Undergraduate MChem
Chemistry
Choose MChem Chemistry to gain advanced lab skills; use them to tackle global challenges and build a rewarding career.
Choose MChem Chemistry to gain advanced lab skills; use them to tackle global challenges and build a rewarding career.
We still have places available for this course. Apply online or call us now.
Interested in developing chemical compounds? Curious about the structure of chemicals and the reactions they have with one another? Enter the fascinating world of Chemistry at Kent to gain the knowledge and practical skills to help tackle the challenges of the 21st century. From combating climate change and creating energy storage devices, to developing new pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Our distinctive course includes a set of ‘chemistry in context’ modules where you can apply your knowledge to specific case studies - in our state-of-the-art facilities - as well as the opportunity to work with our leading research teams on your own project. You'll also benefit from our expert careers advice – we'll help you to achieve your ambitions.
On this four-year integrated Master's course, you'll also complete your own research project in an area that fascinates you. Under the guidance of a supervisor, you'll explore how to develop an idea into a fully worked-up research proposal. These extra skills will give you an edge in the job market.
If you don't have a science background or don't meet our entry requirements, you can take our foundation year.
This course is fully accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Our lecturers are innovative teachers and active researchers: Professor Jennifer Hiscock is in a team that created a material that can stop supersonic impacts.
Study a wide range of modules from core chemistry concepts to how it can help build a better world with an introduction to chemistry and the environment.
Our staff work at the cutting edge of their fields, using chemistry to tackle challenges in society, technology and healthcare.
Academic advisers and support staff are on hand to help with course and life queries; careers advisers to help you get where you want to go.
You’ll use industry-standard equipment from the start of your degree.
At Kent, you’re more than your grades. We look at your circumstances and experience as a whole when we consider making an offer. As a guide, typical entry requirements for 2024 entry remain published on the UCAS website and where a course may prefer your qualifications to include specific subjects, these will be listed below.
Have questions? Call us now +44 (0)1227 768896 to discuss your application with our Clearing team. See our Clearing website for more details on how Clearing works at Kent.
We consider all applications on an individual basis during Clearing and you're encouraged to get in touch to discuss your grades. You're most likely to be offered a place in Clearing for this course if you hold the following subjects:
GCSE / IB - Mathematics
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
You’ll focus on the broad base on which chemistry is founded and start to build your practical lab skills.
Chemistry, as one of the physical sciences, is rooted in careful observation of the natural world and experimentation. This module teaches the key skills required to work in a chemical laboratory, analysing unknown systems and synthesising new ones, and learning how to apply the theories and ideas from lecture modules to socially and industrially relevant problems.
This module presents a unified understanding of the structure of matter, linking physical properties to bonding and energy, and providing the tools necessary to begin to describe and analyse chemical problems. Key concepts such as mass balance and bonding (ionic, covalent, metallic, and intermolecular) are linked to analytical methods to show how these fundamental ideas can be measured and used.
This module will provide an initial look into chemistry and the environment, introducing important concepts such as pollution and climate change. The effects of chemical disasters will also be considered. Additionally, this module will begin to provide students with the wider skills necessary to study chemistry at university.
An introduction to the core Mathematical skills required within the Chemical and Forensic Sciences. These core skills will be complemented with a variety of problem-solving applications in Chemistry and Forensic Science.
As scientific methods and instruments advance, computers become ever more important in data analysis and acquisition. This module introduces to the concept of programming languages and their uses, and presents a practically minded course on using simple programming to solve problems relevant to chemistry, and to automate the analysis and presentation of data.
Organic chemistry underpins not only much of the chemistry of living things but also modern materials, dyes, medicines, and more. This module discusses the structure of organic molecules in detail, showing the shape of molecules dictates their properties, and how Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) can exploit this to determine the structures and thus properties of unknown molecules. Fundamental modes of reactivity of organic molecules are discussed, showing how simple mechanisms can be used to build complex and useful compounds.
Inorganic chemistry considers the rich and varied chemistry of all the periodic table. This module shows how the variation in bonding across the periodic table leads to predictable and useful trends in structure and properties. The fundamental properties and reactivity of the transition metals are examined in detail to show how their magnetic and spectroscopic properties may by understood and exploited, laying the groundwork for future applications.
This module discusses the key ideas of thermodynamics and kinetics in a chemical context. It shows how the universe may be understood in terms of the flow of energy from high to low, and how this allows not only an understanding of what transformations are possible but also how fast they will occur. These essential physical principles are then applied to real world phenomena such as batteries, showing that even the most fundamental theories have direct and important applications in the modern world.
You’ll further develop your knowledge of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry and continue to develop your lab skills.
Why is analytical chemistry important within the chemical and forensic industries? What approaches should we take when considering the chemical analysis of an unknown sample? Analytical chemistry is essential throughout the chemical and forensic world - covering not only how we design experiments to understand the composition of unknown samples, but also how we confirm and quantify results and assign a level of confidence to our findings. This module takes a pragmatic, application-driven approach to sample preparation, analysis, and data validation, providing key foundations for the modern analytical chemist - and the key skills needed for a number of careers in chemical and forensic industries.
Do you want to know more about the structure of DNA and how its structure has evolved to provide the building blocks of life? Have you wondered why different drugs behave in different ways inside our bodies? How do we create new treatments and therapies to tackle disease? This module introduces you to the key ideas and fundamental molecular components of biochemistry. You'll look at simple biomolecules and non-covalent interactions, building up to biological oligomers before you are introduced to key concepts in pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, illustrated with medicinal chemistry case studies. This application of theory into practice through examining case studies prepares you for a career where you can get hands-on and make a real difference.
Organic Chemistry is the science of making molecules. Understanding organic reactions helps scientists invent new drugs, discover eco-friendly materials, and decode the language of life. This module builds upon your knowledge of structure and reactivity and applies it in the context organic synthesis, molecular design, reaction mechanisms. You'll dive deeper into learning about creating more challenging target molecules from simple ones; along with industry-standard techniques to identify and follow the progress of any organic reaction. Upon completion, you'll be able to identify the most important concepts in the rational design of synthetic routes for useful complex organic molecules such as drugs, pesticides, dyestuffs, and perfumes. So you have the knowledge to launch a career in chemistry in a industry you are passionate about.
Explore the fascinating interplay between transition metals, organic molecules, and main group elements, unlocking the secrets behind some of the most pivotal chemical transformations shaping our world. From unraveling the intricate mechanisms of catalysis to harnessing the catalytic power of transition metal complexes, you'll delve deep into the frontiers of chemical innovation. You'll also gain an understanding of the rich structural and chemical diversity of inorganic solid-state compounds that enable their applications as functional materials. This further builds on your knowledge of inorganic chemistry and gives you the tools you need for a successful and exciting career as a chemist.
Why do atoms and molecules behave the way they do? How can we understand the intricate dance of electrons and nuclei at the quantum level? What impact do these insights have on shaping the molecules of the future? In this module, you'll explore the core principles of quantum chemistry and molecular spectroscopy, two pillars of modern chemistry that illuminate the intricacies of matter at its most fundamental level. Starting with the foundational postulates of quantum mechanics and the wavefunction, you'll explore how these principles govern the electronic structure of atoms and molecules. You'll discover how spectroscopy reveals the identity and properties of molecules.
Mastering these concepts will equip you with the tools to design the molecular systems of tomorrow. Whether it is developing new catalysts, or discovering novel pharmaceutical compounds, you'll be positioned at the forefront of innovation through the far-reaching applications of these disciplines.
The modern practical chemist must operate successfully across the range of chemical disciplines, applying core chemical knowledge to a range of unfamiliar problems. You'll venture through a diverse and challenging range of practical and theoretical experiences, conducting experiments across many disciplines to illustrate the multi-faceted, versatile, and employable characteristics of a practising chemist. By the end of this module you'll be more confident working alone and in groups to carry out, understand, analyse, evaluate, improve, and report on your chemistry. The range of skills you'll develop will critically underpin success in the remainder of your studies and beyond.
In your final year, alongside your modules, you complete an independent research project.
Modern Chemistry and Forensic Science rely heavily on a suite of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. But which of these should we apply for our particular cutting-edge chemical research, or to obtain the specific, precise and robust forensic evidence we require?
This module builds upon your knowledge of fundamental concepts and methods to understand the specificity, advantages and limitations of these more advanced techniques, and explore approaches to best apply them across a broad range of applications. Using this knowledge, you'll strategically choose and expertly apply advanced analytical methods across a range of scenarios explored elsewhere within your course.
Beyond this course, you can apply these interdisciplinary skills and technologies to pioneering research and in support of impacting real world issues in fields including environmental chemistry, forensic trace analysis and pharmaceutical development and detection.
What types of functional properties do solids exhibit? How can these be harnessed to address key global challenges, such as enabling the ongoing data revolution and reducing our dependance on polluting energy sources in the future? Gain an understanding of how such functional properties work, the types of inorganic materials that can be used for them and how these can be made and characterised. We'll give you the knowledge needed to synthesise and optimise new functional materials for a wide range of useful applications through a systematic understanding of key classes of functional solids, this knowledge will be the basis for any career in chemistry where you want to tackle challenges and answer pressing questions.
What’s the importance of organic synthesis? Why should we learn about different organic processes? Organic synthesis is key to the success of multiple industries such as medical and pharmaceutical. In this module, we'll explore advanced complex methods for different organic transformations bringing together the beauty and complexity of organic chemistry. You'll also broaden and extend your knowledge of organic chemistry to standards used in modern chemistry research, academia, pharmaceutical science, and other related industries. You'll study the principles to master various bond formations and functional group transformations at an advanced level, gaining the essential skills you need to pursue a career in organic chemistry.
Why have rare elements become such a valuable commodity in recent years? What makes them unique for underpinning the latest chemical processes on which our modern society relies? This module offers a comprehensive journey through the principles governing the behaviour of both main group elements and transition metals, unlocking the secrets behind their diverse reactivity and profound impact on the world of chemistry.
You'll explore the deeper mechanistic explanations for their unique reactivity and electronic properties that enables the efficient synthesis of the wide variety of compounds needed to address global challenges across areas as diverse as healthcare, the green economy and quantum technologies.
How is computational modelling used in modern society and industry? Can computer modelling replace experimental work? Computational modelling and simulations are increasingly used by industry to complement experimental work and can be used to provide unique insight, especially when experiments are expensive, dangerous or prohibited. In this module you'll be introduced to a range of cutting-edge modelling and simulation approaches that chemistry practitioners may encounter through their career in aid of solving complex chemical problems and in driving the design processes for new biomolecules, photovoltaic cells and bio-degradable polymers, supporting a range of topical global challenges.
How can we apply our chemical knowledge and problem solving techniques to original chemistry challenges? How can we innovate within the chemical sciences to build on the knowledge base within our scientific and global communities?
You'll undertake a comprehensive research project, selected from a range of chemical disciplines. You will also gain skills in conducting and directing scientific research, data analysis and interpretation, problem solving and communication of results, culminating in the writing of your dissertation. This isn't just your chance to hone you skills and develop as a chemist, your dissertation itself is a real piece of scientific research you can use to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to employers following graduation.
As well as further specialist modules, you work on an in-depth research project under the guidance of an academic supervisor.
In this module students will conduct an advanced individual project within a research laboratory. Students will gain experience of a wide range of research skills including data interpretation and analysis.
This module will provide students with enhanced research skills such as thinking critically, learning to be unbiased and providing fair evaluation. The content of this module will also embed employability skills. Case studies will provide context for the academia/practitioner divide and the interplay between research and application over time.
Topic A:The properties of species containing transition metals and lanthanides are governed by the electronic structure of these metals and ions and a more in-depth understanding of their electronic states is necessary to explore these properties and current research trends. This course will include looking at the energy scales of ss, ll and sl coupling and the Russell-Saunders coupling scheme and when various coupling schemes are valid, and Hund’s rules for transition metals and lanthanides. This will lead into the use of term symbols to discuss electron configurations and microstates. This initial theory will provide a basis on which we can investigate ligand field theory and electronic spectra for transition metals (considering concepts such as Racah parameters and the nephelauxetic effect, and using Orgel, Tanabe-Sugano and correlation diagrams) and then lanthanides. The consequences of these concepts for physical properties (for example, magnetism and when to expect an orbital contribution to spin) will be explored. Current research ideas will also be incorporated (for example, spin-crossover systems). Topic B: Nanoscale phenomena are increasingly important in cutting edge materials science. Understanding colloids and interfaces is integral to entry into this field. Students will learn the physical chemistry of these systems, starting from classifications, and move forward to understanding the thermodynamics and kinetics through application of principles of structural chemistry. Characterisation and up-to-date applications of colloidal systems will be delivered.
The ability to examine a molecule through the lens of retrosynthetic analysis, and subsequent delineation of a feasible series of reactions to generate the target molecule, is an essential tool in all areas of Synthetic Chemistry. The topic finds its fullest expression in the total synthesis of complex molecules such as natural products. Students will make use of the full repertoire of reactions they have compiled to date, but new reactions may also be delivered.
The degree is made of a combination of lectures, laboratory classes, project work and problem solving seminars.
Assessment is by a combination of written examinations, continuous assessment and other assignments. You must pass the Stage 1 examinations in order to go on to Stage 2.
Coursework assessments include practical laboratory skills, presentation skills as well as essay and report writing.
Please note that there are degree thresholds at stages 2 and 3 that you will be required to pass in order to continue onto the next stages.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
You gain transferable skills in the following:
You'll graduate with an excellent
grounding in scientific knowledge and extensive laboratory experience, as well
as a toolbox of transferable skills highly sought after by employers. These
include excellent communication and problem-solving skills; the ability to work
independently or as part of a team; analytical thinking; and effective time
management. Typical graduate destinations include:
You'll also develop key transferable skills including: the ability to work independently or as part of a team; to analyse and problem solve; to conduct research and communicate your findings.
Within our first few weeks of being in the lab, we were able to use cutting-edge equipment.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
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.*
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.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
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