Why Study Chemistry at Edinburgh

We offer extraordinary teaching and specialist research facilities at one of the world's best universities in one of the world's great cities.
Make a difference and help shape current and future global issues with a chemistry degree from the University of Edinburgh.

Excellence in Teaching

  • Courses on our programmes are taught by world class experts and are supported by an extensive tutorial system
  • Flexibility in Years 1 and 2 to study other science and engineering courses, or courses from across the university
  • Extensive laboratory education programme enhancing students' employability, presentation, scientific writing and team working skills
  • All programmes accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chemical Physics accredited by both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Physics
Chemistry students in the Nucleus lab

Overall, my time at the University has been an unforgettable learning experience: I have started my journey with the dream of studying Chemistry, while five years later I graduated with two world-class degrees: one in Chemistry and another in the Chemistry of life

A Supportive School

  • All students are assigned a Personal Tutor to mentor and support them during their entire journey with us
  • The School of Chemistry currently holds an Athena SWAN Silver award. These accolades acknowledge our advancement of careers for women in Science, Engineering and Technology in higher education and research
  • We are a large and diverse chemistry community with staff and students from all over the world
  • Students will join our proactive peer networks, Chemistry Academic Families and Chemunity

I would definitely say how much the School listens to feedback from students. The courses are continually changing year on year, that’s from student feedback, from class reps, so you feel like you are really being listened to.

Expand Your Horizons

  • With over 300 years of experience in research and teaching, we continue to develop new knowledge at the frontiers of the chemical sciences
  • You will be able to study in a research lab on an extended project under the supervision of one of our top-class researchers.
  • You can choose to spend a year abroad or in industry.
  • We teach you all the chemistry skills you'll need to work in a modern research or industrial environment.
  • You'll also learn valuable skills such as teamwork and problem-solving, which will prove useful no matter what career you embark upon after graduation.
  • There are lots of opportunities for students to complete summer internships

The best thing about an industrial placement is having the opportunity to get out of the classroom, see what chemistry is like in the real world, the world of business and in industry and seeing how chemistry is such an all-encompassing subject and how it is applied in real world environments.

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