This module will provide you with the opportunity to review chemistry topics that underpin the MSc programme that you are studying. Topics offered will include organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, theoretical concepts and analytical techniques. The topics assessed will be tailored to your personal needs and reflect the material required to help give you the basis to undertaken your MSc programme. 

• Strengthen their understanding of chemical concepts required at the MSc level of study. 

• Use the ideas covered in the topics selected to analyse data from the relevant areas of chemistry. 

• Seek out background information from a variety of resources including text books, on-line information and primary literature in relevant areas. 

• Use information from a variety of sources to critically analyse chemical data across a number of topics. 

• Link the background topic information provided in this module with the advanced discussion used in other modules of their MSc. 

The module content will be delivered via face-to-face lectures that introduce key concepts in Chemistry and provides resources for further study. Each topic will provide summative assessment questions to help guide students in their independent study. 

Each student will attend 7 hours of lectures including 2 hours of general direction on the structure of the module and 5 hours of topic specific material. Students then work through independent study to solve example problems set for each topic.  

The topics taken by each student will depend on the MSc programme on which they are enrolled with some topic choice available. Each student will study 5 topics choosing some of these in consultation with their personal tutor. 

The week-by-week delivery schedule and timing of assessment tasks will be described in the module map.   

Students will develop their critical analysis and problem-solving skills, dealing with data from a variety of sources to build their understanding of key chemical topics. 

These skills will be used to encourage independent critical thinking. The module will allow for collaborative working when researching background sources enabling discussion of ideas between peers.  

The module will begin with a series of on-line tests allowing students to review their current understanding of areas of chemistry considered background knowledge for our MSc programmes. On the basis of the results of these tests and in consultation with their personal tutors students will decide which topics to take in order to support their learning. 

The summative assessment for the module will be through topic based coursework assignments in the topics selected by students. Each topic will contribute equally so that the 5 topics each student selects will contribute 20% of the module mark. The marking scheme will assess the student’s understanding of the material introduced by each topic.  

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE: 

Opportunities for re-assessment is only permitted provided you have not failed more credit than in the resit rule adopted by your programme.  If the amount of credit you have failed is more than permitted by the relevant resit rule, you may be permitted to repeat study if you are within the threshold set for the Repeat rule adopted by your programme.  You will be notified of your eligibility to resit/repeat any modules after the Examining Board in the Summer period. 

All resit assessments will be held in the Resit Examination period, prior to the start of the following academic session. 

For students not gaining a pass mark overall new assessments will be set in topics with coursework marks under 50%. 

Type of assess             %  Contr.   Title                                                                           Duration  Approx. date of Assessment 

Coursework                   100              Coursework in Key Skills                                                           October - December 

Resubmission of CW     100              New assessments will be set in failed topics.                            August 

The module provides topics to study that give background level understanding of key ideas required at the MSc level in Chemistry. These topics cover the areas of: 

1. Organic Chemistry,

2. Biological Chemistry,

3. Synthetic Chemistry,

4. Bioinorganic Chemistry,

5. Catalysis,

6. Quantum Mechanics,

7. Organometallic Chemistry,

8. Statistical thermodynamics and

9. Spectroscopy. 

All students take 5 of these topics. For MSc programmes in Biological Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry topics 1-4 are compulsory and students can choose the fifth topic. For other MSc programmes the choice of topics is made by students in discussion with their personal tutor.