Key information

Course type:

Single honours

Delivery mode:

Campus

Study mode:

Full time

Required A-level:

AAB

Full entry requirements, including contextual requirements

Duration:

4 years

Application status:

Open

Start date:

September 2025

Application deadline:

29 January 2025

Optional study abroad

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/abroad/discover

Chemistry MSci

UCAS code: F103

The four-year Chemistry MSci degree will give you a theoretical and experimental understanding of chemistry in the modern world. The course is delivered within a research-enriched teaching context, transcending the traditional divisions of physical, organic and inorganic chemistry and integrating practical methods throughout. In your final year of the MSci, you’ll explore your interests with a six-month research project in our state-of-the-art labs. The course is designed to train the next generation of articulate, flexible chemists for a wide variety of careers starting with chemical, biotech and pharmaceutical industries and extending to wide careers such as finance, law and media

Key benefits

Research-enriched teaching delivered by internationally renowned scientists and researchers.
Includes a major six-month project in one of our research groups.
Designed to give graduates flexibility to develop a career in the growing areas of biotech and nanotechnology, chemical biology and biomedical research.
Fully integrated laboratory facilities in the heart of London.
Includes an opportunity to transfer to a Study Abroad pathway and spend either an additional year, or a semester of your fourth year, studying at a partner institution.
7th in the UK for employability (Times Higher Education Graduate Employability rankings 2023/4).

“We are taught by academics who are experts in their respective fields, conducting world-leading research, in state-of-the-art facilities”

Samer, Chemistry BSc

Course essentials:

This course provides you with a comprehensive theoretical and practical understanding of chemistry and prepares you for a professional life in the ever-changing environment of 21st century chemistry. To achieve these goals, the course integrates the teaching of chemistry foundations with applications of chemistry using examples taken from the very broad range of chemical and biomedical research and practice at King’s. The course starts with coverage of the principles of physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, with additional maths to ensure you can successfully handle advanced physical and computational chemistry. This also incorporates an integrated laboratory course that brings together the different strands of chemistry and applies them to a range of chemical systems. In your third year, you will choose from a range of specialised modules in order to investigate particular aspects of the application of chemical principles to contemporary global and industrial challenges. Short research projects may also be available as part of the Research Methods module. Your fourth year will be dominated by a six-month research project in one of our Research groups at King’s to give you the opportunity to experience and test your research potential. Our academics have expertise in a number of research areas, including spectroscopic and computational methods, materials science and nanotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences and analytical, green and sustainable chemistry. Flexibility in course choice: Students on the BSc and MSci courses do the same first three years, which includes project-driven laboratory practicals in Year 3. Students wanting a general Chemistry degree, for instance to progress to teaching, journalism, management and similar careers, will usually opt for the BSc degree. However, if you want a full research experience that introduces you to current areas of intensive chemical research you should choose the MSci degree, which involves an additional year. To do this you would normally require marks in Year 3 equivalent to a 2:1 or above. Transfer between these two degrees is possible up to and including the third year. Transferring from the Chemistry MSci/BSc degrees, to the Chemistry with Biomedicine MSci/BSc degrees, is also possible up to the end of your second term of the first year. Students on this degree are also able to transfer to the corresponding ‘with a Year in Industry’ degree programme after their second year, provided you meet the academic requirements and gain one of the competitive year-long internships. This will add an additional year onto the programme. Study abroad pathways are available for students to transfer into and spend either an additional year or a semester of your fourth year, studying at a partner institution before returning to King’s to complete your studies. Transfer and progression to either of the study abroad pathways or the ‘with a Year in Industry’ programme requires students to meet and maintain a grade threshold. If the Year in Industry programmes are of interest, please refer to the programme listing for details on content, fees and visas. We will use a delivery method that will ensure you have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that you also experience elements of digital learning and assessment. This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Waterloo Campus, with some teaching at Guy’s Campus.

Entry requirements

Subject requirements

Required subjects:

A-level (or equivalent) grade A in Chemistry, and grade A in one from Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics or Biology

Preferred subjects:

Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics or Biology

A-Levels

Required grades:

AAB

Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.

Must include grade A in Chemistry, and grade A in one from Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics or Biology Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.

Contextual A-Level information

ABC Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Must include grade A in Chemistry, and grade B in one from Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics or Biology. Notes: If you are taking linear A-levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects. This is with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component. We do not consider the EPQ at any point of the assessment process.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall or an aggregate score of 17 from three Higher Levels.

Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Chemistry, and grade 6 in Higher Level in one from Biology, Mathematics and Physics. Notes: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE. IB students studying the new Mathematics curriculum would be required to study Mathematics - Analysis and Approaches or Mathematics - Applications and Interpretation at Higher Level to meet the Mathematics subject requirement for this programme.

Contextual International Baccalaureate information

32 points overall or an aggregate score of 15 from three Higher Levels. Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Chemistry, and grade 6 in Higher Level in one from Biology, Mathematics and Physics. Notes: The total point score of 32 includes TOK/EE. IB students studying the new Mathematics curriculum would be required to study Mathematics - Analysis and Approaches or Mathematics - Applications and Interpretation at Higher Level to meet the Mathematics subject requirement for this programme.

You will also need:

Information for students thinking of applying with no A-level Mathematics:

We welcome students having no Mathematics at A-level, provided that they are numerically proficient and comfortable doing mathematics, which is fundamental to Chemistry, and is used in all their areas, with a special emphasis in physical chemistry. The importance of mathematics in the Chemistry curriculum is the reason of having a specific module Mathematics for Chemists in the first year.

 

We recommend students applying with no Mathematics at A-level (or equivalent) to have obtained at least an A at GCSE/IGCSE Mathematics (or equivalent) or a B at AS-Mathematics (or equivalent).

English language requirements

English language band: D

Please note that nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries (as defined by UKVI) who have successfully completed high school in the respective country, are not required to complete an English language test. For information on our English requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements

Selection process

Contextual consideration

We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements. As part of the assessment process, we take into account contextual information to gain a more complete picture of each application. More information can be found on the Contextualised admissions website.

Deferrals

Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.

If your circumstances change and, therefore, you need to request a deferral after an offer has been made, then we can generally permit these for this programme. However, each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we reserve the right to decline any post-offer deferral request. Requests should be submitted via a message on King’s Apply with an explanation of the reason for making the request.

Please note, second deferral requests will only be considered where the request is due to extreme unforeseen extenuating circumstances, for example, health reasons. We are unable to permit deferral requests that go beyond two years and you would need to apply again. This is with the exception of deferrals which are due to military/national service.

Foundation courses

Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme. Foundation programmes from other universities and further education providers in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whether or not we can consider a particular foundation year as suitable for study at King's depends on the content of the syllabus and modules studied. In the past we have accepted foundation programmes from a number of other institutions.

We are unable to accept Foundation programmes that are integrated as part of a main degree at another institution. These may be called Year 0 or Integrated Foundations. We are also unable to accept non-UK Foundation courses.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your qualification, such as a list of modules and course specifications.

The King's International Foundation Programme has guaranteed pathways available for progression onto our King's undergraduate degree programmes, and information can be found on the website.

Graduates

Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.

Generally, we would consider a minimum of a UK Bachelor degree with a 2:1 grade profile (or overseas equivalent) as meeting the entry requirements for our undergraduate degrees. However, those who have achieved/are predicted a high 2:1 or a First may be considered more competitive.

Where a programme has subject requirements, these will still need to have been met. If you have not met the subject requirements via A-level (or equivalent) then we may be able to consider the content within your degree. We would be looking for significant study of the subjects across the degree programme with a 2:1 or above grading on those modules.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your degree study.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and profession as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.

Resits

We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.

Transfers

We are able to consider applications for transfer into Year 2 of this programme. Please see our Transferring to King’s website for more information.

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures

Workshops

Laboratory Sessions

Independent Study

Coursework

Preparation for examinations

Teaching is led by the Chemistry Department. You will also be taught by chemists whose chemical expertise is embedded within different faculties of King’s

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work, e.g. 150 hours work for a 15-credit module. These hours cover every aspect of the module: lectures, workshops, laboratory sessions, independent study, coursework and preparation for examinations.

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include unseen examinations, written reports, practical assessments, class tests and oral presentations.

Assessment

Coursework
Written/Practical Examinations
Written Reports
Practical assessment
Class Tests
Oral presentation
Unseen Examinations

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.