Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Chemistry with Molecular Physics and a Year in Industry

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

Must include: A in Chemistry A in Mathematics A Physics General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted. If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,D3

Must include: D3 Chemistry D3 Mathematics D3 Physics

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

38

Must include: 6 in Chemistry at higher level 6 in Mathematics at higher level 6 in Physics at higher level *Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level with no preference.

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Chemistry

Physics

Examine how chemistry, mathematics and physics intersect on this five-year course, which focuses on work at the boundary of all three disciplines.

You'll gain a thorough understanding of the foundations that underpin organic, inorganic and physical chemistry through lectures, workshops and labs, and explore this through the lens of molecular physics.

You can choose modules from a range of specialist research areas, including molecular imaging, nanomaterials and robot chemistry, and complete a research project in an area of your interest.

Extensive laboratory experience will also help you gain confidence in applying a large number of different experimental techniques.

The molecular physics specialism is in high demand in research and the commercial world, and this course prepares you to apply it to both.

The year in industry option gives you an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field with a leading industrial partner. Previous placements have been at AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck.

With a focus on lab experience, you'll graduate with the practical, analytical and theoretical skills required to work in a range of fields. These include pharmaceuticals, data science, industrial development, and finance.

Years one and two of our Chemistry degrees follow the same core course content, supplemented by optional modules designed to match your chosen course of study. This structure offers you the opportunity to transfer between Chemistry degrees at a later stage providing you have studied the appropriate optional subjects, and as such you should apply to only one degree within the Department of Chemistry. You may need to meet a certain academic standard to be eligible for placements in industry or abroad. If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your visa, but our International Student Support Team are here to help advise and support you.

**Professional accreditation**
This degree leads to a Master’s level qualification and is professionally accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

This accreditation is internationally respected in an increasingly global industry and graduate market. It will allow you to demonstrate that you’ve completed a high-quality degree programme designed to meet the needs of both students and their future employers.

This MSci degree fully satisfies the academic requirements for professional registration as a Chartered Chemist (CChem). Becoming a Chartered Chemist earns you an internationally recognised qualification which can enhance your career prospects and earning potential

Modules

We recommend reviewing our course page for the latest information regarding the curriculum (including core and optional modules) and course structure, as this information may be subject to periodic change.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£41,650
per year
International
£41,650
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Imperial College London

Department:

Chemistry

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

88%
Chemistry
55%
Physics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemistry

Teaching and learning

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
82%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

93%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
96%
Course specific equipment and facilities
82%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

48%
UK students
52%
International students
48%
Male students
52%
Female students
97%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A*
A

Physics

Teaching and learning

68%
Staff make the subject interesting
70%
Staff are good at explaining things
69%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
58%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

80%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
41%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

56%
UK students
44%
International students
72%
Male students
28%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A*
A*

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemistry

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£27,000
high
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education
72%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

30%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
17%
Business, research and administrative professionals
16%
Other elementary services occupations

Chemistry graduates are in demand from a wide range of industries, from the food, oil, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to consultancy, technical analysis and teaching. They're also prized by business and finance employers for their research and data handling skills — anywhere there is research and data to be explained, you can find chemistry grads. If you want a career in research, you need a doctorate, so start planning now if you fancy one of these exciting and challenging jobs - but good students can usually get grants to take a doctorate, so don't worry about the financing if you think you have what it takes. The recession wasn’t too kind to chemists, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry (one of the key employers for chemists), but things are getting back to normal for this flexible group and it's one of the few degrees that is bucking the current trend and increasing graduate numbers.

Physics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£27,000
high
Average annual salary
90%
low
Employed or in further education
82%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

31%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
24%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
10%
Teaching and educational professionals

Although the subject has seen a bit of resurgence in recent years, the UK is still felt to be short of physics graduates, and in particular physicists training as teachers. If you want a career in physics research — in all sorts of areas, from atmospheric physics to lasers - you'll probably need to take a doctorate, and so have a think about where you would like to do that and how you might fund it (the government funds many physics doctorates, so you might not find it as hard as you think). With that in mind, it's not surprising that just over a fifth of physics graduates go on to take doctorates when they finish their degree, and well over a third of physicists take some kind of postgraduate study in total. Physics is highly regarded and surprisingly versatile, which is why physics graduates who decide not to stay in education are more likely to go into well-paid jobs in the finance industry than they are to go into science. The demand and versatility of physics degrees goes to explain why they're amongst the best-paid science graduates.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Chemistry

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£31k

£31k

£36k

£36k

£43k

£43k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Physics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£31k

£31k

£41k

£41k

£43k

£43k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Lower entry requirements
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Chemistry and Molecular Physics
Msci (Hon) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-136
Higher entry requirements
University of St Andrews | St Andrews
Chemistry and Physics
Msci (Hon) 5 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 144-159
Nearby University
UCL (University College London) | Camden
Natural Sciences
Msci (Hon) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 152

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here