Chemistry leaflet - Keele University

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undergraduate study guide
Introduction
chemistry
Further Information
You are welcome to visit us on one of
the University Open or Visit Days or you
may wish to arrange a personal visit with
your family at some other time. A detailed
breakdown of the modules and
information for prospective applicants can
be found on our website. If you have any
questions that remain unanswered then
please contact us for further information.
Contact: Dr Catherine Duckett,
School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, ,
Lennard Jones Laboratories,
Keele University,
Staffordshire ST5 5BG
Tel: 01782 733318
Fax: 01782 712378
Email: chemistry@chem.keele.ac.uk
Website:
www.keele.ac.uk/chemistry
Annual intake: Chemistry 40; Medicinal Chem. 20
Teaching hours per week:10
Chemistry impacts on all aspects of our modern
lives. Society needs competent, professional
chemists to work at the cutting edge, discovering
pharmaceuticals, inventing novel materials,
improving energy production, and developing
efficient, cleaner technologies. Within the UK the
chemical and pharmaceutical industry represents
one of the largest manufacturing sectors and the
international nature of these businesses provides
job opportunities on the global platform. The
unique Dual Honours system at Keele allows
Chemistry to be combined with a diverse range of
other subjects. This leaflet is a structured guide
for students who wish to study Chemistry,
highlighting the programmes and research
opportunities that are designed to help you
achieve your career ambitions in this exciting
arena.
The Course
An enthusiastic and approachable
teaching team
Modern laboratories and dedicated IT
facilities
Hands-on experience of a wide variety of
modern instrumentation and analytical
techniques.
Keele offers two Principal subjects,
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry. The
three-year Dual Honours BSc Medicinal
Chemistry course is outlined in an
accompanying leaflet and the
undergraduate prospectus lists the range of
offers made.
The course operates within the traditional
Keele Dual Honours framework.
Combinations with a nonscience subject
from the Humanities or Social Sciences are
particularly suited to those students who
studied a mixture of science and
non-science subjects before coming to
Keele and who wish to continue to develop
these interests at degree level. Students
combining Chemistry with another science
subject during their 1st and 2nd years can
opt to follow several different degree
programmes. The Single Honours BSc
allows students to specialise in Chemistry in
the final year of a three year course, giving
students the opportunity to study a wide
breadth of Chemistry and to increase their
research and analytical skills. Students can
opt to transfer between the Chemistry and
Medicinal Chemistry programmes up to the
beginning of the 2nd year of their degree.
Dedicated mathematics support is offered in
the first year to students without A-level
mathematics in the form of weekly lecture/
problem sessions taught by Chemistry staff.
Sandwich Year
Dual and Single Honours BSc
students combining Chemistry with
another science can, with the
agreement of both subjects, apply to
undertake a salaried industrial
placement at the end of the 2nd year.
This sandwich year not only provides
industrial research training but also
develops the key skills that enhance
employment prospects.
Student Life
As a Chemistry student you will join a
vibrant and forward-thinking School. You
will find the Chemistry staff to be friendly,
approachable and enthusiastic. A Year
Tutor monitors your welfare and
development as a chemist and there is an
active Staff-Student Liaison Committee. In
fact, many Chemistry students choose to
spend much of their day in the
Lennard-Jones Laboratories, making use of
the facilities provided for use solely by our
students. ChemSoc, the student chemical
society, organises extremely popular
parties and events for all members of the
School. The Lennard-Jones Laboratories
are within walking distance of the student
residences, the Students' Union and all the
facilities provided for you on our beautiful
rural campus.

Course Structure
The purpose of the 1st and 2nd year modules is
to equip students with the knowledge base
required for advanced studies in Chemistry.
Specialisation is possible in the 3rd year;
students choose a research project in a specific
area and the Research Topics module covers
areas in which the academic staff have research
expertise. Each module is designed to develop
analytical, problem solving and presentation
skills. In addition, Induction and Study Skills
Sessions provide advice on topics such as notet
a k i n g , s t u d y i n g , l a b o r a t o r y s a f e t y , o r a l
presentations and preparation for examinations.
Research projects are an integral part of the
Dual and Single Honours BSc courses. All
students carry out projects in the research
laboratories under the direct supervision of an
academic member of staff. Students work
alongside postgraduate and postdoctoral
researchers, providing an opportunity to innovate
and demonstrate their independence as chemical
researchers.
In the 1st and 2nd years students take two
Chemistry modules per 12-week semester. Each
module consists of 24 hours of lectures and 36
hours of associated practical work and problem
classes.
Autumn Semester
Practical courses are designed to complement the
lecture material and make full use of the laboratory
and IT facilities available. Problem classes provide
an informal forum where problems arising from the
lectures can be discussed with a member of staff
and other students. In both, further aspects of
Chemistry are explored and the links between
various disciplines reinforced.
In the 3rd year, Dual Honours BSc Chemistry
students take two 20-lecture modules in the
Autumn semester and select four 5-lecture topics
in the Research Topics in Chemistry module in the
Spring semester. The Research Project is worth
one module and is carried out over one semester.
Single Honours BSc students take three modules
in the Autumn semester, three in the Spring and
carry out a Single Honours Research Project over
two semesters.
Modules in the 1st and 2nd years are assessed by
examination, class tests and a variety of practical
assessments designed to develop your subjectspecific
and transferrable skills. For Dual and
Single Honours BSc Chemistry courses the marks
from the 2nd year count one third towards the final
degree classification. In the 3rd year modules are
assessed continuously and by examination, while
the research project is assessed by dissertation,
laboratory performance and oral exam.
Spring Semester
BSc Single Honours
Chemistry
Students combining Chemistry with another
science or Mathematics can specialise in
Chemistry during the 3rd year. Students
take three taught modules in the Autumn
semester and three in the Spring semester:
Advanced Chemical Analysis develops skills
in analytical problem solving and state-ofthe-art
analytical laboratory techniques. The
two Research Topics modules give breadth
to the Spring semester and Single Honours
students carry out one research project that
equates to a double module.
Year 1 Electrons in Atoms and Molecules Making Organic Molecules
The Physical Basis of
Chemical Processes
Navigating the Periodic Table
Year 2 Organic Synthesis and Chirality Organometallic Chemistry
Spectroscopic Methods
Physical Chemistry
Year 3 Synthesis, Kinetics and Mechanism Research Topics in Chemistry
Solids, Surfaces and Catalysis
Dual Honours Research Project
Additional Modules for Single Honours Programmes
Biologically Important Molecules
Single Honours Research Project
Research within the School
Single Honours Research Project
Research Topics in Biological and
Medicinal Chemistry
Advanced Chemical Analysis
All members of academic staff are engaged in research across the breadth of the chemical
sciences. The main areas of research activity include Green Chemistry and Clean Technology,
Fuel Cells, Catalysis, Environmental Science, Advanced Materials, Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical
Ecology, Forensic and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Computational Chemistry, Synthetic Chemistry
and Photochemistry. Undergraduate project students have access to a wide variety of research
equipment within the School, including FT-IR, UV/Vis, Fluorescence and FT-NMR spectrometers,
GC, HPLC, SFC & ICP-OES, ICP-MS, LC-MS, GC-MS chromatography, catalyst testing
apparatus, Laser Flash Photolysis, Raman microscopy, Scanning Tunnelling & Atomic Force
Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction & Microfocus instruments. Over recent years our research income
has been impressive, with the award of substantial funding from Government Research Councils,
the European Union, Charities and a large number of industrial partners.
Laboratory Facilities
In recent years we have invested substantial funds (in excess of £3 million) refurbishing our
Synthetic and Analytical Laboratories, creating a new suite of tutorial rooms, offices and
refurbished teaching laboratory space and furnishing the laboratories with modern state-of-the-art
analytical and spectroscopic instrumentation. In addition, work is underway to develop a new £4
million multi-user teaching laboratory for Autumn 2009. This exciting new development will result
in three large, exceptionally well equipped laboratories for the delivery of chemical sciences,
boasting one of the best science teaching facilities in the country.
RSC Course Recognition
All BSc Dual Honours and Single Honours (Major) courses in Chemistry and in Medicinal
Chemistry are recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Graduates are eligible for admission
to Associate Member of the RSC (AMRSC) on graduation.
Career Opportunities
Keele graduates are uniquely placed to
develop careers by combining the
a n a l y t i c a l , p r o b l e m s o l v i n g a n d
numerical skills acquired from our
c o u r s e s w i t h a k n o w l e d g e o f t w o
subject areas. Diverse opportunities
e x i s t i n t h e c h e m i c a l a n d
p h a r m a c e u t i c a l i n d u s t r i e s , i n
biotechnology and natural resource
management, ceramics and materials
p r o c e s s i n g , a n d a n a l y s i s a n d
instrumentation design. Most recently, a
graduate with a Dual Honours BSc in
Chemistry and English gained a senior
position within a multinational company
d e v e l o p i n g n o v e l p o l y m e r s a n d
coatings. A number of students each
year enter the teaching profession
where their broad scientific knowledge
places them ideally to teach crossdisciplinary
GCSE science and A-
levels. A significant proportion of Dual
Honours students go on to higher
degree courses or research in either
subject. In recent years approximately
one third of our graduates have chosen
to continue onto higher degrees both
here at Keele and at other universities.