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Undergraduate Degrees and Programs

New first year laboratory

Chemistry is one of the central sciences. The study of Chemistry will appeal to those with an inquiring, analytical mind and good powers of observation. These skills are developed during our degree programs and make our Chemistry graduates sought after in areas of management, law and finance, as well as research and development, manufacturing and processing, and chemical analysis laboratory positions. A science degree with a major in Chemistry opens up a wealth of career opportunities. The picture on the right shows our new air-conditioned first year laboratory with state of the art fumehoods, audio-visual displays, and safety systems.

Studying Chemistry at UNSW

Students interested in studying for a degree in Chemistry have a number of options:

  • General degrees (B.Sc. and B. Adv. Sc.)
    In these two programs, students study chemistry in conjunction with other Science courses. Completing a major in chemistry can lead to entry into honours in Chemistry, which is ideal for those wishing to enter a chemistry-related profession. For more information please consult the handbook entries for the B. Sc. and B. Adv. Sc. programs.
  • Combined degrees
    Chemistry can be studied in combination with another discipline when the general degrees above are combined with other degrees such as B. A., B. Eng., B. Comm. and B. Ed. Students considering combined degrees or double degrees are advised to consult the online handbook glossary, especially the entries for combined degree program, double degree, and course sharing.
  • Specialist degrees
    There are a number of specialist degrees which may appeal to students with an interest in chemistry.
    • B. Env. Sc.
      This is a specialist degree which focuses on environmental science, policy, and law. It involves a strong chemistry strand, along with courses in biology, geography, environmental science and law. The fourth year of this program involves a research project and thesis. For more information see the handbook entry for this program.
    • B. Med. Chem.
      This is a professionally oriented, interdisciplinary program taught jointly between the School of Chemistry and the School of Medical Sciences. A four year program, this leads to an honours degree involving a research year including a medicinal chemistry oriented research project. For more information see the handbook entry for this program or this overview of the program.
    • B. Adv. Sc. (Nanotech)
      This degree covers a range of disciplines and is focused on studying the construction of structures and devices made at the scale of individual molecules. Administered by the School of Chemistry, this degree is taught across Chemistry, Physics and Material Science. It is a four year program and involves a final year honours project in the nanotechnology area. For more information see the handbook entry for this program or this overview of the program.

Descriptions of the chemistry courses offered both to chemistry majors and to students from other degree programs are available on this site. Timetable information is also provided for all courses offered by the School of Chemistry. Undergraduate scholarships are offered by the University and by the School of Chemistry. Summer vacation scholarships are also available.

Current and prospective students (including transfer students from other programs or institutions) can obtain individual advice from the Student Centre, Room 105, Dalton building; Tel. (02) 9385 4666, Fax. (02) 9385 6141, e-mail: chemistry@unsw.edu.au.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Honours students carry out a major research project in their final year. The third-year Project Laboratory course also allows undergraduates to obtain research experience with a small-scale project. Summer scholarships are also offered during the December - February vacation for 2nd and 3rd year students to obtain research experience in the School of Chemistry.

undergraduate computer laboratory

Learning Resources

The School of Chemistry offers high quality laboratory teaching to all undergraduate students. The School's Gibson computer laboratory provides self-paced computer-aided learning and multimedia resources for chemistry students. Much of the software available in the computer laboratory is written in the School to supplement other teaching methods. For example there are pre- and post-laboratory exercises for all first year courses. In some courses the computers are used for regular assessment of students' progress. Other software, for example specialised spectroscopic programs for the simulation and analysis of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and infra-red spectra, together with graphing and spreadsheet programs are available. The laboratory is staffed by tutors who are available to assist all chemistry students.

Lecture notes and other learning resources for many chemistry courses are available on this web site or through Blackboard.

Students of Chemistry Society

The Students of Chemistry Society (SOCS), whose membership includes all chemistry students, organises social and sporting events throughout the year.

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