Materials Chemistry

In the first two years of your degree (sub-honours level), you will take the required modules in chemistry alongside modules in at least one other subject. 

Typically, you will take one or two chemistry modules per semester during your first two years, and four to six per semester during your third, fourth and fifth years (Honours level).

Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.

• First year

  Students will take the following compulsory first-year modules: 

  • Introductory Inorganic and Physical Chemistry: This module covers origin of the elements and the periodic table, atomic structure, shapes and properties of molecules, chemistry of the elements, properties of solutions, thermochemistry, thermodynamics and kinetics, and mathematical tools for chemistry.
  • Inorganic and Physical Chemistry 1: covers bonding in simple molecules, inorganic solids, chemistry of the first-row transition metals, properties of solids, states of matter, and introductory spectroscopy.
  • Organic and Biological Chemistry 1: This module covers the structure and nomenclature of simple organic compounds, basic stereochemistry, fundamental organic reaction mechanisms, organic functional groups and their reactions, introductory bioorganic chemistry, and organic spectroscopy

  Each of the compulsory sub-honours modules in chemistry involves a mixture of lecture-based and practical teaching.

• Second year

  Students will take the following compulsory second-year modules:  

  • Inorganic Chemistry 2: This module develops via lectures, tutorials, a group presentation and laboratory classes, students’ knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry across the breadth of the periodic table as preparation advanced studies.
  • Organic Chemistry 2: covers methods for carbon-carbon bond formation and interconversion of functional groups, aromatic and heteroaromatic reactivity, retrosynthetic analysis, mechanistic biological chemistry and organic spectroscopy.
  • Organic Chemistry 2 (French): covers methods for carbon-carbon bond formation and interconversion of functional groups, aromatic and heteroaromatic reactivity, retrosynthetic analysis, mechanistic biological chemistry and organic spectroscopy