Chemistry MChem

Chemistry drives breakthroughs in medicine, materials and energy. From labs to today’s emerging theory, develop advanced skills in your integrated Masters year.

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This course will be available in Clearing.

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Key information

Why choose this course at Sussex?

  • Develop expertise for scientific and non-scientific career paths, including medical chemistry, drug discovery and scientific research.
  • Benefit from our history of teaching and research excellence – from Nobel Prize winners to links with the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre.
  • Specialise your research skills in an integrated Masters year, gaining the opportunity to collect and analyse data from our many facilities.

New medicines, new materials, new sources of energy – they can all change lives. And they’re all down to chemistry. The more we understand, the more we’ll be able to make our world a better, more sustainable place to live in.

At Sussex, we have a long history of excellence in both our teaching and research – from Nobel Prize winners to our strong links with the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre. You’ll learn from leading chemists whose world-changing research influences their teaching. You’ll join a friendly and supportive community of students and scientists in the School of Life Sciences.

From Year 1, you’ll get hands-on practical experience in the lab. By Year 3, you’ll have the opportunity to collect and analyse data from our many facilities. These including Mass Spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. On your course, you’ll:

  • • study physical, organic, inorganic and computational chemistry
  • undertake experimental chemistry and chemical analysis
  • develop skills in data acquisition and processing, programming, teamwork and time management.

When you graduate, you’re prepared for a variety of careers such as:

  • medicinal chemist
  • materials or environmental scientist
  • technology consultant
  • research and development chemist.

You could work for leading companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Deloitte or Johnson Matthey. You could also consider jobs in the NHS, science publishing or education. And with your data-handling and analytical skills, you could also develop a career outside of science.

And in addition, in your integrated Masters year, you’ll develop advanced research skills working alongside our chemists. This experience prepares you for a future in scientific research and a variety of careers.

Our courses adapt to the latest demands of the working world and are informed by our Employer Advisory Panel of key organisations which hire our graduates. Our employability strand develops research skills, professional competencies, and includes dedicated sessions with our Careers and Entrepreneurship Team to help you bolster your CV, train for interviews, map out career trajectories, and more.

Accreditation

  • Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry for fully meeting the academic criteria for Chartered Chemist (CChem). Find out more

MChem or BSc?

We also offer this course with an industrial placement year, with summer research placements, or as a three-year BSc. Find out about the benefits of an integrated Masters year.

For me, it’s vital that everyone – no matter who they are or where they come from – has access to the same opportunities that I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy. Sussex is where it all started for me. What an amazing launchpad.”Professor Tom Welton OBE
President of the Royal Society of Chemistry 2020-2022
Read Tom’s story
How to apply

Campus tours

Join a campus tour this summer and get a feel for life at Sussex. With award-winning campus food, a National Park setting and buzzing Brighton on our doorstep, our location and facilities are hard to beat.

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On campus - in person

You’ll study for this degree on our campus, joining our academics and fellow students. With in-person contact time, digitally supported educational resources, library collections and independent study, this course is designed to give you an inclusive education. Your learning experience may also include work placements, field trips, studying abroad and internationalisation experiences.

Find out about our beautiful campus

Virtual tour

Want to learn more about life at Sussex?

Our 360° virtual tour has been designed to introduce you to life in our diverse, supportive and inclusive community. Join our students for an immersive experience as they reveal why Sussex offers a space to follow your passions, find your voice, and discover people and places that will inspire you.

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ResearchPlus

As a founding partner of ResearchPlus, a collaboration of research-focused universities, we engage with government, industry and civil society to support economic growth, prosperity and wellbeing across the whole of the UK.

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Modules

This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject. Find out more from our guide to undergraduate study

  • Year 1 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    You’ll study core modules covering the full breadth of the subject. You’ll gain a holistic understanding and appreciation of the foundational principles and their application. Additionally, you’ll develop transferable skills, and gain extensive experience of practical and computational chemistry techniques.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, workshops and practicals.

    40%: Lecture
    60%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations, and coursework such as problem sets and portfolios.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 360 hours of contact time and about 840 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

  • Year 2 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    You’ll study core modules covering the full breadth of the subject. You’ll gain a holistic understanding and appreciation of the foundational principles and their application. Additionally, you’ll develop transferable skills, and gain extensive experience of practical and computational chemistry techniques.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, workshops and practicals.

    40%: Lecture
    60%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations, and coursework such as problem sets, presentations, essays and portfolios.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 370 hours of contact time and about 830 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

  • Experience Year

    Study abroad (optional)

    Apply to study abroad – you’ll develop an international perspective and gain an edge when it comes to your career. Find out where your course could take you

    If your application to study abroad is successful, you’ll have to meet the academic requirements at Sussex and also at the partner university. Find out more about studying abroad as a Sussex student

    Placement (optional)

    To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can provide you with information and advice. If you’re successful in obtaining a placement, this will form part of your course.

    Find out more about placements and internships

     

    Recent Life Sciences students have gone on placements at:

    • Sealed Air
    • Oroboros Instruments
    • Pfizer.

    Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t transfer to the version of your course with an optional study abroad period in any country or optional placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

  • Year 3 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In Year 3, you’ll take core modules building on your previous studies and choose options to align with your particular interests. Additionally, you’ll apply your skills by undertaking original research projects.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, workshops, seminars, practicals and project work.

    35%: Lecture
    65%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations, and coursework such as problem sets, presentations, essays and portfolios.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 360 hours of contact time and about 840 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

  • Year 4 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn and spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In Year 4 you’ll undertake a project within a research group, lasting the whole year. Additionally, you’ll choose options that align with your particular interests.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include lectures, workshops and project work.

    5%: Lecture
    95%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include examinations, and coursework such as problem sets, presentations, essays and portfolios.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 60 hours of contact time and about 1,140 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

Spirit of Sussex Award

Feel involved in life at the University, make friends and enrich your experience with us – the Spirit of Sussex Award is our way of recognising your extracurricular and voluntary achievements.

Find out more about the Spirit of Sussex Award

  • Video transcript

    Hi everyone! As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the Spirit of Sussex Award is now live.

    Students across the Sussex community are already earning their points

    What will you do to earn yours?

    There's so many ways to get involved.

    Head over to the website to start your Spirit of Sussex journey.

    Text: The Spirit of Sussex Award is an exciting new programme designed to recognise and celebrate the things you do outside your course.

    Participating in the Award makes it easy and fun for you to get involved and make the most of university life.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

  • Video transcript

    [Music starts – light pop – no vocals]

    On screen text

    Want to help shape a better world through science?

    Want to tackle real world problems?

    And create world-changing impact?

    It all starts at the University of Sussex.

    Our research focussed courses span the whole of Life Sciences:

    Chemistry

    Biochemistry

    Neuroscience

    Biology

    Zoology

    Ecology and Conservation

    Biomedical Science

    Genetics

    Using the latest in cutting-edge advances.

    Guided by world-leading experts.

    Gain hands-on experience, in both our teaching labs and out in the field.

    Influence important policies on things such as the pesticides that kill our wildlife, and policies that protect endangered species.

    Work towards unlocking the secrets of the brain and ending the despair of cancer and Alzheimer’s.

    Join a community of leading scientists and like-minded students striving to make the world a better place for all.

    And follow in the footsteps of our 3 Nobel-prize winning alumni.

    We’re here today, to train the scientists of tomorrow.

    And you could be one of them.

    Find out more about the School of Life Sciences at sussex.ac.uk

    [Music ends]

This has been a fantastic opportunity to really get to grips with the reality of being a research scientist.”Aidan Ashton-Griffiths
Chemistry MChem 
How to apply

Our experts

Research in my area of chemistry is exciting because we are using surface science techniques to understand the formation of molecules in space.”Professor Wendy Brown
Head of School Life Sciences
Apply now
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Careers

  • 86% of Sussex undergraduates have completed work experience by the end of their course (University of Sussex Career Readiness data at point of graduation 2023/24)

Transferable skills such as time management, communication and analytical skills are embedded in the modules throughout your course. As a graduate, you can go on to PhD study and research careers in organic, inorganic, physical or computational chemistry. You can also pursue careers in a range of fields such as:

  • medicinal chemistry
  • drug discovery and chemical industries
  • management consultancy and marketing. 

Embedded employability

This course is designed to meet the latest demands of the working world. It’s informed by our Employer Advisory Panel of key organisations hiring our graduates.

Throughout your studies, you’ll develop research skills and professional competencies. Sessions with our Careers and Entrepreneurship Team will help you bolster your CV, train for interviews and map out career trajectories.

Where do our graduates work now?

Surveyed 15 months after finishing their courses, our recent Chemistry graduates worked for employers including:

(Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2022)

What to do with a Chemistry degree

Explore the careers you might be interested in after studying for a degree in Chemistry

Working while you study

Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

I had great opportunities to gain practical experience – a paid summer placement at the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre and a placement in the Medicinal Chemistry labs at the pharmaceutical company Novartis.”Hester Beard
Chemistry MChem graduate
Scientist, Illumina 

Design your future at Sussex

Taking the next step in your career can feel daunting, but we’ll help you to explore, connect and flourish throughout your studies and beyond.

As a Sussex student, you’ll learn how to tackle real-world challenges and have access to tailored programmes of careers support:

  • our Career Lab helps you to explore your options, build key skills and connect with employers. Take part in internships, community consultancy projects and insight visits, where you can learn about life at organisations such as Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, the Knepp Rewilding Project, and fashion brand Puig
  • one-to-one appointments with your Faculty Careers Consultant can enable you to identify your career goals, write an effective CV and prepare for future interviews
  • entrepreneurship initiatives like StartUp Sussex and Ideas Lab can empower you to turn your concepts into reality.

Explore how our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can support you

How to apply
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Entry requirements

Find your place in Clearing

This course will be available in Clearing. Explore your options at Sussex – right here, right now.

How to apply
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Fees

Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis. Find details on our Tuition fees page.

Home students

£9,790 per year

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students

£9,790 per year

On 19 March 2026 the UK Parliament set out that the tuition fee cap for 2026 entry will be £9,790. As the University of Sussex keeps fees for Home students and Channel Islands and Isle of Man students in line with UK Government-approved levels, fees will be £9,790 in 2026. In line with our terms and conditions, the University charges fees at the maximum levels set by the UK Government.

International students

£27,300 per year

Study abroad

Find out about grants and funding, tuition fees and insurance costs for studying abroad

Placement

Find out about tuition fees for placements

Additional costs

Note about additional costs

Additional costs to your tuition fees may include field trips, equipment, materials, bench fees or studio hire. These costs are best estimates based on current market values which we review each year. These costs may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances where the University has limited control such as a change in a service provider or government guidance. We will let you know at the earliest opportunity if there is any change to these costs. We will also tell you if these costs are mandatory for passing your course or optional. Find out how to budget for student life.

Book bundle

Optional book bundles are available from the University for around £130. These texts are also available for review from the library and for purchase from other outlets if desired.

Living costs

We know the rising cost of living is on everyone’s mind, and affects us all in different ways. Our guide to living costs has been designed to help you plan and budget for life as a Sussex student.

Learn more about typical living costs

Scholarships

Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to regardless of financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique people.

How to apply

Contact us

Ask a student

Chat to Sussex students online via the UniBuddy chat platform.

Enquiries

Contact us with any questions about your course:

+44 (0)1273 876787
Ask us a question

Find out more about the School of Life Sciences: Chemistry

Prospectus

Order a printed prospectus

What do you want to do next?

Legal information

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Find out about our terms and conditions, including the student code of conduct and your cancellation rights

Find out about our complaints and appeals process

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