Compulsory modules

Practical and Professional Chemistry Skills
A professional, modern chemist requires a range of specialist skills, which you will begin to develop in this module.  In the laboratory you will learn a range of experimental synthetic and analytical techniques and be trained in how to prepare and run your own samples on UV-vis, IR and NMR spectrometers and process and interpret spectra.  There is a focus on transferable employability skills emphasising communication (oral and written), chemical safety, professional note taking, sustainable laboratory practices and green chemistry. 

Chemical Structure and Reactivity
Why do atoms bond? How can we predict reactivity? How can we measure and observe chemical reactions? This module answers these questions and teaches you core chemical principles, models and vocabulary essential for your understanding of atomic and molecular structure, physicochemical properties, chemical bonding, spectroscopy and reactivity. The learning activities are designed to support your knowledge, understanding, problem-solving and information literacy skills through the effective use of feedback and from ongoing reflection on your progress.

Chemistry Connections
This module spans the breadth of the chemical sciences and complementary disciplines, exploring the chemical basis of human biology and materials science and developing transferable skills in scientific programming and statistics.  Learning activities include focused chemistry case studies and are designed to initiate progress towards Keele's Graduate Attributes with an emphasis on team working, problem-solving and independent research skills, as well as giving you the multi-disciplinary knowledge to place your chemistry studies in a wider scientific and societal context. 

Limits, Series and Calculus
This module aims at deepening your understanding and appreciation of the origins of the essential techniques of elementary calculus, explaining why these methods work. Starting with developing important preliminary ideas such as the real numbers, functions, sequences and series, on a more formal basis this leads to a fundamental concept of a limit, serving as a basis for further advances in differential and integral calculus.

Differential Equations and Multivariable Calculus
Many real-world problems are governed by differential equations, the solution of which can help us understand their properties. For instance, oscillation of a pendulum, and the population evolution of a fish species, can all be described by ordinary differential equations. This module, being a prerequisite for several modules in the second and third years, will introduce you to the basic techniques for solving differential equations and familiarize you with multivariable calculus, including partial derivatives, double integrals, and their applications.

Compulsory modules

Practical and Professional Chemistry
The practical and professional skills you developed at level 4 will be broadened and enhanced in this module. You will study new more advanced lab skills required for the synthesis of molecules. You will collect data and compare it with theoretical models, using advanced functions of Excel and error analysis. Through assessment, you will continue to develop your ability to professionally record, analyse and communicate your findings, and develop further employability and entrepreneurship skills through an industrial chemistry-themed group project.

Chemical Characterisation and Transformations
Your fundamental understanding of core chemical principles developed at level 4 will be further developed in this module, with a deeper exploration of key techniques, principles and quantitative models in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. Supported by an interactive teaching style which builds links between fundamental theory and observable phenomena, you will gain an advanced competency in the essential chemical concepts which underpin the modern applications and practices in the rest of the programme.  

Linear Differential Equations
Differential equations are used as mathematical models describing various processes in the real world. This helps investigating problems related to population dynamics, heat dissipation in objects, vibrations of engineering structures and wave propagation, among many others. Some situations require more than one differential equation to be solved at once, e.g., modelling dynamics of two populations (e.g., foxes and rabbits). Within this module you will study a variety of methods for solving differential equations.

Complex Variable and Vector Calculus
This module will introduce you to both vector calculus and complex variable. Vector calculus studies vector functions of one or more real variables and its techniques and results are essential tools in many areas of applied mathematics, such as fluid mechanics. Complex variable studies functions mapping complex numbers to complex numbers. In this module, you will achieve elegant results in integration which can often be used to evaluate definite integrals of real-valued functions, without any knowledge of the indefinite integral.

Environmental Analysis
In this module you will gain experience with a wide range of modern spectroscopic and analytical techniques, focusing on their use in environmental analysis. These techniques include analytical chromatography, mass spectrometry and multinuclear NMR, which are widely used in commercial analytical laboratories and constitute essential employability skills. You will gain hands-on experience in using some of these techniques in the lab, as well as professional data analysis, interpretation and presentation in a series of structured exercises and a group project.

Optional modules

Structure and Function in Materials Chemistry
In this module you will learn about the chemistry and structure of solids and how solid-state processes can be manipulated to store, convert and deliver energy in modern batteries and fuel cells. You will gain hands-on experience processing and interpreting X-ray diffraction data in structured workshops, and apply your understanding of solid-state chemistry to research, produce and present a poster detailing the chemical principles and sustainability implications of an aspect of battery or fuel cell chemistry.

Compulsory modules

Kinetics, Catalysis and Mechanism
This module develops and brings together theories, concepts and models from physical and inorganic chemistry and spectroscopy to account for experimental observations of inorganic and organic reactions. As well as advanced chemical kinetics, this module will give you a complete, balanced understanding of transition metal catalysis both from an inorganic mechanistic standpoint and as a tool in advanced organic synthesis. A distinctive feature of the module is the analysis and interpretation of data and observations in peer-reviewed research articles. 

Partial Differential Equations
A large variety of physical phenomena, e.g. wave propagation, heat conduction, traffic flows, and even the price evolution of the stock market, are governed by partial differential equations (PDEs). This module introduces the basics of PDEs and equips you with separation of variables and Fourier transform/series). This module would be useful if you intended to do a Master’s or PhD degree in financial mathematics or continuum mechanics.

Chemical Analysis: Instrumentation and Evaluation
Building on your learning in Level 5, this module equips you with hands-on experience and an in-depth knowledge of a wide range of state-of-the-art instrument-based analytical techniques and the skills to apply this knowledge to solve problems and characterise the structures of unknown chemicals and materials.

Independent Research Project
In consultation with an academic member of staff, you will select and carry out an individual, practical research project chosen from a wide range of topics across the breadth of the chemical sciences which may include organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, educational and computational fields. You will plan, collect and analyse data in a contemporary project notebook and present your results in an authentically prepared scientific paper, and defend your original hypotheses and findings in an oral examination.

Scientific Literature Review
In this module you will select a subject in an area of chemistry of your choice and undertake a comprehensive review of the primary chemical literature to plan, research and produce a written literature review, and share your findings in an oral presentation. You will use appropriate research databases and digital repositories to fully immerse yourself in your chosen subject and develop your critical analysis skills to ask and answer novel questions at the forefront of your area of interest.

Topics in Chemical Science
This module comprises advanced topics representing areas of academic, industrial and commercial significance in chemistry, materials and medicinal chemistry. You will have the opportunity to study all topics but will choose which to be assessed on. You will also research the work of an eminent chemist and its impact on contemporary chemistry, and present, advertise and answer questions on your findings. These learning activities are designed to develop your advanced problem solving, information literacy, presentation and communication skills. 

Nonlinear Differential Equations
Systems evolving in time are often modelled by differential equations, with numerous applications including climate change, stock markets, population dynamics, mechanical systems, etc. We will study nonlinear differential equations, for which very few exact solutions are known, hence, introducing qualitative methods for describing various types of behaviour. In particular, we will focus on geometrical representations of dynamics and systematic approximation techniques. The consideration will then progress to dynamics of maps, setting the path for studying multiple periods and chaos.

Optional modules

Inorganic, Physical and Quantum Chemistry
This module builds upon important theories and concepts in inorganic and physical chemistry introduced at Levels 4 and 5 and applies these to explore new phenomena at the forefront of modern understanding in these fields. In this module you will use computational chemistry software to perform quantum chemical calculations and put theory into practice by locating and analysing real data from the scientific literature to solve problems relating to reactions dynamics and electronic spectroscopy of coordination compounds.

Semiconductors and Catalysts: Materials for Sustainability
Semiconductors and heterogeneous catalysts underpin much of the modern chemical industry. They provide the backbone to electronics, offer the fastest route to decarbonisation through photovoltaics, and enable sustainable practices in chemical manufacturing. Building on and applying your foundational understanding in materials science from Level 5, in this module you will learn the solid-state chemistry principles behind these materials and how they are prepared and characterised, and apply your skills to a design task.

Flexible Work Placement (Level 6)
In a competitive job market, practical skills and understanding workplace dynamics are crucial. This module allows you to gain hands-on experience, enhancing your employability, and the opportunity to gain valuable professional insights via a 75-hour placement. You will be supported by various activities to secure a role and can source your own placement or apply to university-sourced roles. This module offers flexibility on when and how you complete your placement, enabling you to balance your placement around existing demands.

Professional Experience in Education
This module allows undergraduates to gain academic credit for their work in schools and colleges. The undergraduate will develop a range of skills and be presented with an opportunity to experience an early taste of teaching for those interested in pursuing teaching or training as a career. The undergraduate will work in a school or college for a total of 64 hours, to be agreed between the placement host and student. The timing of the placement is flexible to support students’ home, study and work life balance, and to meet the needs/requirements of the placement host, but ideally within a concentrated block rather than dispersed over the whole year. Suggested options include 8 × 8-hour (whole day) sessions, or 16 × 4-hour (half day) sessions. Students will have the flexibility to source their own placement, a useful skill for seeking out future employment opportunities, but also can apply for a range of roles sourced by the university.