Chemistry, BSc (Hons), with industry placement

Course summary

Chemists plays a vital role in tackling key societal challenges, including sustainability, health, energy and protecting the environment. To ensure our graduates can apply their chemistry, our course places problem solving, communication, and project management at the core of what we do. Taught by world-class researchers, our students gain both the academic knowledge and practical laboratory skills needed to be a professional chemist in a wide range of careers.Work and learn in our ISO 9001 certified laboratories, our unique offer to undergraduates to train in a regulated professional laboratory environment. Chemistry at Plymouth is ranked 14th in the Guardian University Guide 2021: top in the UK for ‘satisfied with feedback’, 2nd in both ‘satisfied with teaching’ and the ‘value-added score’, and 6th on ‘satisfied with the course’.

• Benefit from outstanding teaching - 96% of our students were overall satisfied with the quality of the course; 96% said that staff made the subject interesting; and 93% agreed that staff were good at explaining things.

• Equip yourself for successful employment in a competitive job market – our focus on practical, professional skills means you graduate primed to enter the workplace.

• Benefit from award-winning teaching in small groups and be inspired by staff who are world-leading researchers.

• Hone your practical problem solving skills in our newly-refurbished laboratories, kitted out with the latest analytical instrumentation.

• Our tutorial system ensures that you receive the support and guidance you need to reach your full potential.

• 70% of assessment is based on coursework.

• Experience chemistry in the real world and boost your employability by taking a placement, work-based project in your final year, or working alongside PhD and post-doctoral researchers in our high specification laboratories.

• Graduate with in-demand skills for a range of career paths, from research and development in the pharmaceutical industry and lab-based roles in the food and energy industries, to positions in the science, engineering, healthcare, environmental or technology sectors.

• Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the professional body representing chemistry in the UK.

In your first year, you’ll take part in workshops, lectures, tutorials and practical sessions, providing you with the essential skills and knowledge for a degree in chemistry. You’ll learn about core chemical principles and chemical problem solving, as well as IT and laboratory techniques. You’ll begin developing personal and professional skills to boost your employability in the science workplace. In year two you will build on the theoretical and practical areas covered in your first year, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistry. You’ll be trained in the use of advanced instrumentation and develop the skills and knowledge to tackle chemical problems in real-life contexts; laying the foundations for more extended projects. You’ll continue your personal and professional development, gaining problem solving and teamwork skills essential to the workplace. In the final year you will study chemistry at an advanced level, you’ll explore contemporary chemical issues and focus on developing your skills to a professional standard. You’ll hone your practical skills and project management know-how by planning and undertaking a project with an internationally recognised research group, working with the latest instrumentation and paving your way for successful entry into your profession. There’s also an opportunity to experience a work-based learning placement within the industry.