News

New chemistry degrees launched

Published 13 December 2011

The University of Brighton has launched two new degrees to meet demand for more chemistry graduates to support the UK's economic recovery.

The three-year Chemistry BSc(Hons) and four-year Chemistry MChem programmes will be for 2012 entries and will offer placements in industry or research laboratories plus innovative teaching methods including video technology and interactive problem solving.

One new teaching method is 'The Analyst' which involves giving chemistry tasks to groups of students who make market-style presentations to bring their findings and ideas to market, similar to BBC TV's The Apprentice.

The university said the new courses aim to provide graduates with knowledge and skills that will deliver advances in human health, sustainable technologies and resource efficiency.

Professor Andrew Lloyd, dean of the university's Faculty of Science and Engineering, said: "We have launched the new courses to meet the demands for more chemistry graduates to address the challenges of ensuring a sustainable future for the UK and to support the recovery of the country's economy in the longer term.

"This forms part of our commitment to grow the portfolio of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the university, and to build on our growing research base and our strong links with industry.

"We are determined to ensure the university's STEM graduates are able to make significant contributions to addressing current and future challenges facing society. Over recent years we and many other universities across the country have been active in promoting the chemical sciences through a wide range of outreach programmes, including our Professor Hal Sosabowski's Bigger Bang chemistry shows.

"We are delighted to launch these new programmes at a time when there are increasing numbers of students choosing to study A-level chemistry and there are greater employment opportunities for STEM graduates.

"A chemistry degree not only allows students to further their understanding of an exciting and innovative field of knowledge but it supports the development of valuable transferable skills to underpin fulfilling careers in a broad range of fields."

The new courses have been welcomed by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Dr Robert Parker, RSC chief executive, said: "These degree programmes will give excellent grounding to help new chemists tackle global challenges like sustainable water and food, as they are built around priority areas for the chemical sciences and make use of the existing faculty talent in biomedical, geological and environmental chemistry.

"Universities, like Brighton, are astutely meeting the recent surge of interest in chemistry, which shows clearly how young people appreciate its importance to their own lives, and to the UK's overall economy and well-being."