Chemistry Study Guide 2025/26
What you can study
The School of Chemistry is the best in the UK for research (THE REF analysis), and our academic staff include the authors of textbooks that are used globally for teaching undergraduate chemistry. You will be guided by these world-class experts as you discover how chemistry shapes the world around us, and prepare to tackle some of the world's biggest problems, from climate change to drug discovery.
You will find units on:
- materials chemistry
- biological life chemistry
- environmental life chemistry
Pre-requisites
At UK universities, students specialise from their first year and rarely take units outside their degree subject. This means that:
- Year 1 units are suitable for all students.
- Year 2 units require some university study in the discipline.
- Year 3 units require a strong background in the discipline.
- Masters-level units require three years of university study in the discipline.
Subject pathway students
If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad (Chemistry pathway), you must take the majority of your credits from this guide.
Year 1
Pre-requisites: suitable for all students
Teaching Block 1
- Big Ideas in Science - CHEM10001
- Building Blocks of Chemistry 1 - CHEM10023
- Materials Chemistry: The Materials World - CHEM10016
Teaching Block 2
- Building Blocks of Chemistry 2 - CHEM10022
- Life Chemistry: Life Through the Chemical Lens - CHEM10012
Teaching Block 4 (full year)
Year 2
Pre-requisites: some university study in the discipline.
Teaching Block 1
- Biological Life Chemistry - CHEM20011
- Core Concepts in Chemistry 1 - CHEM20015
- Materials Chemistry: Materials for Energy - CHEM20005
Teaching Block 2
- Chemical Models and Prediction - CHEM20008
- Core Concepts in Chemistry 2 - CHEM20016
- Environmental Life Chemistry - CHEM20012
Teaching Block 4 (full year)
Year 3
Pre-requisites: strong background of study in the discipline.
Teaching Block 1
- Advanced Chemical Models and Prediction - CHEM30032
- Advanced Chemistry Research Project - International - CHEM30034 (this unit also runs in Teaching Block 2)
- Advanced Environmental Life Chemistry - CHEM30029
- The Art of Chemistry 1 - CHEM30036
Teaching Block 2
- Advanced Biological Life Chemistry - CHEM30028
- Advanced Chemistry Research Project - International - CHEM30034 (this unit also runs in Teaching Block 1)
- Materials Chemistry: Material Interfaces - CHEM30031
- The Art of Chemistry 2 - CHEM30035
Teaching Block 4 (full year)
- Advanced Data Science and Machine Learning for Scientific Computing - SCIF30006
- Advanced Practical Chemistry (Teaching Labs) - CHEM30005
- See 'Project units' (below) for further options
Masters-level units
Pre-requisites: at least 3 years of study in the discipline.
Teaching Block 1
Teaching Block 2
Teaching Block 4 (full year)
Project units
Students interested in taking one of the following project units must develop and propose a research topic before arriving in Bristol. Registration on project units is subject to the availability of a supervisor.
Students will need to select an alternative unit if a supervisor is not available.
The following unit is designed for Study Abroad students and is offered in Teaching Block 1 and Teaching Block 2:
Other project units run in Teaching Block 4 (full year):
Year 3:
Masters-level:
Application queries
Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:
Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk
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Study Guides
Study Guides are updated every April for the following academic year.