Chemistry with a Foundation Year

Chemistry is the science of matter and its transformations: it asks what substances are made of at the atomic and molecular level, how they react with each other, and how their properties can be understood, predicted, and harnessed. It underpins an enormous range of human activities, from pharmaceuticals and materials science to agriculture, environmental monitoring, and energy technology. Chemistry is fundamentally a laboratory discipline, but it is equally a theoretical one, requiring a rigorous command of mathematics and physical principles alongside practical skill.

At Swansea this four-year programme includes a foundation year, giving you a preparatory stage to build the mathematical and scientific foundations you need before entering the main chemistry curriculum. Once in the degree proper, you will explore the major areas of chemical science: organic chemistry, which concerns the structures and reactions of carbon-containing compounds; inorganic chemistry, which covers the rest of the periodic table and includes metal complex chemistry and solid-state materials; physical chemistry, which applies the principles of physics and thermodynamics to chemical systems; and analytical chemistry, which provides the tools for identifying and quantifying substances. You will also engage with biological, medicinal, and computational chemistry, developing a broad picture of how each subdiscipline contributes to real scientific challenges.

Practical laboratory work runs throughout the degree, developing the experimental skills and rigour that define professional chemistry practice and that employers in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries consistently value.

Graduates move into careers in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology industries, forensic science, environmental analysis, materials science, food science, and research. Many also go on to postgraduate study at master's or doctoral level, which opens doors to academic research and to senior technical roles in industry. Chemistry is also a strong platform for graduate entry to medicine, law, and other professional programmes.