School of Chemistry School of Chemistry

International Placements and Exchanges

An attractive option available to MChem students involves a one year industrial placement or an exchange with one of our partner universities overseas, undertaken during year 4 of their degree. In 2011/12 a total of 60 students (approximately 50% of the class) will take advantage of one of these opportunities.

The benefits resulting from these experiences in terms of both academic and personal development and future employability are very substantial.

  • Gain valuable work experience that provides future advantages. A year in industry or abroad broadens your horizons and builds on the communication, teamwork and lab-based skills developed during your first 3 years.
  • Earn a salary on placement. In 2011/12 placement salaries averaged approximately £16,500 but can range up to £26,000.
  • Work outside the UK in locations such as Japan, Singapore, USA, Hong Kong, Belgium and The Netherlands.
  • Typically, 50-60% of our MChem students undertake a placement or exchange.

Some of Our Placement and Exchange Destinations

Degrees with Industrial Experience

The Industrial Experience course is a full 12 month period of employment within the research or development function of a wide range of companies or research institutes. The placements are assessed and contribute to the final degree classification. The majority of students remain in the UK, but every year a number of opportunities overseas are available, placements in the USA being particularly popular.

Our Students Say:

"I have gained a large amount of practical and theoretical chemistry knowledge, learned how the chemical industry operates and what would be expected of me if I were to gain a career in industrial chemistry. I have also gained valuable transferable skills such as teamwork, presentations and problem solving skills."

Locations in the USA

Locations in Asia

Locations in Europe

Students may choose to spend the year 4 of their MChem degree at another European university. In recent years these have been in France, Spain and Germany, but other countries are also possible. The year is spent undertaking a research project within one of the academic research groups at the host university. Lecture courses may also be attended, but we do not expect students to sit exams in a foreign language! The project is assessed and this, along with other coursework components contributes 20% to overall degree program assessment.

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