Undergraduate Courses

Why choose Chemistry?
Why study Chemistry at York?

Why choose Chemistry?

Chemistry
Chemistry, Management and Industry
Chemistry, Resources and the Environment
Chemistry, Biological and Medicinal Chemistry

Chemistry is all around us. To study Chemistry is to discover how it is relevant to every aspect of our lives. From an understanding of how pharmaceuticals interact with our bodies, how we affect the environment and how modern materials such as plastics and semiconductors are prepared, the possibilities are endless.

Chemistry is often referred to as the 'central science' as it covers topics as diverse as quantum mechanics and the study of atomic particles, to the molecular nature of biological systems and the Human genome project.

Learning about the fundamental basis of chemistry - the analysis of molecules, their structures and shapes and how they react - is vital for our modern society. Chemists can really make a difference in the world!

The University of York has an outstanding reputation for teaching and research, featuring consistently in the top few places in the league tables of UK universities. The Department of Chemistry is on the Heslington campus, within ten minutes walk of all the college accommodation, during the last 8 years over £18 million has been invested in its buildings and equipment.

Why study Chemistry at York?

The Department of Chemistry offers students

A personal supervisor to oversee academic progress and personal welfare
A teaching programme which ensures a highly supportive learning environment
Lectures supported by small-group tutorials and workshops
State-of-the-art research facilities
A wide choice of chemistry-related option modules
Excellent record of MChem industrial placements (typically over 30 per year)
Choice of chemistry courses is flexible
A range of industrial and departmental sponsorships

Departmental achievements

Many of our academic staff have won learned society prizesand international recognition for their research, for example:
- 2008; Professor Gideon Davies was awarded the RSC Peptides and Proteins Award, Professor Simon Duckett was awarded the RSC Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Award and Professor Richard Taylor was awarded the RSC Synthetic Chemistry Award
- 2009; Dr Verena Görtz was awarded a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship, Dr Jacqueline Hamilton was awarded a Desty Memorial Award and Professor Robin Perutz was awarded The Chemical Society of France (SCF) 2009 French-British Prize
- 2010; Professor Duncan Bruce was awarded the RSC Tilden Prize, Professor Robin Perutz and Professor Gideon Davies elected Fellows of the Royal Society and Professor David Smith win Bob Hay lectureship
- 2011; Professor James Clark was awarded the RSC Environment Prize, Professor Eleanor Dodson shared the ninth Ewald Prize and Professor John Goodby was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
- 2012; Professor David Smith was awarded the RSC Corday-Morgan Prize, Professor Ally Lewis the RSC John Jeyes Award and Professor Richard Taylor the RSC Natural Product Chemistry Award.
Since its inception in 2005, the Department has always been in the top 10 of UK chemistry departments in the National Student Survey; in 2007, York was rated best in the UK for overall student satisfaction (according to The Times Higher Educational Supplement assessment of the 2007 NSS data) and in 2011 it was ranked second.
Only department in the country to have 3 members of staff recognised for 'excellence of teaching' by the Royal Society of Chemistry
First department in the UK to win the Athena Swan Gold award for its commitment to women in science
Ranked 5th amongst chemistry departments nationally in both The Times Good University Guide 2013 and The Guardian 2013.
In 2012, the department was awarded the 'Best Department' award for undergraduate supervision as nominated by our students.

Our chemistry courses are modular, which allows you considerable freedom of choice. This will enable you to design your own degree pathway, whilst ensuring you graduate as a fully qualified chemist through our MChem or BSc programmes. We also give you the opportunity to gain experience in Industry, to study for a year at another overseas university or to carry out an extended research project in our laboratories. The structure of the course is such that all decision-making is left as late as possible to give ample opportunities to consider your choices for the future.

The Department of Chemistry at York offers both an international research reputation and top quality teaching in a modern welcoming department.