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Medicinal Chemistry

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

AAB including Chemistry Where an A-Level Science subject is taken, we require a pass in the practical science element, alongside the achievement of the A-Level at the stated grade. Excludes A-Level General Studies or Critical Thinking. Extended Project Qualification - We recognise the value, effort and enthusiasm applicants make in the Extended Project, and where an applicant offers an A in the EPQ we may make an offer of ABB at A-Level.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Pass 60 credits overall with 45 credits at Level 3, 30 credits with Distinction and the remaining 15 credits with Merit or above. Must contain a significant number of Chemistry and Mathematics modules.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D2,M2,M2

D2 M2 M2 in 3 principal subjects including Chemistry

16 at Higher Level including 6 in Higher Level Chemistry

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2,H3,H3

H2 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 including Higher Level Chemistry

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

DDD with a significant number of Chemical and Scientific Modules

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

Suitable combinations of Scottish Higher and Advanced Highers are acceptable, though Chemistry must be presented at Advanced Higher level.Typically A at Advanced Higher Level and AABBB at Higher Level

UCAS Tariff

136-147

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Medicinal chemistry

Medicinal chemistry has had a monumental impact on the landscape of society today. It’s the hundreds of years of research and development undergone by medicinal chemists all over the world which have revolutionised modern medicines, creating innovations in everything from pain relief to cancer treatments. Without these ongoing discoveries, our world would be a very different place — and it’s no surprise why the field of medicinal chemistry is highly sought after across a variety of industries worldwide.

Studying medicinal chemistry at Leeds will enable you to delve into the fundamental concepts and new practices used by modern chemists, taught by academics who are leaders in their fields. This will give you the key knowledge and experience you need to begin your career in this highly valued profession and make a real impact across the globe.

Here at Leeds, this accredited course will provide you with widely transferable skills in areas like teamwork and data analysis and the unique opportunity to get involved in real-world research happening in the University.

Practical work features heavily in this course. As such, you’ll have access to a range of facilities right here on campus including specialist teaching laboratories and research facilities with the latest equipment for synthetic, physical and analytical chemistry to ensure you have the best grounding to head out into your professional career.

**Why study at Leeds:**
- This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

- Our School’s globally-renowned research feeds directly into your course, shaping what you learn with the latest thinking in areas like sustainable and digital chemistry, materials chemistry and atmospheric chemistry to drug design.

- Experience expert teaching delivered by a programme team made up of academics and researchers who specialise in a variety of chemistry disciplines.

- Access specialist facilities throughout your degree, including computer clusters and teaching laboratories that give you an industry-standard environment to perform experiments and conduct project work.

- Enhance your career prospects and give your CV that competitive edge before you graduate with our industrial work placement opportunities. Our close industry links have given previous students the chance to work at — and build professional relationships with — major organisations such as GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever and AkzoNobel.

- Contribute to the community by undertaking community projects or a teaching placement in a local school.

- Gain invaluable life experience and advance your personal development with our exciting study abroad programmes, spanning across universities worldwide.

- Our highly flexible chemistry programmes enable you to transfer to other chemistry courses at the end of your first year.

- Make the most of your time at Leeds by joining our student society ChemSoc where you can meet more of your peers, enjoy social events, join the football or netball team and attend careers events.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Leeds

Department:

School of 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.

61%
Medicinal chemistry

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

60%
Staff make the subject interesting
75%
Staff are good at explaining things
72%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
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

70%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
83%
Course specific equipment and facilities
39%
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?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
35%
Male students
65%
Female students
89%
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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
72%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

15%
Natural and social science professionals
11%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
10%
Business, research and administrative professionals

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.

£23k

£23k

£29k

£29k

£33k

£33k

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 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here