BSc (Hons) Chemistry Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BSc (Hons) Chemistry at Durham University. That dual purpose runs through the whole three-year, full-time course, delivered on Durham Campus and taught in English.
About this course
Chemistry F100 - Durham University Skip to main content BSc (Hons) Chemistry A highly-valued degree that can be used as the first step towards further academic learning and research in chemical sciences or take you directly into a work role within a wide variety of industries and commerce. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Chemistry is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Chemistry graduates from this provider, 75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £31,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Physics & Chemistry, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Foundations of Chemistry: Atoms, Bonding & Energetics (including Experimental Chemistry I: Introductory to Laboratory Techniques)Compulsory
Module details
provides the foundation for your future studies and covers organic, inorganic and physical chemistry including basic laboratory techniques
- Experimental Chemistry II: Developing Laboratory ExpertiseCompulsory
Module details
which will allow you to learn and practice the skills required to accurately and safely use chemical reactions to create target substances and concludes with project work in a laboratory setting
- Mathematical Methods for ChemistsCompulsory
Module details
builds on your pre-university mathematical skills and ensures that you understand the vocabulary and its use in Chemistry
- Chemical Systems & Change: Structure & DynamicsCompulsory
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introduces aspects of chemical physics, mechanistic understanding or inorganic and organic chemistry and topics in kinetics and thermodynamics
Year 2 4 modules
- Principles of Inorganic Chemistry: Symmetry & Transition metal complexesCompulsory
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builds your knowledge of inorganic chemistry into more specialised concepts
- Principles of Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics & SpectroscopyCompulsory
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focuses on the principles of bonding and the use of spectroscopy to understand structure and reactivity
- Principles of Organic Chemistry: Aromaticity & Synthetic strategyCompulsory
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explores how the structure of organic molecules affects reactions
- Practical Chemistry Level 2 – IntegratedCompulsory
Module details
this laboratory based module explores synthesis across the disciplines of inorganic and organic chemistry as well developing an understanding of how measurements are taken (physical and analytical), analysed and interpreted
Year 3 11 modules
- Contemporary Inorganic Chemistry: Organometallics & CatalysisCompulsory
Module details
takes your knowledge up to degree standard and introduces more advanced considerations in inorganic chemistry
- Contemporary Organic Chemistry: Pericyclic & stereoselectivityCompulsory
Module details
this module explores the formation of new C-C and C-X through advanced chemical transformations activated by thermal and photochemical processes. It also explores the control over chirality through the generation of predictive models
- Contemporary Physical Chemistry: Statistical thermodynamics & KineticsCompulsory
Module details
develops key concepts and understanding in physical chemistry by evolving your understanding of the interplay of thermodynamics & Kinetics
- Chemistry DissertationCompulsory
Module details
You will produce a research-led Chemistry Dissertation which will demonstrate your attained skills of literature review, data collection and critical analysis as well as literacy and presentation skills
- Chemistry & SocietyCompulsory
Module details
you will work as a team of students with supervisors on a specific areas of modern Chemistry and Society subtopic (Chemistry, Applications, Environment, Economics). Weekly group meetings with your supervisors are used to guide learning and teach business skills
- Practical Chemistry Level 3 – IntegratedCompulsory
Module details
This experimental module teaches the advanced skill and laboratory techniques required to undertake independent research
- Chemistry into SchoolsOptional
- Enhancing Pedagogy in ChemistryOptional
- Advanced Biological ChemistryOptional
- Advanced Materials ChemistryOptional
- Advanced Computational ChemistryOptional
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who is genuinely curious about how matter behaves and reacts, and who doesn't mind spending long stretches of time in a laboratory working through problems methodically. It's a good fit for people who enjoy both the theoretical puzzle-solving side of science and the practical, hands-on side of running experiments and interpreting results. Because the degree keeps open the possibility of moving into research or straight into industry, it works well for those who haven't yet settled on exactly which direction they want to take chemistry in, but know they want to keep their options broad. Most students accepted onto the course came in with A-levels or equivalent, typically within the 144–159 UCAS tariff range, so a solid grounding in science subjects at that level is the norm among entrants. Day to day, studying chemistry here will involve a mix of lectures, lab sessions, and increasingly independent research work as the course progresses, culminating in a project where students are expected to work with real autonomy. Anyone who finds satisfaction in precise, evidence-based thinking and is willing to put in sustained effort in practical settings is likely to feel at home on this course.
Careers & job market
Nationally, across Physics & Chemistry courses, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 75% of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study, figures that reflect the national Graduate Outcomes picture for this subject area rather than anything specific to Durham. Also nationally, 90% of students continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed their studies. On earnings, national Graduate Outcomes/LEO data for this field show starting salaries (15 months after graduating) ranging from £26,500 to £34,000, rising to between £24,650 and £34,800 after three years, and between £30,600 and £43,200 after five years. These are national figures for the subject area, not projections or guarantees tied to this particular course, and individual outcomes vary considerably. The RSC accreditation for partially meeting the academic criteria for Chartered Chemist (CChem) status may also be relevant for those considering professional recognition routes within the chemistry profession after graduation.
University & format
Durham University is a public, research-intensive institution and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1832 and home to around 19,520 students. It holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. The BSc (Hons) Chemistry is delivered full-time over three years at Durham Campus, entirely in English, leading to a Bachelor's degree with Honours.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Year in industry. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code F100). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Physics & Chemistry graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £31,500 | £27,500 – £36,500 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £34,000 | £28,000 – £41,500 | 130 |
| 5 years after | £45,000 | £33,000 – £59,500 | 160 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in physics & chemistry · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Physics & Chemistry nationally
National figures for Physics & Chemistry graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Physics & Chemistry courses at the same study level.
Compared with 886 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 30; response rate: 75%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Physics & Chemistry graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Physics & Chemistry graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Research institutes
- Energy & manufacturing
- Universities
- Government labs
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Physics & Chemistry graduates.
Physics Content Developer for AI-Enhanced LearningUp LearnPhysics PhD, Quantum Data Scientist for AIObsidianPhysics Academic MentorRibbons and Reeves LimitedPhysics TechnicianSapientia Education TrustPhysics Academic Mentor17918Physics Teachers in Calderdale and KirkleesCV-LibraryIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
75% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £31,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.3 out of 10: NSS 89.7% · in work or study 75% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Physical sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Physics & Chemistry right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £33,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
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