Course starts: September 2027 Location: London, Bloomsbury

Chemistry BSc

This three-year course offers a complete education in chemistry, covering all the important areas of the subject while also allowing you to take optional modules in other areas such as life sciences, mathematics, management and languages.

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Key information

Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 academic years full time
Fees (2026/27)
UK: £9,790 per year
International: £42,700 per year
Application deadlines
13 January 2027. Applications close at 6pm UK time.
Applications may stay open after this UCAS Equal Consideration deadline, please check UCAS for details.
Course starts
September 2027
View 2026 entry
UCAS code
F100
Location
London, Bloomsbury
Department
Chemistry
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Entry requirements

Grades
AAA
Subjects
Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics and Mathematics required. Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer Science or Psychology preferred as third subject.
GCSEs
English Language at grade C or 4 and Mathematics at grade B or 6

Contextual offer

Grades
ABB
Subjects
A in Chemistry, B in Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer Science or Psychology preferred as third subject.
GCSEs
English Language at grade C or 4 and Mathematics at grade B or 6

At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages and International Education.

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. Access UCL is our contextual offer scheme for applicants from groups that are underrepresented at UCL. We assess your eligibility for Access UCL based on the information contained within your UCAS application. We review and update our Access UCL eligibility criteria and datasets every year, so please check the requirements for the year you plan to apply.

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who do not have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

About this course

Chemistry is offered either as a three-year BSc or as a four-year MSci. The first two years of study are identical, so you can defer which to opt for until the end of your second year. Transferring from the BSc to the MSci degree course is permitted subject to approval, provided academic performance is consistently at the 2:1 level or higher. We advise you to select the four-year MSci course initially as this keeps more options open. 

In the first year, all students will be exposed to the full breadth of chemistry with an emphasis on developing core chemical skills. You will also take modules in mathematics appropriate to your prior qualification, together with further optional modules.

In the second year, the three main themes of chemistry are again developed in individual modules, leaving you free to choose two options, which can be either chemical or non-chemical.

In the third year you will undertake more research focussed activities in the laboratory classes and also explore a current topic in the scientific literature, writing a review and presenting your work. In addition to the core modules in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry you will have scope to develop your own interests through the selection of chemistry and non-chemistry optional modules.

We are looking for applicants who have demonstrated an interest in the chemical sciences and shown the self-motivation to learn more about the subject. Academic performance is important, but we also would like to see evidence that applicants have used their own initiative to broaden their knowledge and experience of chemistry.

Course structure

In the first year, you will take several compulsory modules including Chemical Foundations. This serves to consolidate A-level or equivalent Chemistry and generate an awareness of modern chemistry. You will also select one optional module and take a module in mathematics that is appropriate to your ability.

In the second year, the main themes of chemistry Physical, Inorganic and Organic are developed in compulsory modules, leaving you free to choose two options, one of which can be selected from options outside of chemistry.

In the third year you will have scope to develop your own interests with optional modules. Other compulsory modules include `Synthesis and Characterisation and `Instrumentation and Computation and a literature project.

 

 

 

Modules

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

Your learning will combine lectures, practical classes, group workshops and online material, guided reading, and your own personal study.  In addition, you will attend small group tutorials which provide specialised support for the core modules. You will encounter several innovative blended learning experiences which ensure that the contact time we have with you is engaging, interactive and productive.

In your first year, you’ll undertake an air pollution project in term 1 where you’ll have the opportunity to present to primary school children and measure air pollution in the school’s locale in collaboration with the pupils. This project requires on average 1/2 hours per week for ten weeks.

Your learning will be assessed using a variety of methods including end-of-year examinations, laboratory reports, problem sheets, essays, posters, and presentations.

Typical contact hours with teaching staff for Chemistry degree courses are ~20 hours per week. These hours will consist of lectures typically 8 hours per week, tutorials and workshops typically 4 hours per week and laboratory classes typically 8 hours per week. The exact number of contact hours and composition varies throughout the term and at different points during the degree course. In addition to timetabled sessions students are expected to undertake approximately 15–20 hours of independent study per week.

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you are unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Study mode UK fee (2026/27) Overseas fee (2026/27)
Full time £9,790 £42,700

UK undergraduate fees for 2026/27 are subject to parliamentary approval and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases. Fees for 2027/28 entry will be published in August 2026.

International undergraduate students benefit from a cohort guarantee unless indicated below, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

International fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2026/27 entrants.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

Students are required to pay for their transport for the air pollution project in year 1 if they are not already using a weekly (or greater) travelcard. Students can claim the money back from us.

UCL Chemistry offers a number of scholarships which will be advertised on the departmental website as appropriate.

For in-person teaching, UCL's main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1–2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2026. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

UCL Chemistry offers a number of scholarships which will be advertised on the departmental website as appropriate.

Why study this course at UCL?

Consistently regarded as one of the best Chemistry departments in the UK ranked 5th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings by Subject: Chemistry 2025, we offer you an excellent education with high standards of teaching.

You will benefit from our outstanding research profile as you are taught by lecturers who are experts in an array of chemistry-related fields.

The wide range of optional modules enables you to develop your interests both within and outside chemistry, giving you a broad skills and knowledge base to offer potential employers.

We offer access to state-of-the-art facilities, enhanced by our strong affiliation to other centres of excellence such as the London Centre for Nanotechnology.

Discover Uni

To see official information about this course and others visit Discover Uni.

What this course will give you

As UCL Chemistry graduates, students will have developed both discipline-based and highly sought after analytical skills, for example in logical thought and numeracy. On completion of this degree, students will have the option of pursuing a career within the chemical industry. This is recognised as one of the most exciting and successful contributors to the UK economy in numerous areas such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. This course also prepares students to continue in research, including PhDs at universities such as UCL, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Edinburgh, Harvard, and NUS Singapore. The knowledge and skills gained on the course can also be used in fields including management, the financial sector, sustainability, information technology, scientific journalism, patent law, the civil service, and education.

Graduates from this our Chemistry courses pursue careers across a wide range of sectors, with the majority (78.7%) entering highly skilled roles or continuing into postgraduate study. Key employment areas include IT, technology and telecommunications; scientific research, development and analysis; manufacturing; policy and government; energy, natural resources and the environment, and other professional, scientific and technical activities. (Graduate Outcomes Survey (HESA) aggregated over five years from 2017-18 to 2022-23.)

  • Energy, natural resources and the environment
  • Scientific research, development and analysis
  • Policy and government
  • Manufacturing
  • IT, technology and telecommunications

Professional accreditation

The Chemistry BSc has been accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry RSC as partially meeting the learning requirements for the award of Chartered Chemist CChem. Graduates have straightforward access to professional development programmes leading to chartered status.

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How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

All applicants will be invited to attend an online admissions event where they can ask questions of staff and current undergraduate students and find out more about the different degree courses that we offer. Offer holders will be invited to in-person open day events where they will meet staff and students and will be able to see all the facilities on site at the UCL Department of Chemistry. While attendance at either of these events is not compulsory, they do provide an excellent opportunity to get to know the department and UCL and allow you to make an informed decision about your application.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Apply for this course

You are applying for the Chemistry BSc course. Please note that the course options presented as post-enrolment specialisms will be available for you to choose once your enrolment is confirmed. For application guidance please visit Application guidelines.

Course starts: September 2027

UCAS applications open for 2027 entry on 12 May 2026.

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