Postgraduate Courses in Chemistry
A postgraduate course in chemistry can open up a world of opportunity in career options and employment prospects. If you are an able and enthusiastic graduate from a chemical background then consider taking your learning further by studying a postgraduate course in chemistry. Whether you want to study a postgraduate course to prepare you fully for a career in the chemical industry or to train for a career in research, read on to find out more about postgraduate courses in chemistry and the opportunities they offer.
In the words of the eminent chemist Sir Jack Baldwin: "Chemistry is about making forms of matter that have never existed before." These new forms of matter, from plastics and detergents to contraceptives and anti-cancer drugs, have an extraordinary impact on the lives of us all. We now take so many of these products for granted; it is easy to forget that without chemical knowledge they would not exist.
A postgraduate course in chemistry could enable you to be part of a team working to discover solutions to create a healthier environment, analysing paints to produce equivalent materials to restore famous artwork, or investigating and detecting crimes as a forensic scientist - the diversity is endless.
Many employers recognise the value of training in logical thought, and numerical and communications skills. What you learn and the skills you develop while studying a postgraduate course in chemistry will give you a firm foundation for a successful career. Major employers of chemists include pharmaceutical companies, agrochemical companies, oil companies and the makers of detergents, paints, dyes, cosmetics and explosives. Of course opportunities for chemists are not confined to the commercial or production sector. Opportunities are available to work in government, journalism, the health services, museums and many more seemingly diverse organisations.
As the nature of the requirement for chemists in industry evolves, so does the variation in chemistry courses and research projects available at university. Many industrial opportunities are in specialist chemicals and polymers, advanced materials and pharmaceuticals, specialist coating, electronics, biochemicals and clean technology.
MSc Courses
Postgraduate courses in chemistry usually require a minimum of a second class honours degree in chemistry or a chemistry-related subject but some universities may be willing to accept a scientific undergraduate degree with chemistry components. As you would expect, there are a variety of MSc courses to choose from; some courses are focused on environmental chemistry whereas others are more analytical or heavily research-based. All courses will expect you do complete a research project or dissertation on which you will be assessed. Popular areas in which research is carried out at postgraduate level include: Analytical science and Environmental Chemistry, Biorganic, Nanoscale and Supramolecular chemistry, clean chemical technology, organic synthesis, spectroscopy and dynamics and many more.
MPhil and PhD Courses
The essential purpose of MPhil and PhD training is a period of 'apprenticeship' in research with the graduate student working, to begin with, with an experienced supervisor, before becoming more self-reliant and eventually being able to write a thesis independently that is based on the student's own work. The second purpose of MPhil and PhD training is that students should acquire many personal and professional skills, which are necessary not only for their research, but also to form the basis for the development of their future careers. Chemistry MPhil and PhD programmes prove to be a very good preparation for further research, and the chemical and pharmaceutical industry both in the UK and abroad continues to be extremely supportive of UK university chemistry departments.
When choosing a postgraduate course in chemistry, make sure you have a clear idea of the sorts of areas you may wish to research and choose a university that will offer you that opportunity. Whether you pursue a career in academia or industry, a postgraduate course in chemistry will provide you with the best possible start, so don’t delay and apply now!
With thanks to The Royal Society of Chemistry
For further information please contact:
The Royal Society of Chemistry
Education Department
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London W1J OBA
E-mail: education@rcs.org
URL: www.rsc.org
