School of Chemical and Physical Sciences

Professor Mike Watkinson, Head of the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences

I’d like to start by thanking you for applying to study with us: I really hope to see you when the next academic year begins. The School of Chemical and Physical Sciences offers undergraduate degree programmes in Astrophysics and Physics, Chemistry and Forensic Science, as well as undertaking research in all areas, allowing us to deliver research-informed teaching.

We provide an excellent and supportive taught environment for our students, and pride ourselves on the quality of our teaching, which includes a wide range of delivery methods, many of which are innovative, nationally leading in the sector and many examples of our practice have been published in the educational literature. We have a strong ethos of immersing our students in practical aspects of teaching early in their degrees, including hands-on access to a range of research grade equipment such as our NMR spectrometers for the chemistry students. You will also gain first-hand access to the outstanding teaching facilities and equipment housed in the new Central Science Laboratories from your first days at Keele, as well as a range of other campus-based facilities, such as our recently refurbished Crime Scene House for the Forensic Science programmes, and the Observatory for Physics programmes, which is also open to the general public some evenings and weekends. We also have a strong ethos of providing both academic and pastoral support to our students and really value, listen to and act on the feedback we receive through our Student Voice Reps.

All of our single honours degree programmes are accredited by the relevant Professional Learned Society (The Institute of Physics; The Royal Society of Chemistry and The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences) whilst all other programmes can be either accredited or recognised, depending on the subject, providing official external recognition that our degree programmes meet specific professional standards. Some of our teaching has also received national recognition through the award of national prizes - see for example the award for our team-based learning group in chemistry. Many of our staff regularly present their teaching innovations at leading educational conferences and a number of students have had their final year research project work published in leading international journals. We have exciting ideas for the further development of both our programmes and facilities, including the development of the Keele Living Laboratory for Forensic Science work. We’re also actively engaged in developing our teaching to support and enhance Keele’s credentials as the Global Sustainability Institution of the Year
(International Green Gown Awards, 2021).

I look forward to welcoming you to Keele!