Chemistry with Computing BSc (Hons)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Loughborough University

Program Overview

If you’re curious about both chemistry and computing, this degree is perfect for you. It gives you a strong foundation in core chemistry — from molecules and reactions to lab work — while also teaching you modern computing skills to analyse and solve real‑world chemical problems.

Curriculum structure:

Year 1: In your first year, you’ll get a solid grounding in chemistry while dipping your toes into computing. Modules like Laboratory and Computer Skills 1, Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry and Fundamental Synthetic Chemistry will teach you essential lab techniques, chemical theory, and the basics of software tools that chemists use. Alongside, modules such as Spectroscopy and Analysis 1 and Structure and Reactivity 1 show you how molecules behave and how to measure and understand them.

Year 2: Year two is where the chemistry and computing start to come together. You’ll deepen your lab skills with Laboratory and Computer Skills 2, explore molecular structures and reactions in Structural Characterisation, Spectroscopy and Analysis, and expand your understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics. Plus, computing modules like Computer Programming and Computing Skills will teach you to use code and data analysis to tackle chemical problems.

Final year: In the final year, you’ll take on advanced chemistry topics such as Modern Aspects of Organic Chemistry, Current Trends in Inorganic Chemistry, and Energy, Molecules and Applications. At the same time, computational projects will let you apply programming and modelling to real chemical challenges. By the end, you’ll be confident designing experiments, analysing data, and using computing tools to bring new insights to chemical research.

Focus areas:
Modern chemistry (organic, inorganic, physical, analytical) combined with computing, programming, data analysis, modelling, and simulation.

Learning outcomes:
You’ll leave able to: perform and interpret experiments confidently, use programming and data tools to solve chemical problems, integrate chemistry and computation for research or industry, and communicate complex ideas clearly in a team setting.

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), giving you eligibility for AMRSC (Associate Membership).

Reputation (employability rankings):
Loughborough’s Chemistry department is ranked in the Top 10 in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2025, with 94 % of students praising academic support in the National Student Survey.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

From your very first day, this course gets you hands-on with both chemistry and computing. You won’t just be reading about reactions or writing code — you’ll be in modern labs mixing chemicals, running analyses, and using real software to solve real problems. The teaching team are active researchers, so your experiments and computational projects are connected to the latest discoveries in materials, pharmaceuticals, and data-driven chemistry.

Here’s how you’ll get practical experience throughout your degree:

Work in the STEMLab teaching labs, featuring 36 fume hoods, NMR, IR/UV-Vis spectrometers, HPLC instruments, and more, giving you access to professional-grade chemistry equipment from day one.
Use specialized analytical labs with instruments like GC/MS and microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometers, learning real-world techniques that chemists rely on.
Get hands-on with computer labs where you’ll use chemical software, run simulations, and learn programming (Python) and data-analysis skills to tackle complex chemical problems.
Take part in group projects and independent research, including investigative computational projects where you pick a topic, explore it deeply, and present your findings.
Optionally spend a placement year in industry, gaining up to 45 weeks of workplace experience and applying your skills in a professional environment.
Opportunities to study abroad, letting you experience labs and research in a global setting while broadening your perspective.
Benefit from the library, computing support, and peer mentoring, so you’re fully supported while balancing lab work, programming, and study.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from this degree opens up a wide range of exciting career paths because you’ll have expertise in both chemistry and computing. Many graduates step into roles such as Quality Control Analytical Chemist, Computational Chemist or Materials Technologist, Data Analyst in scientific industries, or even IT/technical consulting where your scientific background gives you an edge. Your skills will be in demand wherever chemistry meets modern technology:

Here’s how Loughborough helps you turn your degree into a successful career:

Careers support: The university’s Careers Network provides personalised advice, CV workshops, mock interviews, and employer events to help you land your first job.
Industry connections: Graduates from the chemistry department have gone on to work for top companies like GlaxoSmithKline, 3M, Lubrizol, and Pirelli, giving you inspiration for your own career path.
Professional accreditation: The course is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), meaning you graduate eligible for Associate Membership (AMRSC) — a long-term professional boost.
Placement year: You can spend up to 45 weeks in a real-world industrial setting, gaining hands-on experience, building your network, and making yourself highly employable.
Graduate outcomes: Surveys show that most graduates find work that uses their skills and feels meaningful, showing that your degree prepares you for real-world challenges.

Further Academic Progression:
After your BSc, you could continue your studies in several ways:

A master’s (MSc) in computational chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or data science.
A PhD in chemistry or computational chemistry if you want to focus on research.
Professional qualifications, such as working toward Chartered Chemist status with the RSC.
Specialist conversion master’s programs in data analytics or software development to further enhance your computing skills.