PhD Chemistry

What you will study

Our PhD Chemistry will deepen your understanding of the latest advances in synthetic and medicinal chemistry, natural products chemistry, materials and polymer chemistry, inorganic chemistry, fuel cell research, nanotechnology, and environmental, forensic and computational chemistry. A suitable project can be proposed or outlined by your supervisor. It must be a novel piece of research that is expected to take the subject forward and ultimately contribute to the advancement of chemical knowledge.

Research takes place over most of a three-year period and is generally laboratory-based. A thesis or dissertation is written during the last few months. Throughout the writing process, both during the PhD and for the final submission, you can count on the help and support of your supervisor.

There are formal and informal University and School induction programmes during the first few months, depending on the nature of the research. There are regular formal reviews at six-month intervals to ensure progress is maintained.

As a PhD student, you’ll be expected to develop real critical analysis skills, to interpret novel results and change how we think about the field, even if this is on a small scale. Initially, this is likely to be very much in consultation with your supervisor, but as your PhD progresses, you’ll increasingly apply these skills independently and will become an expert in your field.

Chemistry is the archetypal laboratory science, but not all research takes place exclusively in a traditional laboratory. Many projects involve computational studies, field work and interaction with other institutions and industry.

You’ll develop your laboratory skills and become familiar with a wide range of advanced instrumentation. You’ll also develop excellent reasoning and presentation skills. As part of this, you’ll be expected to present your progress at various opportunities and to defend your work where necessary, for example, at the confirmation exam.

We encourage you to contact a supervisor before you apply for this course to discuss what projects they can offer or whether they are the right person to supervise a project you have in mind.

Assessment

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Location

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.