PG Study > All courses > Chemistry Master of Research (MRes)

2024

Chemistry Master of Research (MRes)

Full-time: 12 months
Part-time: Not available
Start date: September 2024
UK fees: £5,100
International fees: £30,200 or £35,750 depending on the nature of your project
Entry requirements: 2:2 in an MSci/MChem or BSc degree

Course overview

This MRes in Chemistry is a 12 month research-based masters leading to the award of a Master of Research. Students from countries that are not familiar with the MRes qualification may, alternatively, be awarded an MSc by Research.

Are you driven to find clean energy sources?
Do you want to help in the fight to develop new medicines?
Are you passionate about sustaining a growing population?

This full-time, project-based MRes will help you achieve your goals.

The research project is the focus of the programme. You will be part of the team collaborating and working within a dedicated scientific group. Working in a research environment, our academic experts will guide and mentor you. The twelve-month project allows you to make a valuable contribution to research. You’ll gain report writing skills and produce your own thesis with a maximum of 35,000 words, which will be assessed.

Research projects available

We conduct pioneering research across the whole spectrum of the chemical sciences. There are a variety of projects you can apply for grouped under four themes:

Synthesis and catalysis
Biological chemistry
Materials
Molecular bonding and spectroscopy

See full details of the projects available and supervising academics.

Support

You will have at least 10 documented meetings with your supervisor a year but you can typically expect to see them daily or weekly.

Other school staff are available to support you:

Director of Postgraduate Studies
Senior Tutor (for pastoral support)
Welfare Manager
Disability Liaison Officer

The school has a postgraduate forum run by students to discuss anything related to their studies.

We have a student-run society called ChemSoc. They organise academic and social activities.

Exploring sustainable chemistry

Dr Miriam O'Duill brings her passion for research and commitment to sustainable chemistry to the forefront of our MRes programme. Hear about the dynamic interaction with the research group students, hands-on laboratory experiences and collaborative learning options.

Why choose this course?

Supportive environment

Join a research team, work alongside PhD students and post-doctoral staff

Modern facilities

World class research space and instrumentation

including GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratory, Biodiscovery Institute, Nanoscale & Microscale Research Centre

World leading research

Join an ‘internationally excellent’ research environment (REF 2021).

Fix global challenges

Work with colleagues using advanced science to solve global problems

Course content

The research project is the focus of the MRes. You will produce your own thesis of up to 35,000 words, which will be assessed.

Research themes, projects and supervisors

Synthesis and catalysis

Total Synthesis of the Marine Alkaloid Pinnarine and Related Natural Products.
Development of A Photochemically Driven, Modular, Asymmetric Synthesis of Azacycles.
- Supervising academic: Professor Robert Stockman

Development of photochemical strategies for the functionalisation of alkenes using nitrogen-centred radicals.
Development of catalytic methods for the remote functionalisation of alcohols.
- Supervising academic: Dr James Cuthbertson

Synthesis and uses of fluorinated macrocycles.
- Supervising academic: Professor Simon Woodward

Total synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Neuro regenerative Natural Products.
Rational Design of New Reagents and Catalysts for amine synthesis and applications in pharmaceutical and alkaloid synthesis.
- Supervising academic: Professor Ross Denton

Concise synthesis of alkaloid-like molecules from pyridines.
Investigating reactivity inspired by terpene biosynthesis.
- Supervising academic: Dr James Dowden

Computational organic reaction modelling and design.
Machine learning in organic reaction modelling.
- Supervising academic: Dr Kristaps Ermanis

Complexes of earth abundant metals for more sustainable catalysis.
Low-coordinate transition metal complexes for small molecule activation chemistry.
- Supervising academic: Professor Debbie Kays

From palladium to iodine - towards sustainable catalysis.
Late-stage fluorination of medical imaging probes.
- Supervising academic: Dr Miriam O’Duill

Sustainable Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals using New Photo-, Electro- and Thermal Reactors
New Approaches to Synthesis of Highly Reactive Organometallic Compounds using Supercritical Fluids and Spectroscopy
- Supervising academics: Professor Mike George and Professor Martyn Poliakoff

Biological chemistry

Investigation of peptides and enzymes for polysaccharide degradation.
- Supervising academic: Dr Luisa Ciano

Molecular Modelling for Protein Folding and Drug Discovery.
- Supervising academic: Professor Jonathan Hirst

A radical approach to the site-selective modification of peptides and proteins.
- Supervising academic: Dr Nick Mitchell

Algae: Sustainable sources of high value compounds.
- Supervising academic: Dr Ellis O’Neill

Development of a targeted drug delivery system for anti-cancer agents.
- Supervising academic: Professor Neil Thomas

Materials

Synthesis, analysis and application of nanomaterials for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to value products.
Nanoparticles for catalysis of hydrogen production.
- Supervising academic: Professor Andrei Khlobystov

Renewable Monomers and Polymers; helping society make the best use of plastics.
Designing new approaches to 3-D printing of polymers.
- Supervising academic: Professor Steve Howdle

Self-assembled metal-organic cages for catalysis, sensing, and drug delivery.

New synthetic strategies towards stimuli-responsive interlocked molecules to underpin the next generation of molecular machines.
- Supervising academic: Dr Ben Pilgrim

Synthesis and characterisation of hybrid organic-inorganic clusters for coupled electrocatalysis
Computational modelling of heterogeneous catalysis
- Supervising academic: Professor Elena Besley

Development of electrolytes and additive for automotive batteries
Synthesis of redox molecules for organic batteries
- Supervising academic: Dr Lee Johnson

Molecular bonding and spectroscopy

Quantum pseudohalides magnets.
Computational investigation of nets for spin liquids.
- Supervising academic: Dr Matthew Cliffe

When light meets dark: introducing heterogeneous photocatalysts into biocompatible processes
New avenues for C-C coupling reactions using heterogeneous photocatalysis
- Supervising academic: Dr Anabel Lanterna

Oxidation Mechanisms of Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted by Plants and their Atmospheric Impacts
- Supervising academic: Dr Rabi Pun

Computational modelling of solvation entropy.
Applications of atomic charge densities in quantum chemistry.
- Supervising academic: Professor Richard Wheatley

The study of ionic liquids for thermal transfer
The development of supported SILP based systems for decarbonised chemical processing
- Supervising academic Professor Pete Licence

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

There are no taught modules. You can attend lectures and seminars, taught as part of the School of Chemistry’s standard integrated MSci degree programme.

You are also welcome to select other postgraduate taught modules alongside your research project.

Learn new skills using instrumentation and expanding your scientific knowledge each day, as you progress through your research project.

You will regularly meet with your supervisor both informally and during formal documented meetings.

How you will be assessed

Your assessment is by a written thesis of up to 35,000 words which is examined by an internal and external examiner. The research project is worth up to 180 credits.

Contact time and study hours

You will have at least 10 documented meetings with your supervisor a year but you can typically expect to see them daily or weekly.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Undergraduate degree2:2 in an MSci/MChem or BSc degree

Additional information

Applications are initially assessed and successful applicants are then invited to an interview.

Undergraduate degree2:2 in an MSci/MChem or BSc degree

International and EU equivalentsWe accept a wide range of qualifications from all over the world.

For information on entry requirements from your country, see our country pages.

IELTS6.0 (5.5 in each element)

English language requirementsAs well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English.

Additional information

Applications are initially assessed and successful applicants are then invited to an interview. If you're not in the UK then this can be done through a video call.

Meeting our English language requirements

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach you academic skills in addition to English language. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

For on-campus presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see our CELE webpages for guidance

Visa restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a variety of experiences and follow different pathways to postgraduate study.

We treat all applicants with alternative qualifications on an individual basis. We may also consider relevant work experience.

If you are unsure whether your qualifications or work experience are relevant, contact us.

Applying

The application procedure is straight forward and similar to a PhD. You can apply at any time. We recommend you contact potential supervisor(s) to find out more about the research projects available before making your application.

Please get in touch with the Postgraduate Admissions Tutor Professor Ross Denton (ross.denton@nottingham.ac.uk) if you have any questions or require more information about the projects available to Master of Research (MRes) students.

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

How to apply

Fees

Qualification	MRes (Master of Research)
Home / UK	£5,100
International	£30,200 or £35,750 depending on the nature of your project

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Funding

You may be able to get a Postgraduate Masters Loan from the government. Check eligibility and how much you could get.

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Postgraduate funding

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

This programme is ideal for students who have already completed a BSc degree and want to gain skills, knowledge and experience in a research environment.

A research degree gives you transferable skills in communication, problem-solving, time management and analysis.

Previous postgraduates have taken up roles including:

Research Chemist, Pfizer USA

Others have pursued research careers doing PhDs here at Nottingham in the School of Pharmacy and the School of Chemistry.

Career progression

90% of postgraduates in the School of Chemistry secured work or further study within 15 months of graduating. The average annual salary for these graduates was £30,053*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time, postgraduate, home graduates within the UK.

Two masters graduates proudly holding their certificates

Related courses

This content was last updated on Wednesday 06 December 2023. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.