Chemistry with Study Abroad M.Chem

Course description
On the MChem Chemistry with Study Abroad course, you can spend your third year studying chemistry at a top university in the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. You will return to Sheffield for your fourth year to complete a major research project, which is great preparation for a career in the chemical industry or research.

The content of our courses was created in consultation with our students. On this degree, we cover a number of topics based on the latest advances in science, and the skills and expertise that chemistry graduates can offer industry and society. These include:

- environmental and sustainable chemistry
- biological and medicinal chemistry
- advanced materials and nanotechnology
- chemistry of light
- astrochemistry
- computational chemistry

Most of the modules on our undergraduate courses are the same for the first two years. You'll have the freedom to specialise later in your degree. Our courses are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, so you will cover all of the organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistry that a professional chemist needs to know.

In your first year, you'll spend a day a week in the lab, learning essential skills and techniques. You will study topics including the structure of atoms and molecules, how chemical reactions happen, and how to identify and analyse different chemicals and elements. You'll also look at the biological processes that chemistry drives, and the technologies and products that chemistry has made possible - from cosmetics to explosives.

In your second year, you'll start spending two days a week in the lab, as you learn to run more complex experiments. You'll move on to study more advanced topics in organic chemistry (functional groups, synthesis, biopolymers), inorganic chemistry (main group compounds, transition metal coordination complexes, inorganic solids) and physical chemistry (quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, polymers and colloids).

During your year abroad, you'll study similar topics to the ones you would have covered in Sheffield. Most students also carry out a research project while they're abroad. Orientation sessions in your second year will prepare you for studying abroad and help you choose which universities you'd like to apply to. Your place at another university isn't guaranteed - it's your responsibility to secure one, but we'll do everything we can to help.

In your fourth year, you'll join one of our research groups spend most of your time working on a major research project. You'll choose the topic, get specialist training from professional scientists and have access to state-of-the-art equipment. Again, you'll also have lots of optional modules to choose from, so you can tailor your degree to suit your interests and career goals.

All of your lectures are backed up by small group tutorials, where you can delve deeper into complex topics. These small group teaching sessions are led by your personal tutor in your first year, and specialist tutors who are experts in the specific topics you're studying in later years. Your personal tutor will also help you work out which skills you need to develop and support you as you build up your CV in time for graduation.

If you want to study chemistry, but don't meet the entry requirements to go straight into the first year, our Chemistry with a Foundation Year could be for you. After successfully completing the one-year programme, you'll progress onto the first year of your chosen degree.