Analytical Chemistry (Taught)

Our Analytical Chemistry postgraduate course is designed to provide you with up-to-date knowledge and extensive practical experience in advanced laboratory skills and computational methods used in the chemical science and pharmaceutical sectors.

Why choose this course?

• You will gain expertise in a wide range of wet lab and data analysis skills that are highly valued by employers.

• This course benefits from being embedded in a research-active environment in which you will be taught by experts in the field.

• We welcome students to this course from a variety of science-based disciplines and academic or professional backgrounds, so you will join a unique student cohort learning alongside students from all age groups, who bring a range of different professional experiences to our course.

What you will learn

This course prepares you to work in a wide range of jobs across the chemical science sector. You will gain in-depth knowledge and skills in a range of analytical methods, including spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry and separation science, and how these can be applied to a variety of samples including pharmaceutical and environmental samples.

How you will learn

This course offers you hands-on training. Each module includes a mixture of theory and practical classes based either in our specialist laboratories or a workstation room. If you choose to study the MSc, you will also have the opportunity to apply your knowledge and new skills to an area of current chemical research in a novel research project.

We offer this course as a Master’s and a Postgraduate Diploma. For the Diploma, you study fewer modules and do not complete a dissertation.
This course is available to study full-time in the daytime, or part-time in the evening.

Highlights

• We offer state-of-the-art instrumental and computing facilities.

• Birkbeck is home to a range of excellent research across natural sciences helping to identify fundamental biological and physical structures and fight disease.

• In the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), in a joint submission with UCL, Biological Sciences at Birkbeck were ranked 11th in the UK, with a research environment supporting world-leading and internationally excellent research.

• You can register for the Postgraduate Diploma and progress to the MSc by completing the requisite modules.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this analytical chemistry course, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

• working safely, efficiently and independently in a chemical laboratory setting, using a range of equipment and instrumentation

• analytical skills, including a sound understanding of commonly used statistical methods

• independent problem solving

• oral and written scientific reporting

• time organisation and completing projects to deadlines.

Studying this course will prepare you for PhD study in the chemical sciences, or for roles in a range of fields and professions including:

• research chemist in a university or industry setting

• quality control analyst

• science writer or a role in scientific communication

• the education sector.

Some of our graduates from this course have gone on to be employed at the following organisations:

• Johnson Matthey

• Affinity Water

• Piramal Discovery Solutions

• Haier Biomedical

• Ludwig Cancer Research.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.