Master of Chemistry (MChem)

MChem Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry

A flexible course with a wide range of modules taught by chemists, pharmacists, biologists and medicinal chemists.
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: F152 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

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:
Personalised Learning Unit 1

Course unit fact file
Unit code CHEM40111
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 4
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This personalised learning unit allows students to choose three segments of research-informed advanced chemistry topics.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Introductory Chemistry CHEM10101 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Energy and Change CHEM10212 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Coordination Chemistry CHEM10312 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Structure and Reactivity CHEM10412 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Group Theory: Fundamentals and Applications CHEM20311 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Inorganic Chemistry CHEM20312 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Structure and reactivity of organic molecules CHEM20412 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Integrated Spectroscopy and Separations CHEM20611 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Core Chemistry 3 CHEM30211 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Core Chemistry 2 CHEM30311 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Core Chemistry 4 CHEM30312 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Core Chemistry 1 CHEM30411 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Core Physical Chemistry CHEM20212 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Organic Synthesis CHEM20411 Pre-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

The over-arching aims of these modules is to prepare students for a professional or research career in Chemistry by expanding core chemistry knowledge into advanced, research-based topics to provide a wider and deeper understanding of particular areas of chemistry.

The key aims of each of the segments are:

Contemporary Enzymology - provide a theoretical understanding of the molecular contributions to enzyme catalysis; provide a working knowledge of experimental and theoretical approaches used to study enzyme mechanism; outline modern strategies for creating enzymes with new functions.

Kinetic in Catalysis - provide students with advanced kinetic skills to interrogate reaction mechanisms and improve catalytic reactions by designing kinetic experiments and analysing the results.

Molecular Machines - introduce students to the principles and theory behind making and operating machines at the molecular level. The mechanisms behind biological molecular machines serve as inspiration for the design of synthetic systems

Radiation Science - provide students with an understanding and appreciation of how fundamental radiation physics and chemistry are being applied to radiotherapy, nuclear industry processes and manufacturing of nanomaterials.

Synthetic Biology - introduce students to the basics of synthetic biology and its real world applications and social context driving the bioeconomy of the future.

Glycobiology – introduces students to chemical, enzyme and automated methods of preparing carbohydrates

Inorganic Applications of DFT – introduces students to a number of case studies where density functional theory has been applied to inorganic chemistry systems.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course students should be able to:

Extend ideas from core chemistry units from years 1, 2 and 3 to advanced topics
Describe and explain the concepts and application of each topic
Apply the concepts of the topic and extend these to synthesise new solutions
Rationalise and interpret data from each topic
Propose, and illustrate, outcomes of unseen extensions to the topic material

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Problem solving, analytical skills, time management.

 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 100%

Feedback methods

Each segment of the course will provide a minimum of 1 workshop/example class.
Lecturing staff will provide Office Hours during the course
After the exam marking is completed, students are able to view their examination scripts.

Recommended reading

Specific reading material, including research articles will be provided separately for each segment.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 1.5
Lectures 21
Practical classes & workshops 3
Independent study hours
Independent study 71.5

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Rainer Breitling Unit coordinator

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