Chemistry BSc (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Chemistry

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

F100

Award

BSc (Hons)

Duration of study

3 years, 4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

King's Buildings campus

Start date

September 2026

School

School of Chemistry

College

College of Science and Engineering

Accreditation

Available

Placement

No

Second year entry

Available

Open days and events

About the degree programme

Chemistry is the study of atoms, molecules and ions, their structures, properties, synthesis and interactions with each other.

The subject covers a wide range, from simple compounds like sodium chloride to complex molecules such as DNA.

The importance of chemistry

A knowledge of chemistry informs understanding of science, technology and engineering.

A modern chemist can make significant contributions to a sustainable and healthy future. Some examples of contributions include the development of:

  • efficient renewable energy sources
  • smart materials and devices
  • targeted medicinal therapies

Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree programme

The BSc degree programme covers topics in all areas of the field, from the basics to the most advanced understanding and applications.

In the early years of your degree programme, you will study core courses in chemistry and mathematics.

In addition, there is also a flexible curriculum to suit your personal interests. This means you may be able to combine courses in other sciences, arts or humanities with your core chemistry content. This flexibility means you may be able to potentially transfer to an alternative degree programme within science or engineering at the end of Year 1.

You will have scope to specialise in Year 4 through your option courses and research project topic with one of our cutting edge research groups. Alternatively, you may opt to take a science education project. You will also develop greater leadership and organisational skills through group-based learning and open-ended projects.

Studying chemistry at the University of Edinburgh

What do our students think?

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme takes 4 years to complete.

If you are eligible for a direct entry into the second year, this programme takes 3 years to complete.

Programme rankings

  • 6th in the Complete University Guide 2025
  • 7th in The Times Good University Guide 2025
  • 12th in the UK in The Guardian Subject Rankings 2025

Programme benefits

  • All our chemistry programmes are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
  • You will have the opportunity to combine the study of chemistry with a wide range of other subjects in Years 1 and 2.
  • The School of Chemistry scored 75% in the National Student Survey 2024 for overall student satisfaction.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for BSc (Hons) Chemistry

View the tuition fees for one academic year of BSc (Hons) Chemistry.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

You will need a white lab coat, which cost £15 in 2024.

You should also buy three core textbooks in Year 1, which cost around £185 in 2024.

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend £1,023 to £2,043 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

Featured funding

Chemistry Tercentenary Access Bursary

Access bursaries have been available for UK students of outstanding potential who started their studies in 2023, 2024 and 2025 academic years at the School of Chemistry. Please check the website for the latest opportunities.

Value: £2,000 per year

What you will study

In the early years, you will study core courses in chemistry and mathematics.

In addition, there is also a flexible curriculum to suit your personal interests. This means you may be able to combine courses in other sciences, arts or humanities with your core chemistry content. This flexibility means you may be able to potentially transfer to an alternative degree programme within science or engineering at the end of Year 1.

You will have scope to specialise, through appropriate choice of optional courses in Year 2 and Year 4 and through the choice of your Year 4 research project.

Emphasis is placed on providing a broad and varied syllabus throughout the programme to reflect the multi-faceted nature of chemistry and prepare students for future careers in industry, teaching or research.

Second year entry

We have incorporated flexibility into our programme structures. This includes the option to change between Bachelors or Masters and potentially choosing entry into Year 1 or Year 2. You can discuss this with your student adviser and academic cohort lead early in Semester 1.

You will spend about a third of Year 1 in:

  • chemistry lectures
  • laboratory classes in the state of the art Nucleus building
  • tutorials with a high staff-to-student ratio

You will also take a mathematics course. 

You will choose the rest of your curriculum from a broad range of courses from across the University.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

You will continue with your chemistry courses. You will also take the course Data Driven Chemistry, which highlights the importance of computational chemistry.

You will choose additional courses. Frequently taken additional courses are: 

  • Biological Chemistry 2
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Chemical Pharmacology

There are many more options allowing a wide choice of subjects in Year 2.

The range of option courses available over Years 1 and 2 provides lots of flexibility. This means you can maintain options to potentially transfer between different programmes in the College of Science and Engineering.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 2 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

You will study two lecture-based chemistry courses that provide a foundation for the remaining honours years.

You will also take a laboratory course providing you with advanced practical skills.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 3 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

In your final year, you will choose four lecture courses from a range of advanced topics.

On the BSc programme, you will have a choice between a final-year research project with one of our cutting-edge research groups. Alternatively, you may take a science education project.

The science education project provides ideal preparation for future study towards a teaching qualification.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 4 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of:

  • lectures
  • laboratory classes
  • problem-solving workshops
  • tutorials with a high staff-to-student ratio
How long should I study?

In your first two years, you will undertake 20 hours per week of timetabled study.

Normally, you should also dedicate an additional 15 hours to prepare for:

  • tutorials
  • writing lab reports
  • private study

In later years, you will undertake more practical learning and research project work.

What skills will I gain?

All our programmes include:

  • training, practice, and feedback in communication skills
  • teamwork and collaboration
  • exposure to the latest technology of scientific information retrieval and organisation

As you produce posters, reports and a final year thesis, you will develop skills in:

  • written communication
  • report writing
  • oral presentation skills

You will also develop practical skills and an awareness of the safety aspects of laboratory work and risk assessment throughout the programme.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of:

  • coursework
  • reports on laboratory experiments
  • presentations
  • exams
  • reporting on your final year research project

This is an example of what your timetable could look like in Semester 1 of Year 1 of chemistry if you took, for example, biology as your outside subject. There is flexibility in the other courses you can study. You can discuss this with your academic cohort lead and student adviser.

You have to do 20 credits of Chemistry 1A, 20 credits of mathematics and then an optional 20 credits of electives (Biology 1A in this example).

Monday
  • 9am to 9:50am Chemistry 1A (lecture)
  • 2:10pm 3pm Biology 1A: Variation (lecture)
  • 3:30pm to 5pm Chemistry 1A (tutorial)
Tuesday
  • 9am to 9:50am Biology 1A (lecture)
  • 12:10pm to 1pm Mathematics for the Natural Sciences 1A (lecture)
  • 2:10pm to 5pm Chemistry 1A (lab session)
Wednesday
  • 9am to 9:50am Chemistry 1A (lecture)
  • 10am to 10:50am Mathematics for the Natural Sciences 1A (workshop)
  • 2:10pm to 4pm Biology 1A (workshop)
Thursday
  • 9am to 9:50am Chemistry 1A (lecture)
  • 10am to 1pm Biology 1A (practical)
  • 13:10pm to 2pm Mathematics for the Natural Sciences (lecture)
Friday
  • 9am to 9:50am Chemistry 1A (lecture)
  • 10am to 10:50am Mathematics for the Natural Sciences (lecture)
  • 2:10pm to 3pm Biology 1A (lecture)

Support for your studies

You will be assigned a student adviser, who is part of the Chemistry Student Support Team. This will be your named contact in the school which means you can contact them for support throughout your studies. Your adviser will help you matriculate each year and enrol you on your option courses.

Your student adviser is there to meet with you throughout the year if you would like to discuss any questions or worries you may have during your studies. They will listen non-judgementally and will work with you to provide any information, advice and support you need. They can also signpost you to specialist support services and staff.

You can contact them by email, Microsoft Teams and in person throughout the year for support.

Academic support and guidance

You will also be assigned an academic cohort lead. This is an academic member of staff in the school who is familiar with your area of study.

Throughout the year, your cohort lead will meet with you and your fellow classmates (your ‘cohort’) to support your academic development through drop-ins, study skills advice as well as events and activities specific to your degree.

Where you will study

Study location

All teaching and labs are based at the King's Buildings campus with Year 1 chemistry labs taking place in the Nucleus building.

The King's Buildings campus is around 15 minutes from central Edinburgh by bus.

Academic facilities

You will have access to:

  • research laboratories
  • the University's libraries
  • computer facilities

Find out more about the Nucleus Building

Virtual tour

You can take a closer look at the School of Chemistry and explore our facilities and campus on the University's Virtual Visit site.

Take a virtual tour of the School of Chemistry

View panoramas of the School of Chemistry

Accreditation

This degree programme is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). It partially fulfils the academic requirements for Chartered Chemist (CChem).

RSC development information for Chartered Chemists

Royal Society of Chemistry accredited degree

Career paths

A degree in chemistry is a wise choice for your future employability and earning potential.

Employability of chemistry graduates

Most of our chemistry graduates find careers in chemical or pharmaceutical companies.

They also use their strong numerical, problem-solving and analytical skills in sectors such as:

  • business
  • banking
  • accountancy
  • marketing
  • advertising
  • the IT sector

Many will go on to postgraduate study to gain a PhD.

Careers Service

The Careers Service works closely with students and staff within the school to help you to:

  • review what you have done
  • explore your options
  • plan next steps
  • chart progress along the way

Support, which you can access throughout your studies and for two years after graduation, includes:

  • tailored careers advice
  • one-to-one appointments and practice interviews
  • a comprehensive range of workshops and careers fairs
  • access to a range of online resources
  • help to find work while you study and after you graduate

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

  • a masters degree
  • a postgraduate diploma or certificate
  • a PhD
  • a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study

Graduate profiles

Read our undergraduate alumni profiles to find out more about their student experience and their careers.

School of Chemistry graduate profiles

Our global alumni network

We have a diverse community of alumni spread across the world. In the School of Chemistry, we provide opportunities for you to connect with this global network during your studies through panel discussions, workshops and dedicated online communities.

From getting to know Edinburgh to transitioning to life after graduation, you will benefit from the valuable insights of our supportive School of Chemistry alumni.

Alethea Han

Degree: BSc Chemistry

Year of graduation: 2016

I loved how approachable all the professors were and how knowledgeable they are about their particular fields. And I really enjoyed getting to live in what I still think is the most beautiful city in the world.

After graduating from Edinburgh, I applied for the job I’ve always wanted to do, in the company that I’ve always wanted to work for. After 10 rounds of interviews over a 10 month period, I finally got the job offer and I’m currently in my final year of a training programme to become a perfumer and it’s been everything I’ve dreamt of and even more.

Find what you’re passionate about and never give up chasing it. Rejection isn’t always final and the important thing is to learn from it, pick yourself up, find out how to become even better and try again.

Alumni profile Alethea Han

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

Chemistry Society (ChemSoc)

The Chemistry Society (ChemSoc) is here to catalyse the bond formation between chemists alike. The society organises both academic talks and social events, with an end of semester ceilidh and games night with professors being hits in previous years.

You will be able to meet like-minded peers in mixer events and be a part of the oldest chemistry society in the world. ChemSoc also organise the iconic end of year ChemBall.

ChemSoc

Chemistry Academic Families (CAcFams)

Chemistry Academic Families (CAcFams) is an inter-year group where you are sorted into families with 'parents' from Year 3 and Year 4.

It is a great opportunity for you to get involved in the chemistry community and meet chemistry students from both your year and other years who will be able to give advice on all aspects of university life.

CAcFams

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

Related degree programmes

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Discover Uni data

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

79%of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.

Data for Chemistry (Full time) at University of Edinburgh

For more official course information visit Discover Uni

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79%of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.

Data for Chemistry (Full time) at University of Edinburgh

For more official course information visit Discover Uni

See course data

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