MChem Chemistry with Teaching

Study with us

This degree combines a Royal Society of Chemistry-accredited MChem course with professionally-accredited teacher training (Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, Secondary).

Strathclyde provides this dual-accredited course at a higher level than anywhere else in the UK. Dual accreditation means you can move between careers in secondary education and the chemical industry.

Why this course?

The image of chemistry is rapidly changing. It’s recognised as an important aspect of forensic science, technological advancement and environmental protection. Inspirational teachers convey the exciting challenges chemists face and the importance of continuous discovery to our daily lives.

Uniquely, your final year project can be in educational approaches to chemistry, such as the development of practical experiments for schools.

Transferable skills are taught in all years and include IT, scientific writing, presentation skills, report writing and problem-solving.

You can study at a European university for one year of your degree.

It’s possible to switch between the other MChem courses and also the following shorter BSc degrees within the first three years:

• BSc (Hons) Chemistry
• BSc (Hons) Forensic and Analytical Chemistry
• BSc (Hons) Chemistry with Drug Discovery

What you’ll study

You'll take foundation classes in chemistry and mathematics, and physics or biology at an introductory or advanced level. Classes in forensic science, drug discovery and chemical engineering are available.

Practical chemistry laboratory sessions help you to master basic preparative and analytical skills.

In the later years, you’ll take classes in fundamental inorganic, organic, biological and physical chemistry and laboratory work increases.

In Year 4 you will take classes that develop the pedagogy of teaching. Alongside these classes, a major part of year 4 in The Strathclyde Institute of Education is school placements in Scottish secondary schools. There are 18 weeks of placement in total with one placement in each semester of the programme.  

In your final year, you’ll specialise in the areas and applications that interest you most and undertake a research project in Chemistry with an educational aspect.

Major projects

You’ll complete a research project in one of our specialist research laboratories in your final year when you'll work with full-time researchers on real chemistry challenges.

Student competitions

Strathclyde chemistry students also compete successfully for national awards. In recent years, our students have won:

• Salters’ Graduate prize (£1,000)
• Low Carbon Undergraduate of the Year Award
• Carnegie Scholarship
• Most Meritorious Student award from the Forensic Science Society

The Dean of Science recognises exceptional performance each year through the Dean’s certificate for the best students in the faculty. Students can also win prizes including:

• P&G Bursary (£1,000 a year plus a one-year paid industrial placement)
• Chemistry International Alumni Ambassadors UG award for overseas travel (£1,000)
• Group third-year Poster Competition sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline
• The RSC Prize in Analytical Chemistry
• Andersonian Centenary Medal Prize
• Beilby and Huddleston Prize
• ICI Chemical and Polymers Group Andersonian Centenary Prize
• GlaxoSmithKline Prize
• Syngenta Prize

Accreditation

Accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry for the purpose of fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Chemist.

Learning & teaching

Each year contains compulsory classes and some years contain either optional classes, which relate to different areas of chemistry and/or elective classes from other subject areas in the University.

In Years 1 to 3, lectures give you the essential knowledge and understanding required by all chemistry graduates. This is supported by small and large group tutorials. Chemistry is a practical subject so students will also gain training in all branches of mainstream practical chemistry.

The fourth year of the course is equivalent to the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education and qualifies you to teach. During this year, you’ll also continue to learn chemistry through some distance learning assignments.

In your final year, you’ll study advanced chemistry and complete an independent research project in your chosen field, including chemistry education.