Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter: what substances are made of, how they interact and how new substances can be made and measured. It underpins virtually every other science, from biology and medicine to materials science and environmental science, and drives many of the most important advances in technology and healthcare. Drug discovery, clean energy, sustainable materials, food science and climate science all depend on chemical knowledge and chemical methods.
At the same time, chemistry is a discipline of profound intellectual beauty, concerned with the fundamental questions of what the world is made of and how it behaves.
At the University of Bristol, one of the leading chemistry departments in the UK, this three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year that prepares you for degree-level study before you progress to the main degree. You will be guided by world-class researchers with expertise spanning organic, inorganic, physical, computational and analytical chemistry, and engaged with the fundamental questions the discipline asks as well as the applied challenges it is helping to solve, from climate change to infectious disease.
You will study organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical analysis, spectroscopy and reaction mechanisms, developing both theoretical understanding and practical laboratory skills. Data analysis, scientific writing and experimental design are developed alongside the core chemical knowledge. Independent research projects in the later years introduce you to chemistry as a living discipline.
Graduates go on to careers in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, materials science, environmental science, food and consumer products, education, patent law, finance and many other fields. Chemistry graduates are consistently among the most employable science graduates. Postgraduate study, including master's degrees and doctoral research in chemistry or related fields, is a common and highly valued route for those who want to pursue research careers.