Chemistry with Materials Chemistry BSc (Hons)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Keele University

Program Overview

If you’re curious about how materials like batteries, semiconductors, and catalysts actually work, Keele’s BSc Chemistry with Materials Chemistry is the perfect degree for you. It blends a solid grounding in chemistry with hands-on experience in materials science, giving you the skills to tackle real-world challenges like sustainable energy, advanced materials, and green technologies.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 (Level 4)
Your first year is all about building a strong foundation in chemistry. You’ll explore modules like Chemical Structure and Reactivity, understanding how atoms and molecules behave, and Sustainable Chemistry, discovering how chemistry can help the planet. Chemistry Connections will show you how to use data, statistics, and problem-solving in chemical contexts, while Practical and Professional Chemistry Skills gets you working in the lab, learning essential techniques like UV-Vis, IR, and NMR spectroscopy, alongside green chemistry and safety practices.

Year 2 (Level 5)
In your second year, you’ll start applying your knowledge to real materials. The Structure and Function in Materials Chemistry module introduces solid-state chemistry, where you’ll study batteries, fuel cells, and other energy materials, analyzing them with X-ray diffraction and presenting your results. Materials Properties and Nanoscience dives into nanomaterials and their unique behaviors, while Chemical Characterisation and Transformations lets you explore organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry in more depth, combining theory with hands-on experiments.

Year 3 (Final Year, Level 6)
Your final year is where you take the lead. You’ll carry out an Independent Research Project in a materials chemistry area that excites you — whether experimental, computational, or both. You’ll also develop critical thinking through a Scientific Literature Review, and deepen your expertise with modules like Semiconductors and Catalysts: Materials for Sustainability, Kinetics, Catalysis and Mechanism, and Chemical Analysis: Instrumentation and Evaluation. By the end, you’ll be confident running labs, interpreting data, and even designing new materials.

Focus Areas

Sustainable materials, energy conversion (batteries, fuel cells), catalysis, nanomaterials, solid-state chemistry, computational and physical chemistry.

Learning Outcomes

By graduation, you’ll be able to apply chemistry across multiple fields, design and test functional materials, carry out independent research, and use advanced lab and computational tools — all while developing key skills in communication, teamwork, and sustainability.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Keele’s chemistry degrees give you practical, hands-on experience and skills that employers value, from laboratory expertise to project management, preparing you for work in industry, research, or further study.

Reputation & Employability

Keele has a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023, reflecting outstanding teaching and student outcomes. Chemistry students rate their courses highly, with 91% overall satisfaction in the 2024 National Student Survey. Graduates go on to careers in pharmaceuticals, materials science, environmental chemistry, teaching, and beyond.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Keele, chemistry isn’t just something you read about — it’s something you do. From your very first year, you’ll be working in the state-of-the-art Central Science Laboratories, getting hands-on experience with real research-grade instruments like UV‑Vis, IR, and NMR spectrometers. You’ll tackle projects in teams, analyse real data, and even explore sustainability challenges, all while developing practical lab skills, scientific communication, and problem-solving abilities that will set you apart. Whether it’s through small group experiments, computational work, or a large independent project, you’ll gain the kind of practical experience that employers and research institutions value.

Here’s how your learning comes to life:

Work in research-level labs with advanced instruments for spectroscopy, analysis, and materials characterisation.
Take on team-based industrial chemistry projects, designing experiments, analysing data, and presenting your findings.
Explore materials chemistry in action through modules like Structure and Function in Materials Chemistry, interpreting X-ray diffraction data and investigating batteries and fuel cells.
Complete a final-year Independent Research Project, planning and executing experiments (or computational studies) on a topic that interests you, culminating in a written report and oral presentation.
Develop critical research skills through a Scientific Literature Review, learning to assess and communicate complex scientific studies.
Gain industry exposure with optional work placements and support from Keele’s placement team.
Use digital and computational tools, including programming and data analysis software, to support lab work and research projects.
Access virtual learning resources like online lab scripts, recorded lectures, quizzes, and feedback tools via Keele’s learning platform.
Work in specialised materials chemistry labs, such as the Birchall Laboratory, which is equipped for catalysis, electrochemistry, and real-time reaction monitoring.
Benefit from Keele’s libraries and research institutes, giving you all the resources you need to excel in your projects.

At Keele, every experiment, project, and workshop is designed to make sure you don’t just learn chemistry — you experience it, preparing you for a career in research, industry, or beyond.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from Keele with a BSc in Chemistry with Materials Chemistry opens up a world of possibilities. You’ll leave with a strong understanding of chemistry, hands-on lab experience, and problem-solving skills that employers love. Many of our graduates go on to roles as analytical chemists, materials scientists, environmental scientists, or even policy advisors, working in research, energy, sustainability, or industry. Keele ensures you’re ready for the next step, whether that’s launching your career or continuing your studies:

Here’s how Keele supports your journey into the professional world:

A dedicated chemistry careers tutor offers subject-specific advice, mock interviews, and networking opportunities with chemical companies.
Keele’s Careers & Employability Team helps you perfect your CV, find internships, and connect with alumni mentors to guide your next steps.
A Flexible Work Placement allows you to gain hands-on experience in industry, applying your skills to real-world projects.
Graduate outcomes show Keele chemistry students earn around £24,000 within 15 months after graduation, with a typical range of £19,000–£24,500.
Your degree equips you with transferable skills such as data analysis, scientific communication, independent research, and teamwork — highly valued in any career path.
Keele’s teaching connects you with research centers and industry collaborators working on energy conversion, sustainable materials, and catalysis.
The practical and professional modules plus your final-year independent project ensure your skills remain relevant and adaptable for the long term.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to keep learning, Keele provides excellent pathways:

Progress to a Master’s (MSc or MChem) in materials chemistry, physical chemistry, or related fields to build on your undergraduate research.
Pursue a PhD, especially if your independent project sparks a passion for research.
Explore postgraduate conversion programs in areas like environmental policy, science communication, or education, if your interests expand.