Subject area: Chemistry

Why choose Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh?

All our chemistry programmes are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and our chemical physics programmes are accredited by both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Physics.
As part of the MChem or MChemPhys programs, you will have the opportunity to take an academic year-long research placement with one of our industrial partners or at a university in Asia, Europe or North America.
You will have the opportunity to combine the study of chemistry with a wide range of other subjects in Years 1 and 2.
The School of Chemistry scored 81% in the National Student Survey 2022 for overall student satisfaction.
Chemistry at Edinburgh is ranked: 2nd in the UK in The Guardian Subject Rankings 2023, 3rd in the Complete University Guide 2023, 5th in The Times Good University Guide 2023, and 6th in the UK in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.

Study abroad

The Chemistry programme here is tailored for the future of science, with programming and data analysis taught from year 1. I feel well-prepared for my 5th year in either industry or academia because of excellent teaching and opportunities to harness my transferable skills.

Vilte Juozokaite Medicinal and Biological Chemistry (MChem) 3rd year

Introducing Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of atoms, molecules and ions, examining their:

physical and chemical properties
composition and structure
role and uses in our lives

Our programmes have a broad perspective, preparing you for potential careers in chemistry, or other areas of science.

All our programmes include practical aspects to develop your analytical, problem-solving and numeracy skills. You will improve your communication and presentation skills through:

small-group workshops
tutorials with a high staff-to-student ratio
presentations

This means you will develop skills that are attractive to employers in many areas of industry and commerce.

Teaching

The School of Chemistry has an enthusiastic and committed team of staff who provide a supportive learning environment.

All our programmes include:

training in laboratory techniques
practice and procedure in the chemical sciences
feedback in communication skills
team working
exposure to the latest technology of scientific information retrieval and organisation

We carry out our teaching in an active research environment. We also have strong connections with both the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Research

Our chemistry courses include experimental work, which is carried out in modern laboratories. The time spent in the lab will increase as your programme progresses and will prepare you for an extended research project in your final year.

EaStCHEM

Formed by the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews in 2004 to combine the research activities of two of Scotland’s leading schools of chemistry, EaStCHEM provides the largest chemistry research unit in the UK.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) EaStCHEM was one of only 3 chemistry units to achieve a 100% “world-leading” score for our research environment.

This result reflects our:

state-of-the-art facilities
recruitment of high-quality academic, research and professional services staff
collaboration across disciplines and with industry partners
support for career development and nurturing of talent

REF 2021 also assessed >99% of our research outputs as either “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” and 100% of the economic, social and environmental benefit in our impact case studies to be “outstanding” or “very considerable”.

Student Support

You will have access to a Student Support Team throughout your studies to provide you with academic guidance and support.

Accreditation

All our chemistry programmes are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Our chemical physics programmes are also accredited by both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Physics.

Take a virtual tour

You can take a closer look at the School of Chemistry and explore our facilities and campus on the University's Virtual Visit site.