Chemistry
University of Aberdeen
UCAS Code: F100 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
A minimum of 3 A Levels at BBB - must include Chemistry and anothe r science or maths subject. To be considered for entry into Second Year, a minimum of 3 A Levels at ABB, with AB from 2 science or maths subjects (including the subject(s) nominated for Honours - an A in the subject for Single Honours or AB in the subjects for Joint Honours). Also required: GCSE at C or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry, or Physics or Dual Award Science.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
A minimum of 32 points, with a minimum of 5 points at HL required from Chemistry and another Science or Maths subject. For Second Year entry: a minimum of 34 points with a minimum of 6 at HL in Chemistry. A minimum of Standard Level English and Maths also required.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
5 subjects at Higher, with 3 at H2 and 2 at H3. Chemistry and another Science or Mathematics subject required at minimum H3.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Main subjects to be in Science or Mathematics. In addition GCSE at C (or Grade 4) or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry or Physics or Dual Award Science. (NOTE: BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate (Subsidiary Diploma) achieved at Distinction level, is normally acceptable in lieu of one A Level at grade B).
Scottish Advanced Higher
For Second Year entry a minimum of 3 AH at ABB, a minimum of two must be from AH Chemistry and another AH Science or Maths subject. Standard Grades 1, 2 or 3 or Int 2, or National 5 at grades A, B or C in English, Mathematics and in either Chemistry or Physics.
For entry to Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Applied Sciences (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Mathematics for Science (H8XP), Inorganic Chemistry (B) (H92Y), and Physical Chemistry (B) (H936). For entry to Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Chemical Process Technology (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Inorganic Chemistry: Theory and Laboratory Skills (H92Y 34), Physical Chemistry: Theory and Laboratory Skills (H936 34).
For entry to Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Applied Sciences (240 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Organic Stereochemistry: Theory and Laboratory Skills (H934 35), Instrumental Techniques 1 (H930 35), Inorganic Chemistry: Theory and Laboratory Skills (H932 35), and Aromatic Chemistry: Theory and Laboratory Skills (H92N 35). For entry to Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Chemical Process Technology (240 SCQF credit points) - BA in all Graded Units.
Scottish Higher
Applicants who achieve AABB or better over S4 and S5 are likely to be made an offer of admission. This may be unconditional or it may be conditional, dependent upon academic profile. Good performance in additional Highers / Advanced Highers may be required. Note: we do not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but we do consider that a B at Adv Higher is equivalent to an A grade at Higher. National 5 at grades C or above in English, Mathematics (but not Applications of Mathematics) and in either Chemistry or Physics Higher Chemistry and another Higher science subject required.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Chemistry is not just about chemicals in laboratories – chemistry touches every aspect of our daily lives. Chemistry is about understanding how matter changes and how these changes affect everything from the food we eat and air we breathe, to the medicines we take and the energy we use to power our homes, cars and phones.
The brand-new Science Teaching Hub provides the latest high-tech teaching labs and equipment to support your learning and to help you develop industry-standard skills and techniques to launch your chemistry career.
Chemistry is a core science that is not only the very essence of life, but is also concerned with the quality of life and its continuous improvement. It is often regarded as the central science, and a degree in chemistry provides a student with many key skills which can be used in many areas not necessarily restricted to the discipline.
Students who study chemistry at university go on to work in a wide range of highly rewarding careers, tackling the problems we face today in areas such as drug discovery, environmental protection, forensics, food and agriculture as well as academic careers in teaching or cutting-edge research.
Chemistry is also central to the transition to clean and sustainable energy and this programme will also provide you with the foundation for a career in developing battery and fuel cell technology, carbon capture technologies and also the hydrogen economy. The BSc (Honours) degree is the traditional route to a qualification in chemistry. It involves four years of full time study (although direct entry into second year is possible for well qualified applicants, and all four years may be undertaken part time). BSc (Hons) graduates with first class or upper second class honours are eligible to continue to postgraduate research degrees, although most choose from the wide variety of employment options available to chemistry graduates.
Chemistry graduates are very employable because a degree in Chemistry opens up many opportunities in areas such as drug development, environmental protection, food chemistry, petroleum chemistry, forensic science and materials development.
**Ranked 7th in the UK for Chemistry, Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.
Ranked 1st in Scotland for Overall Student Satisfaction, National Student Survey 2021**.
Modules
Our teaching in the first two years aims to give a balanced treatment of all the main branches of the subject. In the third and fourth years we develop a selection of topics in more depth, and offer options which enable students to tailor their programmes to suit their own aptitudes and interests.
Assessment methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; Written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Tuition fees
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Extra funding
View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be able to apply for.
The Uni
University of Aberdeen
School of Natural and Computing Sciences
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
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.
£21k
£28k
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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