Postgraduate Taught

Keele's MSc in Chemical Sciences provides you with an excellent start to your career, either in research or in any chemical discipline related work place.

The MSc is setup to enhance your skills in three important skills areas: knowledge, transferable skills and research/laboratory skills.

At the start you will be trained in various advanced and State-of-the-Art chemical sciences related disciplines that are of interest to you, alongside receiving training in several transferable skills.

Hereafter, and this is the main part of the course, you will be prepared for carrying out an independent research project.

Being able to complete this project successfully and the valuable lab experience, gives you an excellent advantage in applying for jobs, as you have demonstrated you are able to work independently.

The overarching educational aim of this programme is to train students in those generic and discipline specific research skills which would prepare them for a career in research and development. The programme therefore has a shared common first semester which would incorporate knowledge-based and generic transferable skills with some discipline specific orientation, whilst the majority of the scientific and research specific skills would be acquired within the extensive 5-6 month research project. 

Alongside this core academic basis the programme also aims to develop key professional and employment skills by directly embedding students within a research environment for a substantial component of their programme. This will ensure the students will receive training at the forefront of their chosen research discipline and enable them to nurture new attitudes to the approach, integration and application of new knowledge and problem solving.  Particular emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking, innovation, reflective writing, autonomous learning and communication skills to really help prepare them for a life time of continued professional and research development.

The MSc programme is run by an existing successful academic and research active department at the University within the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, with input from staff members across the University from different disciplinary fields. This MSc in Chemical Sciences provides you with an excellent start to your career, either in research or in any chemical discipline related work place.  The MSc is setup to enhance your skills in three important skills areas: knowledge, transferable skills and
research/laboratory skills. At the start you will be trained in various advanced and State-of-the-Art chemical sciences related disciplines that are ofinterest to you, alongside receiving training in several transferable skills. Hereafter, and this is the main part of the course, you will be prepared for carrying out an independent research project. Which you choose based on your own interest. Being able to complete this project successfully and the valuable lab experience, gives you an excellent advantage in applying for jobs, as you have demonstrated you are able to work independently.

The intended learning outcomes of the programme reflect what successful students should know, understand or to be able to do by the end of the programme. Programme specific learning outcomes are presented in section 3, but to summarise, the programme(s) aims to:

• To equip students with the knowledge and understanding necessary to formulate and conduct Chemical Science related research projects.
• To enable students to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods and different forms of data, and to evaluate their appropriateness for different research problems.
• To enable students to define and formulate research questions and testable hypotheses, and to design appropriate research to answer these questions using relevant methods of data collection, consistent with principles of ethics and research governance.
• To provide students with knowledge of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research and data analysis techniques.
• To provide students with a range of opportunities to engage with advanced research in substantive areas relevant to their own research topic and to the discipline of Chemical Sciences.
• To provide students with opportunities to enhance and develop their written and communication skills, independent learning skills, intercultural skills and critical reflection and evaluation skills.

In order to apply you must have a first degree (UK second class honours degree or equivalent or above) in chemistry
or a chemistry related discipline. Students with a dual honours degree should have a 2:2 profile in module marks in chemistry or in their chemistry related subject.

Those without chemistry degrees but with some chemistry or laboratory component are encouraged to get in touch and discuss.

Where English is not a first language, proof of English language competence will be required (IELTS
6.5 or equivalent, with a minimum of 6 in each sub-test).

The programme is delivered through a series of taught sessions for each module, which comprise a range of learning and teaching activities including lectures, workshops, seminars, small group activities, problem-based learning, laboratory training, and student-driven talks, in addition to one-on-one meetings/discussions with individual research supervisors.  The programme is structured so that all taught sessions are delivered in the first trimester (or first part of the second trimester) whilst the second and third trimesters are based on individual tuition and research laboratory work.  All students are expected to engage in independent study for the duration of the programme.

The first trimester is spent gaining advanced knowledge in selected areas of chemistry as well as giving students the opportunity to further develop a wide range of skills including written and oral communication, research management and making the most of scientific literature and other information sources. Students study one 30 credit module on chemistry, in which they are encouraged to select sub-topics of relevance to their research project and select a further 30 credits (two 15 credit modules) from a selection of transferrable skills courses.

In the second trimester students begin work on their research project by completing an extensive literature review based on their chosen topic and by developing a research proposal with their supervisor and defending it in a presentation. In preparation for beginning laboratory work, students undergo advanced laboratory safety training and complete a risk assessment for their project. The second half of the second trimester and the third trimester are spent undertaking the research project under the guidance of one of our research active academics. A scientific poster and dissertation are produced to convey the main findings of the research, and students participate in a seminar day to present their research to staff and students. The project is assessed by both dissertation and oral examination allowing students to prepare for interviews or for further research in industry or a PhD degree.

The course is assessed through coursework, verbal presentation of research results, and dissertation. The pass mark in each module is 50%. To obtain the MSc students must pass all four modules. A distinction will be awarded for an overall mark exceeding 70%.

An overview of assessment details for each module is provided in the MSc Handbook and a full assessment brief is provided within each module guide. Work for each module is independently marked by two members of the course team, and an external examiner is also part of the Board of Examiners.

Tuition Fees 2013/14:

UK/EU Students (Full-Time) - £4,900

International Students (Full-Time) - £12,350

Funding Opportunities:

There are a number of bursaries available to prospective students including the following:

• Bursary for International Students Taking Science at Keele - £1,000*
• Keele Graduate Bursary of £1,000 for students who have graduated from a Keele University first degree programme*
• Chemical Science Bursary - a bursary of £500 is available to two UK/EU students with exceptional academic qualifications*

*Eligibility will be assessed at the time of application and students who are to receive the award will be notified in writing. Bursary terms and conditions can be found at www.keele.ac.uk/kgb/