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Chemistry MPhil/PhD

Studying for a MPhil/PhD at UCL Chemistry means joining a thriving department along with a large cohort of researchers working alongside academics and potentially industry. The department has wide-ranging links with science and technology industries offering excellent prospects for employability.

Key Information

Modes and duration

  • Full-time: 3 years
  • Part-time: 5 years

Tuition Fees (2015/16)

UK/EU:
£4,635 (FT) £2,315 (PT)
Overseas:
£21,530 (FT) £10,765 (PT)

Application deadlines

Research degrees may start at any time of the year, but typically start in September. Deadlines and start dates are usually dictated by funding arrangements so check with the department or academic unit (contact listed in Next steps, right) to see if you need to consider these in your application preparation. In most cases you should identify and contact potential supervisors before making your application. For more information see our How to apply page.

Entry Requirements

A UK Master’s degree in Chemistry, or an MSci or MChem with upper second-class Honours, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

English Language Requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Standard

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

International students

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.

Select your country:

Overview

The department offers a broad range of research themes across physical, organic, inorganic and computational chemistry, specific departmental strengths are listed under research areas below.

Research areas

  • Biocatalysis and synthetic biology
  • Bionanotechnology
  • Chemical biology and drug discovery
  • Chemical modification and synthesis of proteins and complex peptides
  • Chemical sensors and gas-phase electrochemistry
  • Chemistry in interstellar space
  • Computational chemistry, from materials simulations to quantum dynamics
  • Development of chemical probes for biological systems
  • Development of synthetic methodology for organic synthesis
  • Gas-phase reactions of ions and molecules related to atmospheric chemistry
  • Industrial materials
  • New synthetic methods for inorganic materials
  • Thin film growth and analysis
  • Surface solid-state science
  • Ultrafast molecular dynamics and coherent control.
The department takes a leading role in the following interdisciplinary research centres, which bring together expertise from various departments in UCL, and which maintain strong and coherent links with external institutions:
  • The Centre for Computational Science (CCS)
  • The Centre for Cosmic Chemistry and Physics
  • The Materials Chemistry Centre.
  • The Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology
  • UK Catalysis Hub- Research Complex at Harwell
  • The Francis Crick Institute (2015 onwards)

Funding

The department may be able to offer, on a competitive basis, BBSRC, EPSRC, and NERC studentships, teaching assistantships and industrially supported studentships.

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below. For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

CSC-UCL Joint Research Scholarship

Value:
Fees, maintenance and travel (Duration of programme)
Eligibility:
Overseas students
Criteria:
Based on academic merit

E D Hughes Bursary

Value:
Variable (1 year)
Eligibility:
UK, EU, Overseas students
Criteria:
Based on financial needs

Franz Sondheimer Bursary Fund

Value:
£2,000(1 year)
Eligibility:
UK, EU, Overseas students
Criteria:

More scholarships are listed on the Scholarships and Funding website

Careers

Recent UCL Chemistry PhD graduates have become postdoctoral researchers at a range of institutions in the UK and abroad, including ETH Zurich and Princeton, amongst others. Other PhD graduates have followed a wide range of careers, becoming research chemists, secondary school science teachers, working in finance and publishing and becoming technical consultants.

Top career destinations for this degree

  • Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Bristol University (2009)
  • Trainee Patent Attorney, Potter Clarkson (2011)
  • Research Developer, GlaxoSmithKline (2011)
  • Publishing Editor, Royal Society of Chemistry (2011)

Networking

Networking opportunities are available throughout the PhD at departmental seminars and events for interdisciplinary research collaborations with other institutions and departments. Furthermore all of our PhD students have the opportunity to meet with subject-specific visiting academic speakers giving seminars. Networking is also possible at the Chemical & Physics Society (CPS), which holds weekly talks from staff and visiting speakers throughout each term. The CPS is the UCL Chemistry Department’s student society that was founded in 1876, and is UCL's oldest students' society. PhD students can also become engaged with the UCL Alumni Relations Office and the UCL Gillespie Science Club.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL Chemistry has excellent facilities, a large research staff and postgraduate research cohort spanning a broad range of cutting-edge science and the department is situated in the heart of the UCL campus. There are very strong interdisciplinary links with other departments, including the London Centre for Nanotechnology and extensive collaborations with industry.

Student / staff ratios › 53 staff › 50 taught students › 163 research students

Department: Chemistry

Application and next steps

Applications

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

Who can apply?

Application deadlines

Research degrees may start at any time of the year, but typically start in September. Deadlines and start dates are usually dictated by funding arrangements so check with the department or academic unit (contact listed in Next steps, right) to see if you need to consider these in your application preparation. In most cases you should identify and contact potential supervisors before making your application. For more information see our How to apply page.

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

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