BSc(Honours) Chemistry
Students wishing to register for the degree BSc Honours in Chemistry should first familiarise themselves with the minimum requirements for admission (Yearbook). Note that the closing date for applications is normally October 31 of the year preceding that in which the course commences.
The BSc Honours course in Chemistry is a full-time one-year course that typically commences in January of each year. The course comprises 6 modules. Of these, 4 are theoretical courses, 1 is a special topics course, and the last is a research project.
The four theoretical (core) courses are taken in the first semester, while the special topics and research project are taken in the second semester.
A breakdown of the courses are given below.
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First semester modules
Analytical Techniques 711
All honours students within the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science (Chemistry students and Polymer Science students) are required to complete and pass the Analytical Techniques course. This module covers advanced analytical techniques, focusing particularly on separation science, mass spectrometry and high-level NMR spectroscopy. The course runs for approximately 4 weeks and comprises ~ 40 hours lectures as well as practicals. The topics that are covered in the 711 module include:
- NMR
Organic Chemistry 712
The course runs for approximately 4 weeks and comprises ~40 hours lectures as well as a 1-week practical block in which the students are paired up with postgraduate students to work on current research projects. The topics that can be covered in the 712 module include:
- Aromatic heterocycles (reactions and synthesis)
- Organometallic chemistry (catalysts and catalytic cycles)
- Retrosynthetic analysis and synthesis planning
- Pericyclic reactions (cycloadditions, sigmatropic and electrocyclic reactions)
- Rad
Inorganic Chemistry 714
The course runs for approximately 4 weeks and comprises ~ 40 hours lectures as well as practicals. The topics that are covered in the 714 module include:
- Coordination chemistry fundamentals: multiplet structure of free atoms and ions (mainly transition elements) ; Crystal and ligand field theory and its applications based on group theory; Electronic Spectra of coordination complexes; electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy
- Advanced organometallic chemistry: transition metal alkyls, transition
Second Semester Modules
Special Topics in Chemistry 741
The topics offered each year may change depending on the availability of academic staff. Each special topic comprises 4-6 hours worth of lectures, as well as an assessment or equivalent evaluation. This course runs concurrently with the Research Project in Chemistry 744. Examples of topics include:
- Multidimensional chromatography
- Magnetism
- Medicinal chemistry
- Intermolecular interactions
- Philosophy of science
- Scientific writing
Research Project in Chemistry 744
Each Chemistry Honours student will have the opportunity to conduct a research project in the lab/group of one of the academic staff members in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science. The duration of the projects is usually 11-12 weeks. A list of projects is typically made available towards the end of the First Semester, and students have the opportunity to select their preferred three choices. It is not always possible to allocate each student to one of their preferred project, however