Chemistry MSc

At its most fundamental, chemistry is the ‘art’ of transforming one molecule into another. Our highly versatile Chemistry MSc course has been designed to allow you to direct your studies to specialised areas of chemistry. The course places a strong emphasis on practical chemistry, complemented by a focus on current topics in chemistry research. This enables the principles and theories of chemistry to be applied within a laboratory setting to solve real-world challenges.

Engagement with a wide range of chemistry-related subjects is promoted, ensuring that the course is highly interdisciplinary and contains expertise from a range of specialisms, including chemistry, food science and nutrition, physics, chemical biology and material science. You'll have the opportunity to be taught by experts across faculties, to gain the skills and knowledge to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

You'll gain extensive hands-on practical experience within the laboratory by undertaking a practical skills module, and by carrying out an independent original research project. Optional modules may provide the chance to build up specialist knowledge in areas that align with your interests and career aspirations.

During the Chemistry MSc course, you'll develop the knowledge and skills you need for a career within the chemical sciences industries. As well as learning crucial research techniques, you'll develop a range of key skills in problem-solving, information technology, scientific presentation, and scientific communication.

Learning and teaching

You'll be taught by experts across the faculty, to gain the skills and knowledge to work in a multidisciplinary environment, through a series of lectures, small group workshops and practical lab sessions. You'll also get involved in student-led activities such as literature presentations.

Specialist facilities

You'll have access to excellent teaching and laboratory facilities, supplemented by extensive computing equipment. Our specialist facilities include the latest equipment for synthetic, physical and analytical chemistry, 500 MHz NMR machines, a cutting-edge CCD-based X-ray diffractometer, and instruments to enable mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry, thermal analysis, particle size analysis, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, and rheometry, amongst other forms of analysis. Depending on the modules and projects that you choose to work on, you'll also have access to teaching facilities from across the different schools and faculties.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it is the principal place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme, and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Programme team

The Programme is led by Dr Paul Thornton. He provides Polymer Chemistry lectures to students at all undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels. Recently he was awarded the Inspirational Teaching Award at the Faculty Partnership Awards on the basis of student nominations. He has a strong enthusiasm for the advancement of Chemistry research and tuition and takes great delight in sharing this passion with the students.

Dr Thornton’s research is concerned with employing controlled polymerisation techniques to produce functional polymeric materials with applicability within both a biomedical context and in the enhancement of commercially-important processes. In addition, he also has an interest in controlled ring-opening polymerisation to yield biodegradable polymers (homopolypeptides and polyesters) that are highly promising candidates as biomaterials. He is also a member of the Crystallisation and Directed Assembly and the Colour and Polymer Science research groups.

In this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

We bring together experts in computer science, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics and astronomy to deliver outstanding student education and research within the following schools.

Our schools

• Chemical and Process Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Computing
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physics and Astronomy

Research and innovation

The range and scope of our research are extensive and cover all of the major engineering disciplines, mathematics and physical sciences, integrating fundamental science and mathematical modelling with the development of processes, devices and technologies that can address challenges of national and global importance.

Research areas

• Explore our multidisciplinary research areas which bring together engineers and scientists to work on challenges of global importance.
• Robotics - An interdisciplinary network driving innovation in robotics research.
• Materials - The Bragg Centre aims to discover, create and design new materials.
• Data Analytics - The Leeds Institute for Data Analytics ensures a new understanding of health and behaviour from vast data collections
• Fluid dynamics - The Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics brings together cross-disciplinary expertise to maximise the impact of fluids research
• Medical technologies - The Medical Technologies IKC develops innovative technological solutions for improving health and restoring body function
• Functional surfaces - Scientific and engineering expertise in tribology, corrosion and surface engineering