s work results in the Part II thesis, the assessment of which counts 25% towards the overall degree classification.

Students generally enjoy the fourth year greatly, and it is very rare for a student to exercise the option of leaving after three years with an unclassified BA honours degree.

The practical course spans the first three years of the degree, and aims to train students to solve problems practically, accurately, safely and efficiently so that by the end of the course they are ready to work as a professional chemist in a research laboratory.

Practical chemistry is taught in the purpose-built Chemistry Teaching Laboratory, which opened in 2018. The practical course teaches the essential experimental skills, form the synthesis and characterisation of compounds to the operation of spectrometers and other instruments for physiochemical and analytical measurements. Computer applications and chemistry software packages, such as structure drawing, molecular modelling and computer coding, are also covered in the practical course. It also makes tangible much of the material covered in the lectures, classes and tutorials.

Students must pass the first year of the practical course as part of the Preliminary Examination, in order to progress to the second year of the degree. The second and third years of the practical course count 10% towards the final degree classification.