Skip to main content

5 reasons to study chemistry at Bath

From placements to student satisfaction, there are lots of reasons to study chemistry at Bath. Here are our top 5.

1. Great student experience

A good experience at university doesn't happen by chance.


Students enjoy the sunshine on campus

We go to great efforts to make sure you'll enjoy your time and succeed in your studies.

Before you arrive, you'll have the chance to talk via social media to others who'll be starting with you and students already on the course.

Once here, you'll be welcomed by our legendary Chem Crew student mentors, who'll help with everything from studying to social life. You'll also be assigned a personal tutor who'll guide you throughout the course.

"Your peer mentor will have gone through all this before you. They'll support you to revise for your exams and to find more social events to go to." Suruthi Gnanenthiran, BSc (Hons) Chemistry

What our students say

Current students talk about their experiences of studying chemistry at Bath.


2. Gain practical experience

Whether you're planning a career in chemistry or in related areas, you'll get plenty of hands-on experience at Bath.


Students in the undergraduate chemistry lab

Our courses are highly practical by design, and you’ll be learning core experimental skills in our well-equipped labs.

You'll also be getting fantastic experience of problem solving, group working and report writing so you'll be fully prepared for a wide variety of careers.

Our past graduates have gone on to work in a huge range of areas, including industry, science research, education and the public sector. Here are just a few of the fields recent graduates have gone into:

  • Drug manufacturing
  • Brewing
  • Microbial analysis
  • Cosmetic science
  • Marine science

Find out more about what our graduates go on to do.


3. Go on a work placement

Take advantage of our strong links with industry and go on a placement as part of your studies.


Lewis Dixon on placement at Sun Chemicals in Somerset

Around 60% of all science students choose to go on a placement. But it's up to you, and you can leave the decision until after you've started the course.

There are lots of benefits. You'll get the opportunity to create valuable contacts and develop transferable skills such as problem solving and time management to prepare you for a competitive work environment. You'll also find the experience you gain will help with the rest of your degree.

It's not just experience. Most of our placement options are paid, so you'll be adding valuable funds to your university budget.

Our award-winning placements team work with everyone from tech start-ups to multi-nationals and research councils. We offer a really strong support system so you can make the most of the opportunities.

Recent placement companies include:

  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Institute of Cancer Research
  • Johnson and Johnson
  • L'Oreal
  • IBM
  • JP Morgan Chase
  • AstraZeneca
  • Porton Biopharma
  • Volkswagen

The quality of our placements programme is also one of the reasons we're accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

"One of the driving forces for me coming here was the support they give in finding you industry placements which will stand anybody in good stead after leaving university." Lewis Dixon, MChem (Hons) Chemistry

4. Keep your options open

All of our chemistry degrees have the same core units in the first year.


You'll get a good introduction to the main areas of Chemistry and have the chance to try out topics in management or drug discovery. You'll have the option to build on that experience and specialise later in the course. Some students even transfer to a Master's degree (MChem).

We offer a wide range of projects during our courses, where you get to put your learning to practical use. For the BSc, you can choose between public engagement, dissertation, school-based activities, or chemistry laboratory/computational-based chemistry project. The MChem gives a greater exposure to research and advanced practical techniques, with increasing emphasis on projects in the last two years of the course.


5. Be inspired by world-leading research

Alongside the teaching role, our academics carry out their own research.


Find out more about studying chemistry at Bath

Explore our chemistry courses