Medicinal Chemistry with Foundation Year BSc (Hons)

University of Surrey

Foundation courses

A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if:

• You don’t have the grades for a full degree course
• You have non-traditional qualifications or experience
• You’re starting university after some time away from education
• You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study.

Life as a foundation year student

During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course.

As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support.

Why choose this course

Our professionally accredited BSc and MChem teach you the fundamentals of medicinal chemistry and encourage you to make your own discoveries.

You’ll benefit from our research-active academics and strong professional links, gaining the confidence to translate your ideas into practice. You’ll also have the opportunity to study modules delivered by our School of Biosciences and Medicine.

Our chemistry programmes offer one of the best staff-to-student ratios in the country, with 92.5 per cent of our chemistry students saying that they are satisfied with their course in the National Student Survey 2022. This means you’ll have excellent support, gaining the knowledge and skills you need to enter the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries.

We also offer award-winning Professional Training placements, giving students industry work experience opportunities with leading organisations in the UK and abroad.

What you will study

Our courses train you in core and medicinal chemistry, covering topics such as physiology, pharmacology and cell biology.

You’ll also benefit from Surrey’s excellent links with leading pharmaceutical companies, where you can choose to complete a Professional Training or Industrial Research placement.

You can apply to study for either a BSc or an MChem. The MChem builds on the BSc with a masters year and is a direct route to a masters qualification. If you study for an MChem, you’ll spend a year doing industry-based research before returning for a final-year of masters-level modules.

Depending on your progress, you may have the option to switch to a BSc or MChem during your studies.

Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry for partially meeting the academic criteria for Chartered Chemist (CChem).