This four-year course has a student satisfaction rating of 90%.
The world of business undoubtedly benefits from people with the skills developed during a scientific training; at the same time, the world of science needs more people with experience of business. Graduates from our Chemistry with Business Management degree programmes are therefore highly prized as they possess the rare combination of highly developed skills in both chemistry and business disciplines.
Chemistry with Business Management is a major-minor degree programme. The chemistry component comprises two thirds of the course for the first three years, with business management making up the remaining third. Each year contains 120 credits of taught material, which is delivered in modules that are typically worth 10 or 20 credits. In the first three years, 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. You will also take 40 credits of business. This aspect of the course is taught by the Business School at Birmingham. The remaining 20 credits in each year 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. You study just Chemistry in your fourth, and final, year. There is significant flexibility in this year, as you choose 40 credits of taught modules from a range of courses pitched at the cutting edge of the chemical sciences. A major research project makes up the remaining 80 credits. For many, your final-year project is the most exciting and enjoyable part of your degree and often influences the career pathway you choose to follow after graduating.
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.
MSci or BSc? The first two years of this MSci course are interchangeable with, and identical to, our BSc programme (F1N1), which means you can delay your final choice of degree (MSci or BSc) 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 remain on the MSci programme; otherwise you follow the alternative BSc pathway.
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. The business management component in Year 1 includes modules in financial analysis, an introduction to economics, the international economy and business organisation and management. Everyone also 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.
Second year (contributes 20% 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 develop further your understanding of the fundamental aspects of chemistry. In addition to these core courses in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, you will also take modules in business management entitled an introduction to marketing, financial decision-making, global marketing and management of human resources.
Third year (contributes 40% to overall degree mark)
In Year 3, in addition to modules in core chemistry, you will choose from a range of specialist modules in the business management component of the course, including corporate finance, strategic management and supply chain management. A project also forms part of this year.
Fourth year (contributes 40% to overall degree mark)
You will focus just on Chemistry in this, your final, year, and have the opportunity to
specialise in a particular sub-discipline should you wish. Our courses at this Masters level reflect the state-of-the-art of the discipline, which not only allows us to showcase the cutting-edge research interests of the School, but also ensures that you are aware of the latest challenges in this rapidly advancing subject. In addition to 40 credits of taught material, you will join one of the School’s research groups, and become a member of the Research School as you undertake a major research project (worth the remaining 80 credits). You will work closely with your project supervisor to tailor the project to your particular interests and further develop your research skills; indeed many students enjoy the experience so much that they choose to go on to study for a PhD after graduation.
Other options
Related links
Chemists at Birmingham adopt a broad, multi-disciplinary outlook to our subject, which is going to be vital if we are to solve the problems of the 21st Century in healthcare, medicine, sustainability and the environment. The School has a leading research rating and is committed to excellence in teaching. Your lecturers are not only global experts in their field but also passionate about their subject.
We recognise that chemistry is a partnership between practical work and theory, so our degree programmes offer a balanced curriculum, which allows you to develop skills at the bench by putting into practice what you learn in lectures. Our research facilities are among the best in the country and this access to state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories is a vital part of your education.
Read more about why you shoud study Chemistry at Birmingham
Each year contains 120 credits of taught material. This is delivered in modules which are typically worth 10 or 20 credits.
Core Courses (60 credits in each year) are taken by all students enrolled on both single honours and major/minor degree programmes and cover the fundamental aspects of the subject, which we deem essential.
These courses also include a significant practical component in which core practical skills and techniques are developed in a range of experiments, which also allows us to consolidate the theory you will have covered in associated lectures.
Module details are located on the course breakdown page on the School of Chemistry website.
Number of A levels required: 3
Typical offer: AAB–ABB
Required subjects and grades: A level subjects must include Chemistry; one (or more) from Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, Business Studies and Economics is highly desirable but not essential.
General Studies: not accepted. Critical Thinking: not accepted. However, a good performance may be taken into account if you fail to meet the conditions of the offer.
Additional information:
International students:
International Baccalaureate Diploma: Typical offer 34–35 points; must have Chemistry at HL; one or more additional science subjects at HL is regarded as advantageous; a minimum of 5 in SL English and 4 in SL Maths is required for those students who do not have a minimum grade C in these subjects at GCSE.
Learn more about international entry requirements
Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in the Birmingham Foundation Academy, a specially structured programme for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on the foundation academy web pages.
Key Information Sets (KIS) are comparable sets of information about full or part time undergraduate courses and are designed to meet the information needs of prospective students.
From September 2012 all KIS information will be published on the Unistats website and can also be accessed via the small advert, or ‘widget’, below. On the Unistats website you will be able to compare all the KIS data for each course with data for other courses.
The development of Key Information Sets (KIS) forms part of HEFCE’s work to enhance the information that is available about higher education. It will give you access to robust, reliable and comparable information in order to help you make informed decisions about what and where to study.
The KIS contains information which prospective students have identified as useful, such as student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, learning and teaching activities, assessment methods, tuition fees and student finance, accommodation and professional accreditation.