Average number of places available each year at Exeter College: 6.
The Course
The core Chemistry course covers a wide range of connected topics in Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. In the first year, there is also a dedicated Maths course that covers all the topics required to follow the Chemistry course. There are examinations on the course material at the end of each year. The examinations at the end of the second year (Part IA) and the third year (Part IB) count towards the final degree classification. In addition, a subsidiary subject may be studied in the second year, allowing certain specific topics to be studied in greater depth. The College provides the tutorial work associated with Part I of the course. The various lectures and practical courses are organised within the Chemistry Faculty. The final, and for many the most exciting, year is devoted to Part II, which is a research project carried out in a laboratory of the student’s choice (NB that the fourth year course takes 38 weeks, rather than the usual 24). The Part II results are presented in the form of a dissertation and are also assessed by a viva examination.
The College has tutors in all three branches of the subject, two of whom are also Fellows of the College. Professor Simon Clarke is Tutor in Inorganic Chemistry. His research is in solid state chemistry including the synthesis and characterisation of magnetic materials, superconductors and battery materials. Professor Philipp Kukura recently won the Marlow award from the Royal Society of Chemistry; his research group develops and applies new optical methodologies to study structure and dynamics down to nanometer length scales and femtosecond timescales.
Careers
Chemistry is a mainstream science subject, which continues to make important contributions to technology in a rapidly changing world. A degree in Chemistry is a training that allows graduates to enter a wide variety of professions. Most Chemists particularly enjoy their Part II research year and this is reflected in the large proportion who choose to study for a higher degree.
