Chemistry with a Year in Industry

Chemistry is the central science, occupying the territory between physics and biology and providing the molecular-level understanding that underpins materials science, medicine, environmental science, and energy technology. It is a discipline concerned with the composition, structure, properties, and transformations of matter, and its practical applications range from the design of new medicines and the development of green energy technologies to the synthesis of novel materials and the remediation of environmental pollution. For students who want to engage with chemistry at the frontier of its application to real-world problems, a degree with a year in industry is an exceptionally valuable choice.

At Cardiff University, this three-year full-time programme includes a year in industry embedded within the degree structure, giving you the opportunity to work in a chemical or related organisation for a substantial period. You will study the core branches of chemistry, including physical, organic, and inorganic chemistry, alongside the analytical and computational methods that modern chemistry research employs. Cardiff's chemistry department has active research across a range of areas, and the teaching reflects that research environment.

The year in industry translates your academic knowledge into professional practice, building the skills, confidence and professional network that distinguish chemistry graduates who have been directly exposed to working in the sector.

Chemistry graduates are in strong demand across the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, materials science, environmental science, food and drink manufacturing, forensic science, education, and research. Many also pursue postgraduate study in chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical science, or materials science, and some develop academic research careers. The quantitative and analytical skills that chemistry develops are also valued across finance, technology, and consultancy, making chemistry graduates unusually versatile in the graduate market.