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University of the West of Scotland

UCAS Code: F100 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

C,C,D

Including Chemistry, plus GCSE Maths and English at Grade 5 or above For year 2 entry, BBC including Chemistry, plus GCSE English, Maths and 1 further Science at Grade 5 or above

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

including Chemistry, plus Maths and English at Standard Level For year 2, 28 points including Chemistry, plus English, Maths and 1 further Science at Standard Level

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

H3,H3,H3,H4

Including Chemistry, plus English and Maths at Ordinary Level

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

MMM

Scottish Advanced Higher

C,C,D

For entry to Year 2, including Chemistry, plus National 5 Maths, English and 1 further Science at Grade C or above

Scottish HNC

Pass

Entry to Year 1 with HNC Industrial Biotechnology Entry to Year 2 with HNC Chemistry, HNC Applied Science or relevant subject

Scottish HND

Pass

Entry to Year 3 with HND Chemistry, HND Applied Science or HND Applied Chemical Science.

Scottish Higher

B,C,C,C

Including Chemistry, plus National 5 English and Maths at Grade C or above

T Level

Pass (C and above)


in relevant subject, plus GCSE English and Maths at 5/C or above For Year 2, Full T-Level with Grade M (120 Tariff points), plus GCSE English, Maths and 1 Science subject at GCSE Grade C/5 or above

UCAS Tariff

90

Including Chemistry

About this course

Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2025

Subject

Chemistry

OVERVIEW

Prepare for a career in drug research, materials science and specialty chemicals, environmental analysis, analytical chemistry or forensic science with UWS’s BSc (Hons) Chemistry degree.
Featuring practical sessions designed to develop your analytical, problem-solving and numeracy skills as well as workshops, tutorials and presentations to improve your communication and presentation skills, this programme will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills for a successful career in chemistry.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Teaching on this programme provides a balanced overview of the main branches of Chemistry and allows you to progress to in-depth study in Honours years.
• Flexible study options allow you to tailor your studies to suit your interests.
• Between Years 3 and 4 you’ll get the chance to take part in a year’s work experience focused on your chosen specialism.
• This programme combines strong academic content and practical experience with modern chemical instrumentation – with a focus on analytical chemistry,
industrial chemistry and formulation, health-related fields and the
environment.
• BSc (Hons) Chemistry students can join UWS’s Couper Chemical Society. Named after the renowned Scottish chemist Archibald Scott Couper, this student-run society organises academic and social activities throughout theyear, including guest lectures and science outreach, to help students of all levels on the Chemistry and Forensic Sciences programmes get to know one another.

PROGRAMME DETAILS

Offering access to high-quality laboratory environments and with links to active research groups, the range of subjects and practical opportunities available on this programme are based on real-life examples from industry to prepare you for the workplace.

CAREERS

UWS’s BSc (Hons) Chemistry programme is professionally accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and recognised by employers for its impressive analytical and applied focus. Graduates from this programme have gone on to secure roles in the chemical industry with companies such as GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK), Sellafield Ltd and SB Drug Discovery Ltd. BSc (Hons) Chemistry graduates consistently progress into postgraduate study and research, and are also sought by non-scientific employers such as stockbrokers thanks to their numerical and problem-solving skills.

Modules

Year 1
During year 1 you will cover general aspects of chemistry including organic, inorganic and physical chemistry along with two other science subjects. Laboratory sessions develop practical and communication skills.You will study a range of core modules which include the following: Structure of Chemistry, Chemistry and Reactions, Scientific Investigation, and ASPIRE.*
*ASPIRE is a set of core modules which aim to enhance the academic, personal and professional development of students at UWS.
Year 2
In Year 2 the core chemistry modules are designed to extend your knowledge of the traditional subject areas of inorganic, organic, physical, and analytical chemistry, in addition to introducing aspects of applied chemistry, spectroscopy and theoretical chemistry. Each of the modules contain both practical and coursework components allowing students to develop, practice and demonstrate a wide range of professional skills.
The core modules include the following: Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Laboratory Techniques, Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Analysis and Evaluation, and ASPIRE.*
*ASPIRE is a set of core modules which aim to enhance the academic, personal and professional development of students at UWS.
Year 3
You will study chemistry modules that provide a foundation for the remaining honours year, as well as dealing with applied chemistry issues, the modules you will study include the following: Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physical
Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Designer Drugs, Safety, Health & Environmental Protection.
Sandwich Year (optional)
The Honours sandwich course offers a year’s paid work experience between years 3 and 4 within an environment relevant to your specialism. Students have undertaken placement/work-based learning with organisation such as Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Doosan Babcock and Taytech Environmental Solutions.
Year 4
In the Honours you will study advanced topics in chemistry including aspects of synthetic methods, medicinal chemistry, colloids, catalysis, quantum mechanics, spectroscopy and main group, and transition metal chemistry. In your final year you will undertake a research project at the frontiers of the subject, this project forms a substantial part of your studies.During the final year you will study the following modules: Research Project, Advanced Analytical Techniques, Organic Chemistry, Physical and Inorganic
Chemistry 4.

Assessment methods

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, practical workshops and guided laboratory work. There will also be group work, literature reports and research projects in order to ensure our degrees provide a strong set of additional skills, such as presentational and communicative skills.
Our Chemistry degrees use a variety of assessment methods. The below list provides a guide to the types of assessment methods you can expect:
• Written examinations
• Oral presentation
• Written reports
• Coursework
• Academic posters

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
International
£18,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships

The Uni

Course location:

Paisley Campus

Department:

Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences

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.

100%
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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
100%
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

100%
Library resources
100%
IT resources
91%
Course specific equipment and facilities
91%
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?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
54%
Male students
46%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
21%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
B

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.

£17,200
low
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
19%
Science, engineering and production technicians
12%
Engineering 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

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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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.

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

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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