MSc Catalysis

• A 2.1 undergraduate Honours degree in chemistry or a closely related subject area. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

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Chemistry graduates have gone on to successful careers in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries with companies such as: 

• AstraZeneca 
• BP 
• GSK 
• Johnson Matthey 
• Pfizer 
• Shell 
• Siemens. 

Other career routes outwith a research environment include scientific publishing, patent law, forensic science, IT and energy consultancy. 

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.

Compulsory

• Contemporary Research Awareness: research colloquia and seminars delivered by external speakers and covering areas within current chemical science research.  
• Homogeneous Catalysis: demonstrates the links between catalyst structure, performance, commercial utilisation and sustainability. 
• Literature Review for MSc: an in-depth survey of the published literature within a specified research area which is related to the prospective research project, including peer-review-like assessment and a short oral presentation.
• Natural Products, Biosynthesis and Enzyme Co-factors: introduces the origin of natural products and the diversity of enzyme reactions. 
• Research Skills in Chemistry: develops knowledge of specialised research techniques for the prospective research project. 
• Surface Science and Heterogeneous Catalysis: introduces the important general concepts of the chemistry of heterogeneous catalysis. 

Optional

Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered. 

Semester 1 – students typically choose two optional modules for the first semester. 

• Advanced Metal Chemistry and Green Chemistry
• Advanced Spectroscopic Methods
• Asymmetric Synthesis 
• Electrochemistry and Computational Chemistry
• Heterocyclic and Pericyclic Chemistry 
• Nanostructured Materials
• Processing of Materials 

Semester 2 – students typically choose one optional module for the second semester. 

• Advanced Main Group Chemistry 
• Advanced Physical Inorganic Chemistry 
• Blockbuster Solids 
• Chemical Applications of Electronic Structure Calculations 
• Chemical Biology 
• Energy Conversion and Storage  
• Fragrance, Food and Colour Chemistry 
• Functional Materials and Electrons in Solids 
• Fundamentals of the Spectroscopy of Molecules and Solids 
• Molecular Recognition 
• Reactive Intermediates  

Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered; some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University's position on curriculum development).

Research Project

During the final three months of the course, students undertake a research project finishing in a 15,000-word dissertation. The project is supervised by a member of the academic staff, and the project topic and aims will be selected by both supervisor and student.  

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MSc, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MSc.