Popular searches
Studying
Staff
Chemistry - MSc, PhD
Open Days
Open Days are a fantastic way to meet our staff and students to find out why you belong at Kent. Book now to visit either in person or take part online.
Research degrees may be undertaken in the three main areas of research interest in the Laboratory. The growing number of academic staff are supported in their research by the technical staff and post-doctoral research fellows.
Overview
We make every attempt to allocate you to a supervisor directly in your field of interest, consistent with available funding and staff loading. When you apply, please give specific indications of your research interest – including, where appropriate, the member(s) of staff you wish to work with – and whether you are applying for a studentship or propose to be self-funded.
About Chemistry at Kent
We offer postgraduate students the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking science in the realms of physics, chemistry, forensics and astronomy. With strong international reputations, our staff provide plausible ideas, well-designed projects, research training and enthusiasm within a stimulating environment. Recent investment in modern laboratory equipment and computational facilities accelerates the research.
Our principal research covers a wide variety of topics, theoretical, experimental and applied – you can see a list of example topics on our available research projects page. We also offer taught programmes in Forensic Science, studied over one year full-time, and a two-year European-style Master’s in Physics (one year taught, one year research).
Entry requirements
You are more than your grades
For 2022, in response to the challenges caused by Covid-19 we will consider applicants either holding or projected a 2:2. This response is part of our flexible approach to admissions whereby we consider each student and their personal circumstances. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Entry requirements
A first or second class honours degree in Physics or Chemistry. We will also consider applicants with degrees in computer science, electronics, biochemistry or other closely related disciplines.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
International students
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
English language entry requirements
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.
For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.
Need help with English?
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
Form
Course structure
Duration: MSc 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
PhD 3 to 4 years full-time, 5 to 6 years part-time
Fees
The 2022/23 UK fees for this course are:
Chemistry - MSc at Canterbury
- Home full-time £4596
- EU full-time £21200
- International full-time £21200
- Home part-time £2298
- EU part-time £10600
- International part-time £10600
Chemistry - PhD at Canterbury
- Home full-time £4596
- EU full-time £21200
- International full-time £21200
- Home part-time £2298
- EU part-time £10600
- International part-time £10600
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
Your fee status
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Additional costs
General additional costs
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
- University and external funds
- Scholarships specific to the academic school delivering this programme.
Scholarships
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsWhich one's right for you?
Some other similar courses you may be interested in.
Independent rankings
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by our Chemistry department was ranked 7th in the UK for research impact and a demonstration of its importance to industry and the public sector.
An impressive 98% of our chemistry research was judged to be of international quality, with 78% of this judged world-leading or internationally excellent. The environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of research of international excellence.
Research
Research areas
Materials for Electronics and Engineering (MEE)
There is an ever-increasing need to develop new materials to enable the novel technologies required by modern society in a sustainable fashion. The Materials for Energy and Electronics (MEE) group has a broad range of expertise in developing materials key for such applications. This includes creation of new materials, physical property investigation and developing the understanding of their atomic, magnetic and electronic structures, crucial to optimising their properties.
https://research.kent.ac.uk/mee/
Physics of Quantum Materials (PQM)
The group carries out theoretical and experimental research in Condensed Matter Physics with a strong focus on Quantum Materials. The team aim specifically to discover and understand novel properties that could find application in future quantum computing technologies through close collaboration between theory and experiment.
https://research.kent.ac.uk/pqm/
Supramolecular Interfacial and Synthetic Chemistry (SISC)
The group's work underpins fundamental advances and applied technologies that transcend classical disciplinary barriers. Composed of nine independent research groups, SISC provides a collaborative environment based upon synthetic, supramolecular, interfacial, macromolecular, biomolecular, redox, and materials chemistry. Its research interests, facilities, techniques, and applications overlap on many fronts and target areas of influence are biomedical science, sustainability, sensing, and soft materials.
https://research.kent.ac.uk/sisc/
Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CAPS)
The group’s research spans observation, experimentation, simulation and modelling. The major topics are star formation, planetary science and early solar system bodies, galactic astronomy and astrobiology. The group uses data from the largest telescopes in the world and in space, such as ESO’s Very Large Telescope, the New Technology Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory. They also use our in-house facilities, including a two-stage light gas gun for impact studies.
https://research.kent.ac.uk/caps/
Staff research interests
Kent’s world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. The academic staff in this school and their research interests are shown below. You are strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your proposed research and potential supervision prior to making an application. Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests. Use our ‘find a supervisor’ search to search by staff member or keyword.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
Careers
All of our Chemistry programmes equip you with the tools you need to conduct research, solve problems, communicate effectively and transfer skills to the workplace, which means our graduates are always in high demand. Our links with industry not only provide you with the opportunity to gain work experience during your degree, but also equip you with the general and specialist skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace.
Typical employment destinations for graduates from the physics programmes include power companies, aerospace, defence, optoelectronics and medical industries. Typical employment destinations for graduates from our forensic science and chemistry programmes include government agencies, consultancies, emergency services, laboratories, research or academia.
Alumni profile
Fatma Salahioglu graduated from Kent with a PhD in Chemistry. She now works as a Research Scientist for the Institute of Chemical & Engineering Sciences (ICES) in Singapore. Read the full profile.
Study support
Postgraduate resources
The University has good facilities for modern research in physical sciences. These include: NMR spectrometers; powder X-ray diffractometers; X-ray fluorescence; atomic absorption in flame and graphite furnace mode; gel-permeation, gas, analytical and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; scanning electron microscopy and EDX. We also have various microscopes, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis, dionex analysis of anions and automated CHN analysis. For planetary science impact studies, there is a two-stage light gas gun.
Interdisciplinary approach
Much of our work is interdisciplinary and we have successful collaborative projects with members of the Schools of Biosciences, Computing and Engineering and Digital Arts at Kent, as well as an extensive network of international collaborations.
National and international links
Chemistry at Kent is a leading partner in the South East Physics Network (SEPnet), and benefits from £2.5 million of funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The department has collaborations with universities around the world, particularly in Germany, France, Italy and the USA. UK links include King's College, London and St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. Our industrial partners include BAE Systems, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Ophthalmic Technology Inc, Canada. We also have collaborations with NASA, European Southern Observatory (ESO) and European Space Agency (ESA) scientists.
Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Nature; Science; Astrophysical Journal; Journal of Polymer Science; Journal of Materials Chemistry; and Applied Optics.
Researcher Development Programme
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.
Apply now
Learn more about the applications process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
Once started, you can save and return to your application at any time.
Apply for entry to:
Contact us
United Kingdom/EU enquiries
MSc at Canterbury
PhD at Canterbury
International student enquiries
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk