This three-year course has a student satisfaction rating of 90%.

Did you know that many of the major advances in molecular biology over the last few decades have been made by scientists who trained as chemists?  Nobel Laureates Max Perutz , Sydney Brenner and John Walker have all said that their rigorous training in chemistry was essential to their subsequent successes in the fields of molecular biology and biochemistry.  Bioorganic Chemistry focuses on the molecules of life, their structures and functional behaviour and interactions in biological systems.  If you are interested in working at the interface of chemistry and biochemistry or molecular biology, then this degree programme may be for you.  This course also provides an ideal foundation for a PhD and future academic career in these disciplines, or a career in the pharmaceutical and life-sciences industries.

Course Structure

Each year contains 120 credits of taught material, which is delivered in modules that are typically worth 10 or 20 credits.  In each year, you will take 60 credits of core chemistry courses, which cover the fundamental aspects of the subject.  These courses include a significant practical component, which not only allows us to develop your practical skills and techniques in a range of experiments, but also to consolidate the theory you will have covered in associated lectures.  The remaining 60 credits comprise modules designed to support these core courses and include optional chemistry modules, mathematics courses, laboratory modules, as well as courses which focus on communications skills and employability.  Modules in bioorganic chemistry are delivered in Years 2 and 3.

Generic skills-training, focusing on transferable skills and employability, is embedded throughout the course and from the outset, and will ensure that you are equipped with the ICT, presentation, team-working and problem-solving skills, which are seen as crucial by employers.

BSc or MSci?  The first two years of this BSc course are interchangeable with, and identical to, our MSci programme (F190), which means you can delay your final choice of degree (BSc or MSci) until the end of Year 2. MSci study is dependent upon performance so you will need to successfully complete Year 2 with a high 2ii to transfer on to the MSci programme.

First year

In Year 1, you will take substantive core modules in the traditional sub-disciplines of inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, all of which include an extensive laboratory work programme.  Everyone takes a maths module in Semester 2, and if you don’t have A-level maths at grade B or higher, you will take a further introductory maths module in Semester 1.  Both of these modules are taught by staff from Chemistry, which ensures you learn those aspects of maths that you will need to understand and tackle the more physical and theoretical aspects of our courses.  A range of non-chemistry option courses is available for those students with maths A-level.  A particularly popular choice for students interested in the chemistry of biological systems is ‘Good brain – Bad brain,’ which is delivered by the Department of Pharmacology.

Second year (contributes 25% to overall degree mark)

In Year 2, you will build on material from your first year as we employ a mix of lectures and practicals to further develop your understanding of the fundamental aspects of chemistry.  In addition to core courses in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, you will choose courses from our chemical electives, one of which must be a module in bioorganic chemistry.  This course provides an introduction to the synthesis, structure, properties and functions of large biological molecules including amino acids in proteins, and nucleic acids in DNA and RNA.  Basic ideas used to study enzyme mechanisms, kinetics and catalysis are also introduced.

Third year (contributes 75% to overall degree mark)

Alongside lecture courses in the three core sub-disciplines, you will also take advanced courses in bioorganic chemistry.  You will study biosynthesis, which is the term used to describe how Nature makes organic molecules, and learn how a range of compound classes, including fatty acids, polyketides, steroids, terpenes and shikimates, are made.  You will also focus in detail on the structure, function and kinetics of enzymes, Nature’s catalysts. This course builds on the material developed in Year 2 and includes computer-based workshops to explore protein structure. You will also carry out a sizeable 40-credit research project in some aspect of bioorganic chemistry, which can include practical lab work, computer-based research or a literature dissertation. You will choose the topic of your project from a pool of titles and work with your project supervisor to tailor the project to your particular research interests.

Other options

• Chemistry undergraduate degree courses - School of Chemistry

Related links

• School of Chemistry undergraduate degree scholarships
• Frequently asked questions

Personal Tutor: At the start of your degree, you will be assigned a Personal Tutor who will remain with you throughout your studies until graduation, to help you in three important areas: supporting your academic progress, developing transferable skills and dealing with any welfare issues. You will meet your personal tutor at least once a semester to review your academic progress and discuss how to develop your transferable skills.  Your personal tutor will also be able to advise on particular areas where you need additional support.

Delivery of the course

As a Birmingham student you are part of an academic elite and will learn from world-leading experts.  From the outset you will be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner; we want you to be challenged and will encourage you to think for yourself.

Your learning will take place in a range of different settings, from scheduled teaching in lectures and small-group tutorials, to self-study and peer-group learning sessions (for example preparing and delivering presentations with your classmates).

To begin with you may find these new ways of studying challenging, but rest assured, we will work with you to facilitate this transition.  You will have access to a comprehensive support system, including welfare tutors, who can help with both academic and more pastoral issues, as can your personal tutor. 

In your first and second years, the course is delivered as lectures, tutorials, workshops and laboratory classes. In your final year, you will complete a research-related project.

In your first year, expect about 20 hours of contact time per week made up of approximately 12 hours of lectures, tutorials and workshops, and eight hours of laboratory classes. 

Laboratory-based practical work forms an integral part of the School's degree programmes. Classes not only develop your practical skills, but also reinforce concepts introduced in the associated lectures as well as allow you to explore particular phenomena. Practical sessions typically last four hours in your first year; however these increase in length in subsequent years to allow for more advanced experiments.

In your final year, if you are on an MSci programme, you will join a research group and become a member of the Research School whilst undertaking a major Research Project.  Your project will not only enable you to focus on the area of Chemistry that interests you most, but also to carry out science that has never been done before.  Projects can be synthesis-based or concentrate on more theoretical aspects of the subject, or, of course, be a combination of both.  You will work closely with your project supervisor to tailor the project to you particular research interests.  If you are a BSc student, you will also complete a research-related project in your final year. 

Small-group tutorials run alongside our lecture courses, and provide a valuable opportunity for you to discuss specific problems with your tutor, as well as consolidate and test your understanding of the lecture material through problem-solving exercises.

Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) provides an environment where the learning process is driven by enquiry.  In this learning approach, the lecturer's role is purely as a facilitator.  EBL provides a particularly useful method for teaching aspects of Chemistry, for example, the use of spectroscopic techniques in structure elucidation.  It often requires you to work in a team to solve a problem, and typifies a research-orientated approach to problem-solving, which is embedded in the research-led ethos of the University of Birmingham.

Feedback shows that, on average, 85% of the students on this course go straight into work and/or further study after graduating, and those in work are, typically, earning £22,000 a year six months after graduation. Of those working, 80% are doing professional/managerial jobs.

Preparing for your future career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university.  Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or would rather consider the broad range of opportunities that are available once you have your degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering specialised expert advice and mentoring, as well as guidance to help you to secure exclusive work-experience opportunities and global internships, all of which will help you to stand out from the competition.  And once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs, interview practice and job applications will further help to give you the edge.  In addition, our employer-endorsed, award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises you extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Each academic subject area has its own team of dedicated careers advisors, who will provide you with expert advice and mentoring, as well as help you to secure exclusive work-experience opportunities and global internships, all of which will help you to stand out from the competition.  And once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs, interview practice and job applications will further help to give you the edge.

As a Birmingham Chemistry graduate you will possess excellent core skills in numeracy, IT and literacy, as well as highly-developed problem-solving, team-working, and communication skills, all of which are deemed crucial by employers.  Combining these transferable skills with an in-depth knowledge of Chemistry, both theory and practice, you will enter the workplace, ready to interpret complex data, propose innovative solutions to challenging problems, and design new molecules and materials to solve societal needs.

You might wish to pursue a career in one of the chemical, pharmaceutical or manufacturing industries; alternatively, you could choose to work in other areas of science and technology, such as environmental protection, analytical chemistry or forensics. Other areas that need the problem-solving skills you will have developed, include finance, law and marketing, as well as teaching and research.

Birmingham Chemistry has strong research links with many chemical companies which we can exploit to help you gain industrial experience whilst studying.  You may choose a Summer placement; however more commonly, you will choose our Chemistry with Industrial Experience MSci programme and spend your third year in paid employment.  Working and studying in an industrial setting provides you with valuable experience, whilst at the same time improving your career prospects.

Career destinations of previous graduates include:

• AstraZeneca
• GlaxoSmithKline
• BASF
• Procter and Gamble
• Reckitt Benckiser
• Severn Trent Water
• Forensic Science Service
• BAE Systems

University Careers Network

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Contact us

• Sophie Miller - Careers consultant (s.a.miller@bham.ac.uk)
• Richard Newman- Careers consultant (r.j.newman@bham.ac.uk)
• Caroline Egan - Careers adviser (c.egan@bham.ac.uk)
• Brendan Bacon - Internship officer (b.bacon@bham.ac.uk)
• Carl Jukes - Applications support adviser (c.jukes@bham.ac.uk)

Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) 2010/11

The DLHE survey is conducted 6 months after graduation.

Range of Occupations for Birmingham's Chemistry Graduates

• Analyst
• Chemist
• Materials Engineer
• Pharmaceutical Representative
• Post Doctoral Researcher
• Project Manager
• Research Associate
• Research Fellow
• Scientist
• Senior Laboratory Technician

Range of Courses of Further Study for Birmingham's Chemistry Graduates

• MA Drug Design
• MPhil Chemical Engineering
• MPhil Chemistry
• MRes Biomaterials
• MRes Nanochemistry and Materials Chemistry
• MSc Air Pollution Management and Control
• MSc Forensic Engineering and Science
• PGCE Chemistry
• PhD Chemistry
• PhD Physical Chemistry

Visit the Careers section of the University website for further information.