Chemistry and Environmental Science

Chemistry and Environmental Science - BSc (Hons)

From saving habitats to contributing to medical advances - our BSc in Chemistry and Environmental Science enables you to explore solutions to society's global challenges. You will graduate with the scientific knowledge and awareness of social, economic and ethical issues to enter a wide range of careers.

Year of entry

2023 - for 2024 entry see here - for 2023 entry see here

Course type

Combined Honours

Location

Keele University campus

Subject area / School

School of Chemical and Physical Sciences School of Geography, Geology and the Environment

UCAS code

FF71

Duration of study

3 years / 4 years with international or placement year

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Why study Chemistry and Environmental Science at Keele University?

Top 20 in the UK for Geography and Environmental Studies (Guardian University League Table, 2022)

Professional accreditation pathways are available

Use a wide variety of research-grade experimental chemistry equipment

Gain practical experience in the workplace with the option of spending a year in industry

Opportunities to study abroad at one of partner universities

Course overview

Explore two engaging and exciting subjects on our combined honours Chemistry and Environmental Science BSc and gain valuable skills and knowledge enabling you to progress to a wide range of career opportunities.

From the technology we use to how we treat illnesses, chemistry is essential to our modern life and offers a wide variety of career opportunities in many fields from pharmaceuticals and food technology to forensics and teaching.Studying chemistry will provide you with a solid grounding in the underpinning theory of the subject, and plenty of hands-on practical experience in Keele's state-of-the-art laboratories.
The world is under huge environmental threat. From global warming to loss of biodiversity - we need to find solutions to counter the devastating impact humans are having on the planet. Studying environmental science will enable you to explore the science behind the causes of environmental problems and to gain an awareness of the social, economic and ethical issues that underpin challenges such as water resource scarcity and conservation. You will build a strong grounding in both chemistry and environmental science and have the opportunity to personalise your learning with a range of optional modules in your final year.

Learn from our campus - our own 'living laboratory'

Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic experimentation environment to perform fieldwork, test new ideas and discover solutions to real-world problems. From our lake system and extensive woodlands to the mining and industrial heritage of the local area, there are many opportunities to study in an authentic environment whilst practicing sustainably.

Spend a year in industry

In an increasingly competitive job market, employers are seeking to recruit employees who have high-level knowledge, skills and an understanding of the workplace. Between years two and three of your degree, you may have the opportunity to spend a year gaining practical experience with a company or organisation. This will benefit you by providing familiarisation with the professional working environment and the opportunity to apply the chemistry and environmental science skills and theories you have learnt.

International year

In between years two and three of your studies you can choose to spend a year studying abroad. This exciting opportunity enables you to experience different cultural perspectives and to establish international networks. It also shows you have the personal attributes to embrace new experiences which can enhance your employability. We offer exchange opportunities with a wide variety of partner institutions.

Support

We offer a multi layered support structure to help you meet your academic and personal needs. Our open-door policy enables you to engage with us directly, meaning you can seek support, gain feedback or discuss any matters relating to your course. You will benefit from the support of an assigned academic mentor and a member of staff from Keele's Student Experience and Support team.

Next Steps

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Related Courses

Accreditation and professional recognition

This programme is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences, the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment,
or the Royal Society of Chemistry if you specialise in Chemistry in your final year.

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Additional opportunities

Foundation year Placement year International year Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities available when studying this course.
Please note, undertaking one may impact upon the availability of another.

Entry requirements

Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

A Level requirements

BBC to include A level Chemistry at grade B or above.
A Pass in the Chemistry Science Practical is required.

GCSE requirements

Maths at C (or 4)
English Language or English Literature at C (or 4)

BTEC

BTEC requirements DMM
You must have taken sufficient Chemistry units, please contact us for advice.

International Baccalaureate

29 points to include Higher Level Chemistry at 6 or above.

Access to HE Diploma requirements

Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 112 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction. You must also have taken sufficient Chemistry credits, please contact us for advice.

If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

Preparation programmes for international students

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

Next Steps

Entry requirements

The following section details our typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If you don’t see your qualifications listed, please contact us to find out if we can accept your qualifications. If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

Additional information

A Level requirements

BBC to include A level Chemistry at grade B or above.
A Pass in the Chemistry Science Practical is required.

GCSE requirements

Maths at C (or 4)
English Language or English Literature at C (or 4)

BTEC

BTEC requirements DMM
You must have taken sufficient Chemistry units, please contact us for advice.

International Baccalaureate

29 points to include Higher Level Chemistry at 6 or above.

Access to HE Diploma requirements

Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 112 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction. You must also have taken sufficient Chemistry credits, please contact us for advice.

English Language Requirements

All of our courses require an English language qualification or test. For most students, this requirement can be met with a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please see our English Language guidance pages for further details, including English language test information for international students. For those students who require an English language test, this course requires a test from .

Alternative and contextual offers

We're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of alternative offer schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

General information

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the typical offer which would be made to candidates, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

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"The course was multifaceted and included a broad range of elements – all delivered through various means including practical fieldwork and lab-based experience, tutorials, seminars and lectures. I still draw upon the knowledge I gained and skills I was taught at Keele."

Amy, Applied Environmental Science with Physical Geography

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What is it like to be a Chemistry student at Keele?

Student testimonials

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SECTOR-LEADING IN SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION

At Keele we're leading the sector in sustainability, not just in our ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030 but also through our teaching and our ground-breaking research into climate change and renewable technologies. In 2021 we were awarded the prestigious title of Global Sustainability Institution of the Year (International Green Gown Awards, 2021).

Within the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences our award winning staff promote sustainability through their teaching to raise awareness of the environmental issues within chemistry. On the programme you will explore how chemistry is placed within the social, political and economic context of 'the real world' with a heavy emphasis on environmental sustainability and the implications for humanity. You will also discover how chemistry associated with industrial processes has changed to become more sustainable and how it must continue to change to further this progress.

Find out more about Keele’s commitment to sustainability.

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Your future career

95% of our students are in employment or further study within 15 months of finishing their studies (HESA Graduate Outcomes, 2019/20)

You will graduate from our Chemistry and Environmental Science BSc with a broad subject knowledge, real-life practical experience and a wide range of transferable skills including IT and technology, data monitoring, critical thinking, problem solving skills and team working.
Jobs that a graduate of this programme could pursue include:

Academic chemist
Analytical chemist
Associate scientist
Chemical engineer
Environmental scientist
Forensic scientist
Material scientist
Medicinal chemist
Research assistant
Science teacher
Toxicologist
Environmental consultant
Environmental education officer
Environmental scientist
Nature conservation officer
Sustainability consultant
Synthetic chemist
Recycling officer
Teacher
Town planner
Waste management officer

Please note you may need to take further postgraduate study to enter some of the professions listed above.

Enhance your employability

Keele’s Careers and Employability team (Shortlisted for Best University Careers Employment Service - National Undergraduate Employability Awards, 2021), offers a variety of personal and career development opportunities to enhance your employability. From mock interviews, careers guidance and CV advice, to careers fairs, alumni mentoring and networking events, along with helping you find part-time and graduate employment - the team will support you throughout your studies and beyond.

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

Next Steps

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Learn from inspiring and award-winning academics

A dynamic group of staff with a broad range of expertise teach on the programme and bring a wealth of experience acquired through fundamental and applied research across a diverse range of areas.

Many of our teaching staff in Chemistry are Fellows or Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy, the professional body for teachers in Higher Education. Fellowship provides individuals with recognition of their practice, impact and leadership of teaching and learning.

A number of our academic staff have also achieved national recognition for their excellence and innovation in teaching and hold awards from a variety of institutions, including the Royal Society of Chemistry.
In testament to our teaching excellence, many of the teaching methods we use have been adopted by other chemistry departments in the UK and beyond.

Chemistry department award

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Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching in Chemistry

To ensure you receive a high-quality learning experience, teaching will be delivered through a range of authentic methods.

Methods of teaching include:

audio feedback
case studies
computer-aided learning (simulations and animations, online activities and exercises)
demonstrations
detailed personalised, generic written and face-to-face feedback
electronic submission and return of marked coursework (with feedback)
group work
interactive personal response systems
IT instruction (spreadsheets, word-processing, chemical structure drawing, databases and processing of spectroscopic data)
laboratory classes
lectures
pre-laboratory and post-laboratory exercises
problem-based and context-based activities
recorded lectures
research projects
screencasts
self and peer-assessment for learning
seminars
small group tutorials
tablet PCs
team based learning
use of e-learning/the Keele Learning Environment (KLE)

Assessments in Chemistry

Our methods include a mix of examinations and a variety of authentic assessments that mirror the type of tasks you may be asked to complete in your future career working in the field of chemistry.

Methods of assessment include:

class tests
design exercises
information retrieval exercises
laboratory reports and diaries
oral and poster presentations
practical and oral examinations
pre-laboratory exercises
problem sheets
research projects and scientific papers
unseen written examinations
video/screencast presentations

Teaching in Environmental Science

We offer a personalised learning experience in an environment where you can feel part of a community. Our small class sizes will enable you to gain individual attention from your lecturers, forge close connections with other students and study in a focused environment. To ensure you receive a high-quality learning experience, teaching will be delivered through a diverse range of methods. Some classes are taught in workshop format integrating both lecture and practical material.

Methods of teaching may include:

Directed reading
Field courses
Group presentations and linked discussion
Lectures
Practical and laboratory classes
Problem solving classes
Tutorials, seminars and workshops

Assessments in Environmental Science

The programme includes a range of assessments to develop both academic and employability skills. These may include:

Class tests
Dissertation
Essays
Exams
Field course portfolios
Reflective diaries
Technical reports

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Central Science Laboratories

Develop your practical skills in Keele's state-of-the-art Central Science Laboratories

The School of Geography, Geology and the Environment interactive guided tour

Use the interactive tour to explore Keele's state of the art science facilities and our beautiful living-laboratory campus that we use to enrich your learning experience.

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Facilities

Central Science Laboratories

Practical teaching will take place in Keele’s state-of-the-art, £34m Central Science Laboratories (CSL). You will have access to a wide variety and high volume of industry-standard equipment that is housed within a space designed to encourage and enable collaborative and interdisciplinary working.

We continue to invest in high quality equipment and instrumentation to an industry standard. You will be trained how to use research level equipment from the first semester of your first year. This means you will be familiar with the type of instrumentation you may use in your career or research within the field.

The School of Geography, Geology and Environment (GGE), benefits from a dedicated teaching space in the Central Science Laboratories (CSL). Featuring 80 new polarising microscopes and 20 new low powered microscopes, the CSL allows us to innovate and enhance the teaching experience of our students and supports a highly tailored approach to practical learning.

Other facilities in the School include:

Ice laboratory

Our ice lab features a dedicated freezer laboratory for water and ice samples from polar environments. IceLab research is driven by the need to understand and develop new methods, such as analysis of ice core ‘biomarkers’, within polar environments in order to inform on key questions surrounding global ocean and atmospheric change, sea ice variability, and humanity’s role in polar ecological change.
We also have geochemistry, water chemistry and sediment laboratories, where you can conduct geochemical analysis and experiments, measure physical and chemical properties of water and analyse the compositional properties of sediments.

Weather station

Keele's weather station provides valuable data locally, nationally and for teaching and research in the school. This includes data for wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity, sunshine/radiation, air and ground temperatures.

Foundation year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

The information in this Foundation Year section is for UK/Home applicants. Where an international Foundation Year is available, please see the 'Information for international students' tab.

The information within this page is for students wishing to start their studies in September. If you would like to start this course in January, please visit our January pages for further details.

Course Content

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills which will be invaluable in your academic studies and beyond. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

This Foundation Year is is a two semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the BSc (Hons) Chemistry and Environmental Science degree. For example, the Foundations of Geography, Geology and the Environment module will provide knowledge of the basic underlying principles and concepts associated with the origins, evolution and structure of the Earth as a system In addition, the Advancing Chemistry module aims to increase your knowledge and understanding of the principles and concepts of chemistry in a theoretical context, while also demonstrating the application of concepts in a practical environment. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage.

Course Structure

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Semester One Modules

FYO-00185	Practical and Academic Skills in Science	15 credits
FYO-00189	Foundations of Chemistry	15 credits
FYO-00211	Foundations in Numerical and Quantitative Methods for Scientists	15 credits
FYO-00193	Foundations of Geography, Geology and the Environment	15 credits

Semester Two Modules

FYO-00191	Advancing Chemistry	30 credits
FYO-00195	Advancing Geography, Geology and the Environment	30 credits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Between 40-56 UCAS points from at least 1 A level/level 3 qualification or equivalent, or
Relevant work experience

AND

GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C), or Level 2 Functional Skills, or
IELTS 5.5 (with 5.5 in all subtests)

AND

GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above

How to Apply

Students will need to apply for Chemistry with Foundation Year (UCAS code F103) through UCAS at www.ucas.com. You will be contacted to confirm your second subject by a member of our team.

Direct Entry Students

If you already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

The information in this Foundation Year section is for UK/Home applicants. Where an international Foundation Year is available, please see the 'Information for international students' tab.

We also offer a January start for some of our Foundation Year courses. Adopting a blended learning approach, the January start is particularly useful for students wishing to return to education following time out of studying, or who are seeking a flexible approach to their Foundation Year studies. Our January start is available across most of our Science, Humanities, Social Science and Business courses.

Whilst still being a full-time course, our blended delivery model combines live teaching sessions - both online and on-campus - with self-directed study, enabling you to predominantly study at a time that suits your lifestyle. You will benefit from weekly online taught sessions which encourage you to engage with your teachers and peers.

In addition to online study there will be a series of full study days that you will be required to attend throughout each semester. These sessions may include lab-based activities, group work, review of course and assessment materials studied online. They will emphasise opportunities for you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of your chosen route.

Please refer to the September start tab for more information about the entry requirements and what you will study. The modules that you will take on a January start Foundation Year will be similar to those for the September start, but in a slightly different order and pattern.

For more information, including fees, the UCAS code for this course, how to apply, and how you will be taught, please visit our January Start Foundation Year webpage.

Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.

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