Chemistry with Biological and Medicinal Chemistry

Course description

This specialist course is the best route for students who are thinking about a career in scientific research to help meet the growing demands of the healthcare sector and pharmaceutical industry. As well as essential chemistry topics, you'll study more tailored themes such as pharmacokinetics, toxicology and drug design.

You'll learn to use industry-standard commercial software and have the opportunity to spend your final year working on your own biological and medicinal chemistry research project.

The programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and gives you opportunities to work individually and in groups, to carry out project work and to acquire a range of skills that are highly prized by employers.

We cover a wide range of topics based on the latest concepts and findings in chemistry, and the skills and expertise that chemistry graduates can offer industry and society. As well as biological and medicinal chemistry, these include:

• environmental and sustainable chemistry
• advanced materials and nanotechnology
• astrochemistry
• computational chemistry

Your lectures in first and second year are supported by small group tutorials, where you can delve deeper into complex topics. These small group teaching sessions are led by your personal tutor in first year, and specialist experts in later years. In addition, your personal tutor will also help you work out which skills you need to develop and support you as you build up your experience in time for graduation.

If you want to study chemistry, but don't meet the entry requirements to go straight into the first year of this course, you may be able to apply for our Chemistry with a Foundation Year course. Finish the year-long foundation programme with an average mark of 60 or above, and you're guaranteed entry onto the first year of your chosen chemistry degree at the University of Sheffield.

Learning and assessment

Assessment

You will be assessed through laboratory work, coursework, online quizzes, examinations, essays and other written work.

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Graduate careers

Department of Chemistry

Our courses have been created with your future in mind. All of our modules have been designed to give you skills that will help you find and succeed in your chosen career - problem solving, team working, fact finding, data analysis, critical thinking, communication, project management.

As part of your course, you'll develop your own idea for a chemistry business and pitch it as part of a team. On our Skills For Success training programme you can get experience of public speaking, presenting a poster, hosting a debate or producing a video. At our annual careers day you can explore career options, meet with employers who hire chemistry graduates and get tips from former students to help you take your next steps after graduation.

Some of the biggest employers of our students are pharmaceutical companies (such as GlaxoSmithKline), where chemists develop new medicines, and consumer goods companies (such as Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser), which make many of the products you see on supermarket shelves. Graduates can also go behind the scenes, creating the chemicals and materials that make industrial manufacturing possible.

The science industry doesn't only employ scientists though - big companies like Unilever and AstraZeneca need graduates who understand science to work in communications, market research and business development roles.

What if I want to work outside science?

A chemistry degree from the University of Sheffield can take you far, whatever you want to do. We have graduates using their scientific minds in everything from finance to computer programming.

Completing your application

The form is divided into two parts. Part 1 is for personal information, including English language ability, and previous education and employment. You have to complete all of the mandatory fields in this part (marked with a *) before you can go on to Part 2. Part 2 is where you select the course or courses you want to apply for. You can apply for a total of three different postgraduate courses.

Supporting documents

You'll need to include certain documents to support your application, for example evidence of your previous qualifications, and a personal statement. You can supply these simply by uploading them to the relevant sections of your application.

You can find more information about the supporting documents you'll need, and how to supply them, on our Supporting Documents webpage:

Supporting documents

Submitting your application

Your application will only be submitted to us when you click the 'Submit Application' button. If you've forgotten to fill in any sections, you'll be prompted to go back and complete them at this stage. When you've successfully submitted the completed form, we'll confirm this on-screen. We'll also send you an email confirmation.

If you want to apply for more than one course, you don't need to submit them all at the same time. Each course choice has its own 'Submit Application' button.

If you have any problems completing your online application, please contact us:

Contacts for prospective students

See our key dates webpage for application deadlines:

Deadlines for postgraduate courses

After you've applied

When we've created your applicant record, we'll send you a second email to confirm this. This email will include your applicant and choice numbers, as well as information about what happens next.

You can find more information about what happens after you submit your application, and about preparing to study at the University of Sheffield, on the After You Apply webpage:

After you apply