This programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Northumbria University is ranked 22nd for Chemistry in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2022)
• Small class sizes: get to know your tutors and academic staff
• Guaranteed lab-based research project
• Hands on use of modern analytical and research equipment to enhance your employability
• Option for industrial placement with help to apply
• Get involved in real cutting-edge chemistry research during your research project
• Diverse subject coverage including analytical chemistry, recyclable plastics and materials, medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and more...
• Track record of 100% satisfaction in the NSS
• City centre location
For more information in relation to studying Chemistry, contact Northumbria University today on 0191 406 0901 or register for Chemistry BSc updates.
This programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Northumbria University is ranked 22nd for Chemistry in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2022)
• Small class sizes: get to know your tutors and academic staff
• Guaranteed lab-based research project
• Hands on use of modern analytical and research equipment to enhance your employability
• Option for industrial placement with help to apply
• Get involved in real cutting-edge chemistry research during your research project
• Diverse subject coverage including analytical chemistry, recyclable plastics and materials, medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry and more...
• Track record of 100% satisfaction in the NSS
• City centre location
For more information in relation to studying Chemistry, contact Northumbria University today on 0191 406 0901 or register for Chemistry BSc updates.
UCAS Code
F110
Level of Study
Undergraduate
Mode of Study
3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department
Applied Sciences
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2022 or September 2023
The Department of Applied Sciences has an exciting and extensive portfolio of subjects including biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry, forensic science, food and nutritional sciences.
Discover more about life in Newcastle and studying at Northumbria.
There are many different reasons to choose to study at Northumbria but we got Alice, Reza and Jasmine to narrow it down to just three reasons each on why they wanted to come study here.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Chemistry. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Chemistry. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
Our students learn from the best inspirational academic staff with a genuine passion for their subject. Our courses are at the forefront of current knowledge and practice and are shaped by world-leading and internationally excellent research.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Chemistry. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
The Department of Applied Sciences has modern laboratory and computing resources for learning, teaching, research, innovation and business engagement.
Come and explore our outstanding facilities in this interactive virtual tour.
At the heart of each Northumbria campus, our libraries provide a range of study space and technology to suit every learning style.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Chemistry. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Chemistry. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
You can boost your CV and develop your experience whilst studying at Northumbria.
From first year through to final year and beyond graduation, we are here to help.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Chemistry. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
120 UCAS Tariff points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
Subject Requirements:
Applicants will need Grade B in A-level Chemistry, or a recognised equivalent.
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.
Additional Requirements:
There are no additional requirements for this course.
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
UK Fee in Year 1: £9,250
* The maximum tuition fee that we are permitted to charge for UK students is set by government. Tuition fees may increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, these are subject to government regulations and in line with inflation.
EU Fee in Year 1: £16,500
International Fee in Year 1:
Click here for UK, EU and International scholarship, fees, and funding information.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Laboratory equipment such as spatula, lab book, marker pens and a scientific calculator are required and should cost no more than £25. You may be required to print some documents this should be no more than £10 per academic year. Textbooks - copies of mandatory texts are available in the University Library, and many are electronic access free to students. If a student wishes to buy a personal copy, we advise on one general Chemistry textbook to supplement the entire course, approximate cost £60. Optional Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Membership - recommended to take out in final year of course. Current rates can be found on the RSC website.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Please use the Apply Now button at the top of this page to submit your application.
Certain applications may need to be submitted via an external application system, such as UCAS, Lawcabs or DfE Apply.
The Apply Now button will redirect you to the relevant website if this is the case.
You can find further application advice, such as what to include in your application and what happens after you apply, on our Admissions Hub Admissions | Northumbria University
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
This module will cover the following:
• An introduction to the fundamental principles of analytical chemistry.
• Consolidation of the knowledge of empirical formulae and balancing of chemical equations.
• An introduction to the theory and practice of titrimetry, gravimetry, flame photometry and spectrophotometry for analysis.
• Theory and hands on experience of chromatographic techniques for separation and analysis of mixtures.
On this module you will learn about the theoretical building blocks of structural chemistry and the tools and rules that enable us to predict structure and reactivity in chemical compounds. This is the keystone for much for the language and understanding of chemistry required at a higher level where structural chemistry informs the properties and behaviours of more complex chemical systems such as drugs and medicine, materials and plastics, and many more. The learning journey for this module starts at the atomic level and moves through to the molecular level taking in the following broad topics and their related competencies.
• Atomic and electronic structure, isotopes, electron configurations, the periodic table and the importance of valence electrons
• Bonding theories, covalent and ionic bonding, ionic and covalent structures
• Lewis and VSEPR approaches to structure prediction for main group compounds
• Acid and base chemistry
• Coordination chemistry of the metals, structures and geometries, isomerism, basic reactions
• Organic structures, isomerism and nomenclature
• Organic stereochemistry, geometric and optical isomerism, Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules and definitions, chirality and the language of stereochemistry.
• Electron movement and structural consequences, resonance and tautomerism
• Basics of structural transformation in organic systems, intro to organic mechanism and curly arrows, electrophiles, nucleophiles and common reaction types and functional groups transformations
• Introduction to organic synthesis, oxidation and reduction, common reagents and pathways.
You will learn about the physical aspects of chemistry through a study of topics in
• the gas laws,
• equilibrium,
• acids and bases reactions,
• electrochemistry,
• phase equilibria,
• basic reaction kinetics,
• thermodynamics
• atomic spectroscopy.
Because much of this material requires a solid mathematical understanding it will be supported by the treatment of the essential numerical methods (units, statistics, algebra, trigonometry, geometry and calculus).
You will also extend your learning in physical chemistry through physical chemistry practical laboratory experiments around the general theme of weak acids. These experiments will involve spectrophotometry and conductivity/pH measurements. You will apply aspects of the physical chemistry theory and numerical methods to the handling and interpretation of data that you obtain from these experiments.
This module will explore the fascinating world of Biological and Medicinal Chemistry and build from your basic understanding of core chemistry gained elsewhere in the programme. You will gain knowledge and understanding about the structures and properties small biomolecules such as amino acids, purine and pyramidine bases and carbohydrates and lipids. You will gain an in depth understanding about the structures of biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids and the broad variety of complexes they participate in. You will understand how the structure and function correlate and how the weak (non-covalent) interactions such as hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions and van der Waals interactions play vital role for formation and stabilization of the structures in biological macromolecules.
You will understand how enzymes work, what the catalytic strategies of the cell are and how the enzyme mechanisms can be realized chemically. You will learn about enzyme kinetics, inhibition. Attention will be given to the receptors and how they interact with external signals and deliver the signal within the cell. You will then gain knowledge about the main steps and reactions of metabolism (both biosynthesises and catabolism) and you will gain key insights into the biochemical aspects of DNA replication and gene expression.
Based on the solid understanding of Biological Chemistry you will then explore the fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry. You will understand the basic concepts of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, drug discovery, design and development. You will be taught basic elements of combinatorial and parallel synthesis, QSAR, computer-aided drug design. You will gain an insight into antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer drugs structure and action. Practical laboratory and computer classes will provide you with key practical skills for working with enzymes and will introduce you to basic tools for computer visualizations and evaluation of small and large molecules and their interactions.
You will learn about how to get the most out of the state-of-the-art computing facilities at Northumbria, and how to navigate the University’s eLearning Portal (eLP). You will learn study skills such as how to search the scientific literature, time management, and communication skills in how to report your discoveries, along with employability skills such as producing a CV and how to make your application stand out. This module serves as an introductory laboratory module where you will learn and develop a range of basic laboratory skills necessary to further study, research and a professional environment, and these will form the basis for more advanced laboratory procedures to follow in later years. You will undertake a variety of interesting investigational experiments which cover core areas of organic, inorganic, analytical and physical branches of chemistry and which will develop skills and techniques, whilst also illustrating key concepts of chemistry found in other parts of the programme. On completion of this module you will be able to: i) use a variety of laboratory techniques and skills in a safe and efficient manner; ii) interpret the results of laboratory investigations; iii) present the results of laboratory work in a coherent manner. You will also develop professional skills such as a basic understanding of Health and Safety protocols and good laboratory practice, problem-solving and analytical skills, team work, organisation, and communication skills.
More informationThis is a laboratory based module where you will learn and develop a range of basic laboratory skills necessary to further study, research and a professional environment, and these will form the basis for more advanced laboratory procedures to follow in later years. You will undertake a variety of interesting investigational experiments which cover core areas of organic, inorganic, analytical and physical branches of chemistry and which will develop skills and techniques, whilst also illustrating key concepts of chemistry found in other parts of the programme. On completion of this module you will be able to: i) use a variety of laboratory techniques and skills in a safe and efficient manner; ii) interpret the results of laboratory investigations; iii) present the results of laboratory work in a coherent manner. You will also develop professional skills such as a basic understanding of Health and Safety protocols and good laboratory practice, problem-solving and analytical skills, team work, organisation, and communication skills.
More informationAcademic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
This module will build on your learning from the previous year in Principles of Chemical Structure. You will learn and develop further both your theoretical and practical skills in organic chemistry that are essential in modern chemistry-based jobs. For example, you will learn about key aspects of molecular structure of organic molecules, the molecular basis for their reactivity, how to devise synthetic schemes for target compounds, and about modern synthetic tools that are used in the everyday synthesis of organic chemicals. You will also further develop your practical, interpretive and reporting skills in the laboratory.
More informationYou will learn about molecular forces, the laws of thermodynamics and how they influence the chemical world around us. You will be introduced to the theory of kinetics and applications from acid/base catalysis through to the cycles in play for the destruction of the ozone layer in our atmosphere. You will learn the theory behind the practical spectroscopic techniques you apply in the laboratory and an introduction to theoretical chemistry techniques. You will use your knowledge to carry out a series of practical experiments designed to illustrate the concepts you learn in the lectures.
More informationOn this module you will learn about some of the key theoretical aspects of the chemistry of inorganic compounds primarily focusing on those containing metal atoms essential to their properties, function and application. You will also explore aspects of this chemistry via laboratory experimentation and thus continue to hone higher level practical skills that are applicable later in the programme and in research and industrial settings. Key theoretical topics that will be explored will include:
?Structure and bonding in inorganic and coordination complexes: Crystal-and Ligand Field theories, molecular orbital approaches, symmetry, properties and uses/application occurrence in nature and industry
?Organometallic Chemistry: the border between organic and inorganic chemistry, structural classification and electron counting approaches, hapticity and hydrocarbon and p-acceptor ligands, properties and applications of organometallic compounds and an introduction to catalysis.
?Mechanistic Inorganic chemistry, the definitions and language of mechanistic inorganic chemistry, reaction types and classifications, the experimental evidence for mechanistic theory, rates or reaction, lability and inertness, solvent assistance, structure activity relationships.
Allied to this will be an evolving selection of investigational laboratory sessions aimed at illustrating concepts of the lecture programme and developing both higher level practical and academic skills. You will also learn and reflect upon the fact that skills and techniques developed previously in the programme and in another contexts can translate into new areas. Example experiments include investigations into:
?The synthesis and characterisation of metal acetylacetonato complexes
?Isomerism and isomerisation in coordination complexes
?Sterospecificity in coordination complex reactions
?Organometallic chemistry: Ferrocene and its acetylation, inert atmosphere techniques.
?Equlibria in reactions of coordination complexes
?Supramolcular complexes of iron
You will learn about the principal features of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, including:
? Survey of separation science.
? Fundamentals of HPLC with respect to isocratic and gradient elution, reversed and normal phase separation and detectors.
? Fundamentals of capillary GC with respect to isothermal and temperature programmed elution, selection of column and detectors.
? Theoretical aspects of separation, capacity factors, resolution, theoretical plate height (efficiency), peak tailing and the influence of these parameters on separation.
? Theoretical aspects of modern and traditional sample preparation techniques.
? Overview of spectroscopic methods.
? NMR spectroscopy: basic instrumentation and experimental aspects; Pulse-Fourier Transform methods; spectral appearance and interpretation for 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy; splitting patterns for common 1st and 2nd order systems; advanced methods; DEPT spectra.
? IR spectroscopy: basic instrumentation and experimental aspects; interpretation and prediction of spectra, vibrational modelling.
? Mass spectroscopy: basic instrumentation and experimental aspects, ionisation techniques; fragmentation patterns, interpretation and prediction of spectra.
? Strategy and practice in structure elucidation.
Laboratory exercises will be used to underpin the theory taught in lectures, develop practical skills and afford hands-on experience of relevant techniques. In addition, there will be in-module assignments allowing you to explore the merits and approaches necessary to solve typical spectroscopic problems.
On this module, you will develop three important skills;
•You will learn how to use computers for research in chemistry. This includes not only how to run advanced database searches to find chemical information, but also how computer programs can be used to analyse data, including quantum mechanical and statistical methods, and make sophisticated predictions about chemical properties.
•You will learn how to become an independent, creative and critical thinker. Although you will develop these skills within the particular ‘Chemical Information Science’ context of this module, you will find them useful in many other areas of life, from troubleshooting and problem solving to being able to spot poor and/or incorrect science in popular news feeds.
•You will learn how to effectively communicate with other scientists, by presenting your ideas and results to a professional level and by learning how to identify, summarise and present essential scientific information and ideas.
You will learn about the application of chemistry to a range of sectors including the process industry and the pharmaceutical/biotech sectors. You will explore the process of applying the fundamental principles of core chemistry to specific industrial, environmental or research problems. Illustrative themes include:
•Drug design, applications and mechanisms of actions: applications in the pharmaceutical sector
•Chemical process development: synthesis of fine and commodity chemicals, polymer and materials synthesis.
•Chemical analysis of the environment: elemental analysis, the process of analysing a contamination in an environment
• Industrial application: based on a Chemistry Clinic approach where the student as part of their practical work for the module will work on a real-world problem proposed by external sources
Out of the range of topics available, you will be able to chose a subset of them (those which most interest you) to be assessed on.
The Industrial Placement Year module is a full year 120 credit module which is available on degree courses which include a Industrial Placement year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. You will undertake a year of Industrial Placement at an approved placement partner. This broadens your overall experience of learning by embedding your current and future learning of your discipline within a regimented and target-oriented work environment. The course of Industrial Placement will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host, the student, and the home University (Northumbria). Your Industrial Placement year will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification but, if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Industrial Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “Degree title (with Industrial Placement Year)”.
More informationThis module will build on your learning from the previous two years in organic and inorganic chemistry. You will learn more advanced concepts, reactions and mechanisms that are essential knowledge in modern chemistry-based industry and research. This module will cover aspects both organic and inorganic chemistry at a molecular level.
In organic chemistry, you will learn and become proficient in:
?Modern synthetic tools geared towards the synthesis of modern chemicals such as therapeutic agents. For example, you will learn about
- the involvement of orbitals in organic reactions and of
- the involvement of reactive species in molecular transformation.
?You will also acquire advanced knowledge in synthetic techniques that are a cornerstone of modern chemistry in the workplace, for example
- the use of organometallic chemistry,
- the methods to synthesise asymmetric molecules and
- the planning of efficient synthetic strategies.
In inorganic chemistry, you will learn about the role metal-based molecules play in a biological system and about the increasingly important role that metal-based molecules play in industry. For example, you will learn about
?bioinorganic chemistry, i.e. the involvement of inorganic chemistry in enzymes as key components of any living organism.
?the ‘rarer’ metals (in the d and f blocks) in modern industry and catalysis (used from gram scale to ton scales).
?the reactivity of metal-based molecules, concepts that are at the core of their function in catalysis and in medical systems.
Building upon your knowledge of physical and organic chemistry you will learn about a number of topics that are of great importance in the chemistry of consumer products and current research. These headline topics are
Spectroscopy
Liquids, colloids and surfactants
Crystals and liquid crystals
Polymers
Particular emphasis will be placed on polymer chemistry due to its importance in industry and you will study both the physical aspects of polymers as well as their synthesis using organic and organometallic chemistry.
You will learn about the chemistry Nature uses to biosynthesise useful natural products and how medicinal chemistry is utilised to combat disease. As you survey Nature’s biosynthetic pathways you will discover how the plethora of naturally occurring molecules are formed from elementary building blocks. In the area of medicinal chemistry you will explore fundamental principles of drug design and learn about the processes through which drugs act to alleviate disease.
Main topics include:
•Biosynthesis of fatty acids, polyketides, terpenes and related biologically relevant molecules
•Drug design, applications and mechanisms of actions
You will learn about the theory, instrumentation, application and practice of a range of advanced analytical techniques for both quantitative determination and qualitative characterisation. These are key analytical tools utilised extensively in both research and industry. Topics will be chosen from the following:
?Liquid and gas chromatography
?Capillary and gel electrophoresis
?Mass spectrometry
?Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy
?Infrared spectroscopy
?Raman spectroscopy
?Multi-nuclear and multi dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
?Laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy
?Circular Dichroism
?X-ray absorption spectroscopy
?X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
?Scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic force microscopy
?Computational spectroscopic methods
?Protein analysis
?Forensic and pharmaceutical drugs
?Volatile organic compounds
?Bioinorganic compounds
?Surfaces (imaging)
Analytical method development and validation as well as sampling protocols will also be studied.
This module builds on your knowledge gained in earlier modules from across the subject area and demonstrates how computational and calculated approaches and techniques can be used to probe theoretical models in chemistry and be used to aid experimental design and the interrogation of their outcomes.
This module will provide you with a solid background and practical skills in the most advanced theoretical and computational methods in chemistry. You will learn the complex concepts of Quantum Chemistry and Electronic Structure Methods such as ab inito Hartree-Fock based methods and Density Functional Theory. You will gain practical computational skills to optimize molecular structures, localize transition states, calculate electronic, vibrational and NMR spectra, and how to analyse the reaction mechanisms of chemical reactions using sophisticated computational approaches. You will gain practical skills to use Gaussian09W program for electronic structure calculations. You will also gain a solid understanding in the Molecular Mechanics and Molecular Dynamics methods which utilize classical physics laws and are much faster and applicable for treating very large molecules such as solvated proteins or embedded proteins on the membrane surface.
You will understand the underlying theory and will gain excellent practical skills to run simulations using the Gromacs code for molecular dynamics. In addition you will learn how to dock structures of protein-ligand (inhibitor) complexes and you will gain practical skills in molecular docking using Autodock code. You will also gain training in advanced computational statistics and molecular statistics methods that are applicable across chemistry as an aid to experiment design and outcome interrogation.
This module comprises the research project for level 6 of the MChem and BSc Hons Chemistry programmes. It is 40 credit module and aims to utilize the student’s subject specific skills up to the point their project begins, both in terms of knowledge and laboratory skills.
It will enable you to identify and define a research topic in a chosen field of study, to plan a strategy for its implementation (in conjunction with an appointed supervisor) and to be responsible for its implementation. It will engender a spirit of enquiry and curiosity in both practical and theoretical aspects of the topic. It will develop your information retrieval and critical appraisal skills, and encourage and require you to apply knowledge gained in other parts of the academic programme. It will enable the you to develop the ability to evaluate experimental methods and data, and to provide the means to present findings and data in oral, poster, and written formats, and enable you to develop and practise skills relating to word-processing, spread-sheets, and other scientific and IT software packages and methods. It will teach you the definition of originality in terms of both reporting research and in generation of intellectual property and patentable ideas
To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
Our admissions team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901.
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