Core Physical Chemistry - course unit details - MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry - full details (2025 entry)

Duration: 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: F152 / Institution code: M20

Key features:
Scholarships available
Accredited course

Typical A-level offer: A*AA including specific subjects
Typical contextual A-level offer: AAA including specific subjects
Refugee/care-experienced offer: AAB including specific subjects
Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 37 points overall with 7,6,6 at HL, including specific requirements

Full entry requirements How to apply

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Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £36,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances. For information about scholarships/bursaries/sponsorship please see our undergraduate fees pages and visit the Department website .

Course unit details:
Core Physical Chemistry

Course unit fact file
Unit code	CHEM20212
Credit rating	10
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 22/23 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.

Solutions and Electrochemistry - Professor Robert Dryfe (RAWD), (5 weeks, weighted 5/12 course, 5 synchronous workshops)

Computational Chemistry - Methods and Applications - Dr Neil Burton (NAB), (4 weeks, weighted 4/12 course, 3 synchronous workshops, 1 practical examples class)

Fundamentals of Electronic Structure Theory - Professor Nicholas Chilton, (3 weeks, weighted 3/12 course, 2 synchronous lectures, 3 synchronous workshops)

Aims

After attending all lectures and completing the workshop/tutorial work, you will be able to:

Progress your understanding of the core concepts of physical and theoretical chemistry, especially solutions and electrochemistry, electronic structure and computational chemistry
To foster related skills in practical physical chemistry.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course students should be able to:
•   describe the thermodynamic principles of solutions and practical applications to electrochemistry using the concepts of physical and theoretical chemistry
•   evaluate quantitatively the properties of solutions and electrochemical systems using these concepts
•   use basic quantum mechanical principles to explain the electronic structures and properties of multi-electron atoms and molecules
•   describe the fundamental principles of common computational methods of quantum chemistry and molecular simulation
•   apply these principles along with typical computational chemistry software to evaluate the properties of molecules.

Teaching and learning methods

Standard 3 blocks of 8 x 1 hour lectures (including 3 x 1 hour workshop/examples class) with supplementary information, including additional notes will be available.
Tutorials/workshops/examples classes.
Online computer tests will be available in blackboard.
Feedback Questions on the lectures, together with worked answers, will be discussed in tutorials/workshops/examples classes.

Knowledge and understanding

Students should be able to:

Understand the basic thermodynamic principles of solutions and practical applications to electrochemistry.
Understand basic quantum mechanical principles to understand the electronic structures and properties of multi-electron atoms and molecules.
Understand the fundamental principles of common computational methods of quantum chemistry and molecular simulation.

Intellectual skills

Students should be able to:

Use the concepts of physical and theoretical chemistry to explain the properties of solutions and apply these to electrochemical systems.
Use the concepts discussed in the course to apply computational chemistry methods to study chemical structure, properties and reactions.

Practical skills

Students should be able to:

apply the relevant theoretical skills in practical physical chemistry
apply basic computational chemistry software to study the properties of molecules.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Problem solving, numeracy and mathematical and ICT.

Assessment methods

Method	Weight
Written exam	100%

Feedback methods

Synchronous teaching sessions (workshops)
Online quizes
Tutorials and Office Hours

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam	2
Lectures	24
Tutorials	3

Independent study hours
Independent study	71

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Samuel Cobb	Unit coordinator

Return to course details

MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry

Fees and funding

Fees

Policy on additional costs

Scholarships/sponsorships

Course unit details:Core Physical Chemistry

Overview

Aims

Learning outcomes

Teaching and learning methods

Knowledge and understanding

Intellectual skills

Practical skills

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Assessment methods

Feedback methods

Recommended reading

Study hours

Teaching staff

Course unit details:
Core Physical Chemistry