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Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry (MChem)

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

AAB including Chemistry. No additional science required but Mathematics, Physics, Biology preferred. For Biology, Chemistry and Physics A levels, we require a pass in the practical element. GCSE Mathematics grade B or 6 required if not offered at a higher level.

Access to HE Diploma

D:45

45 level 3 credits at Distinction, to include at least 15 credits in Chemistry. Credits in Maths, Physics and Biology are also desirable.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,M2

D3, D3, M2 in Principal Subjects including Chemistry. No additional science required but Mathematics, Physics, Biology preferred. GCSE Mathematics grade B or 6 required if not offered at a higher level.

We welcome applications from students offering an Extended Project and value the skills of research and independent learning that it is designed to develop. If you offer an Extended Project, it will be taken into account as part of your application profile, but we will not usually include it in offer conditions for this degree programme.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

33

33 points overall including Higher Level Chemistry grade 6 or above. Standard Level Mathematics or Mathematical Studies required at grade 5 if not offered at Higher Level.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H1,H1,H2,H2,H3

H1H1H2H2H3 at Higher Level to include Chemistry at Grade H2. No additional science required but Mathematics, Physics, Biology preferred.

Applicants will be considered on an individual basis.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,B,B

AAABB at Higher Grade including Chemistry. No additional science required but Mathematics, Physics, Biology preferred. Mathematics required at National 5, minimum grade B (or grade 2 Standard Grade or Intermediate 2 equivalent) if not offered at a higher level. Combinations of Highers and Advanced Highers accepted. Where a candidate bypasses the assessment for National 5 qualifications, a minimum of grade C in the Higher in Mathematics is required. Scottish qualifications can be taken in more than one sitting.

UCAS Tariff

136-153

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Chemistry

Medicinal chemistry

This professionally accredited MChem degree includes a year of advanced study at Master's level and provides a good basis for a PhD or career in research. It equips you with a thorough understanding of all the main areas of chemistry, alongside in-depth knowledge of those aspects of chemistry that are important to the pharmaceutical industry. Supported by our research-active staff, you also conduct an extended research project on a topic of your choice, contributing to knowledge at the cutting edge of the field.

The Uni


Course location:

Main Site (Newcastle)

Department:

School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (Chemistry)

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What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

68%
Chemistry
68%
Medicinal chemistry

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemistry

Teaching and learning

62%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
69%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

84%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
54%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
54%
Male students
46%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemistry

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
54%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

17%
Natural and social science professionals
12%
Other elementary services occupations
10%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

Chemistry graduates are in demand from a wide range of industries, from the food, oil, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to consultancy, technical analysis and teaching. They're also prized by business and finance employers for their research and data handling skills — anywhere there is research and data to be explained, you can find chemistry grads. If you want a career in research, you need a doctorate, so start planning now if you fancy one of these exciting and challenging jobs - but good students can usually get grants to take a doctorate, so don't worry about the financing if you think you have what it takes. The recession wasn’t too kind to chemists, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry (one of the key employers for chemists), but things are getting back to normal for this flexible group and it's one of the few degrees that is bucking the current trend and increasing graduate numbers.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Chemistry

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£27k

£27k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here