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Chemistry

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B-A,B,B

A-levels must include Chemistry. You will also need to pass the separate science practical assessment. If you are not able to take the science practical assessment, applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You will also need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics and two Science subjects with grade 5 in each (or grade B).

Pass Diploma with at least 39 level 3 credits at Merit or above including 24-27 credits at Distinction. The Access to HE Diploma will need to be in Science and contain substantial amounts of Level 3 credits in Chemistry. You may wish to consider taking A-level Chemistry in addition to the Access to HE Diploma. You will normally need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics and two Science subjects with grade 5 in each (or grade B).

We take the EPQ into account when considering your application and it can be useful in the summer when your results are released if you have narrowly missed the conditions of your offer. We do not routinely include the EPQ in the conditions of your offer but we sometimes offer alternative conditions that include the EPQ. If you wish to discuss this further please contact Admissions at [email protected]

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34

This score should be from the full IB Diploma. Higher Levels must include Chemistry, with a grade of 5

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

The BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma will need to be in Applied Science and you will need to have opted for substantial numbers of modules please see the University website for more information. You will normally need GCSE (or equivalent) Mathematics and two Science subjects with grade 5 in each (or grade B).

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B-A,A,A,B,B


Highers must include Chemistry, normally grade A. Ideally, you will also have an Advanced Higher in Chemistry (grade B). You will also need Scottish National 5 in Mathematics and two sciences at grade B.

UCAS Tariff

128-153

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Chemistry

**1st in the UK for Citations in Physical Sciences (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2023)**

**8th in the UK for the impact of our research outputs in Chemistry in REF 2021 (Times Higher Education)**

**About the course**

New medicines, new materials, new sources of energy – they can all change lives. And they’re all down to chemistry. The more we understand, the more we’ll be able to make our world a better, more sustainable place to live in.

At Sussex, we have a long history of excellence in both our teaching and research – from Nobel Prize winners to our strong links with the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre. You’ll learn from leading chemists whose world-changing research influences their teaching. You’ll join a friendly and supportive community of students and scientists in the School of Life Sciences.

From Year 1, you’ll get hands-on practical experience in the lab. By Year 3, you’ll have the opportunity to collect and analyse data from our many facilities. These including Mass Spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. On your course, you’ll:

- study physical, organic and inorganic chemistry

- undertake experimental chemistry and chemical analysis

- develop skills in data acquisition and processing, programming, teamwork and time management.

When you graduate, you’re prepared for a variety of careers such as:

- medicinal chemist

- materials or environmental scientist

- technology consultant

- research and development chemist.

You could work for leading companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Deloitte or Johnson Matthey. You could also consider jobs in the NHS, science publishing or education. And with your data-handling and analytical skills, you could also develop a career outside of science.

And in addition, in your integrated Masters year, you’ll develop advanced research skills working alongside our chemists. This experience prepares you for a future in scientific research and a variety of careers.

**Accreditation**

This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

**MChem or BSc?**

We also offer this course with an industrial placement year, with summer research placements, or as a three-year BSc. Find out about the benefits of an integrated Masters year.

**About Sussex**

Sussex graduates change the world. Our students become the leaders of the future, making discoveries, improving lives and changing things for the better.

Study with us to join a welcoming and inspiring community of staff and students from more than 140 countries.

**Location**

We shape the world from a fantastic campus on the UK’s beautiful south coast.

We are the only UK university surrounded by a national park, so you can step off campus to explore the hills and woodlands of the South Downs. The vibrant, colourful and creative seaside city of Brighton & Hove is just nine minutes away.

With Brighton voted the happiest city in England for students, (Student Living Survey, Sodexo, 2018) there can be few better places to study.

Modules

See the modules you will study by year by going to the 'view course details' link.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£25,000
per year
International
£25,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Sussex

Department:

Chemistry

Read full university profile

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.

69%
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

65%
Staff make the subject interesting
73%
Staff are good at explaining things
77%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
77%
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

73%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
85%
Course specific equipment and facilities
58%
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?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
60%
Male students
40%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

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.

£21,585
med
Average annual salary
93%
low
Employed or in further education
74%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

13%
Business, research and administrative professionals
13%
Natural and social science professionals
13%
Sales, marketing 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.

£21k

£21k

£30k

£30k

£33k

£33k

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 what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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