Chemistry - Introduction

Chemistry is the science most concerned with our everyday needs, such as the development of new materials, synthesis and discovering the action of new drugs, and monitoring improvement of the environment. The chemistry department at UCL has a long and distinguished history and is rated as one of the leading chemistry departments for research in the country. Its research includes many collaborations between UCL organic chemists and life scientists involved in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry projects, physical chemists and physicists undertaking chemical physics and astrophysics projects, and inorganic chemists and materials scientists working together developing novel materials.

The three Chemistry streams form natural combinations within the Natural Sciences programme, and relate to the A-level topics:

• Physical Chemistry : energy, thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy
• Inorganic and Materials Chemistry: periodic table, transition elements
• Organic Chemistry: chains and rings, polymers, stereoisomerism

Chemistry at A-level GCE (or equivalent) is essential for all Chemistry streams. Mathematics A-level is also needed, though students without A-level mathematics who learn the essential mathematics in their first year maths course can take the Organic Chemistry stream.

For more information on the option courses offered by Chemistry, please visit the Department of Chemistry website.