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MSc in Chemistry ?

Hi everyone,
I´m a Spanish Chemistry undergraduate who has received four unconditional offers to study a MSc in Chemistry. Here they are:

- MSc in Drug Chemistry at Newcastle University.
- MSc in Advanced Organic Chemistry at UEA
- MSc in Analytical and Forensic Chemistry at the University of Hull
- MSc in Anlytical Chemistry at the University of Teesside

Of course to make up my mind about which course will suit me the best I have been going through all the League Tables I could find as well as checking both the institution and the subject at the RAE Assesment Exercise by myself. But I do believe that being given any personal opinions will absolutely come in handy.

I have always had an interest on both Organic and Analytical Chemistry - as you might see according to the offers I was awarded -
and after having spent nearly six months in a clinical laboratory as an apprentice I realised that Medicinal Chemistry ( could be a position whithin the pharma, biotech industry, in a clinical laboratory or even pursue a career in academia ) is really what I want to do ( or at least what I´d like to try )

The MSc that - I think - really could appeal to me would be the one from Newcastle. As far as I could understand Newcastle seem to have a good reputation - as a member of the Russell Group - and apart from that anything related to Biomedicine at Newcastle seems to be highly rated. On the other hand, Chemistry at UEA has achieved good results at RAE and the course has a massive practical laboratory unit ( which is something quite interesting, too ), apart from the reaserch project.

I do know nothing about the likes of Teesside and Hull.

Any opinions ? Anyone who has been at any of these Universities in this field ?

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

ChemistBoy

16

Is there a reason why you are not proceeding directly to a PhD?

Reply 2

GCDPI83

OP

Don´t think I didn´t give it a thought, but I´m not so sure I could proceed directly to a PhD.

I do believe that you can´t proceed directly to a PhD coming from a BSc ( which is exactly I´m coming from, even it took me twice as you Brits to get my BSc in Chemistry here in Spain; believe or not ). You must have an MChem, MSc or something like that. And I don´t have it. Mind you, I do know that you can proceed to a PhD providing you can give proof of a related work experience with the PhD you would like to undertake, even though you haven´t pursued a Master.

But I understand that this work experience should have lasted at least one year. I do have more work experience ( not so much as it was a four-month apprenticeship at a waste plant lab, but work experience at the end ) but it has nothing to do with Biomedicine at all.

You think I would have proceed to a PhD in this field with this work experience ? I don´t think so.

Reply 3

Aethelred

2

GCDPI83

Don´t think I didn´t give it a thought, but I´m not so sure I could proceed directly to a PhD.

I do believe that you can´t proceed directly to a PhD coming from a BSc ( which is exactly I´m coming from, even it took me twice as you Brits to get my BSc in Chemistry here in Spain; believe or not ). You must have an MChem, MSc or something like that. And I don´t have it. Mind you, I do know that you can proceed to a PhD providing you can give proof of a related work experience with the PhD you would like to undertake, even though you haven´t pursued a Master.

But I understand that this work experience should have lasted at least one year. I do have more work experience ( not so much as it was a four-month apprenticeship at a waste plant lab, but work experience at the end ) but it has nothing to do with Biomedicine at all.

You think I would have proceed to a PhD in this field with this work experience ? I don´t think so.

Providing your final grades are good enough, you can definitely go straight on to a PhD. Even UK students can go straight from BSc to PhD although it is true that most now go via the MChem route.

Chemistboy is right - definitely worth considering if your grades are suitable and it is a good time of year to send your CV to people who may have funded spaces available for September/October. I would think there may be several places that have vacancies for organic/biological/medicinal chemistry PhD students.

As far as the MSc places - either Newcastle or UEA. UEA do have a Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy so that might suit your interests. I don't think there is much to choose between them in terms of the departments - although the cities are rather different.

Reply 4

Aethelred

2

GCDPI83

Don´t think I didn´t give it a thought, but I´m not so sure I could proceed directly to a PhD.
....

I've just had a quick look at jobs.ac.uk (a good place to look for chemistry PhD studentship adverts at this time of year) and there are several adverts - one at Manchester and one at UCL would both be organic/medicinal at excellent universities for example amongst others.

As far as 'good results', according to the website I looked at you would need at least 'Licenciado / Título de Ingeniero / Título de Arquitecto 7.23' to be equivalent to a normal UK applicant. Does that make sense to you?

I'd try writing to some supervisors and see if they have spaces available - if you are keen on research, they could still offer you an MSc by research place (if your qualifications are lower than that shown above) and then you might be able to move to a PhD the following year.

Hope that helps.

Reply 5

GCDPI83

OP

Many, many thanx for the responses ¡¡¡¡¡

Well, it seems that the idea of moving directely to a PhD should be put off at all ( but certainly not be put aside ).
I do hold a Licenciatura, but no way I got that 7.23 ( for those who have no clue about how the Higher Education grades work in Spain, these ones go from 0 to 10 ). That ain´t a good result, that´s a superb one; getting that it means having beaten the competition ¡¡¡¡

About being keen or not on research I really don´t know actually, at the very beginning I didn´t think of research as a career itself; but you never know what´s around the corner.

So I´ll focus on these MSc places, both UEA and Newcastle were the ones I had in mind. Now is just up to me to decide between ´em.

Thanks

Reply 6

OrmondDrone

14

I have a friend at Newcastle who got his undergrad in biomedical science - did an MRes in Oncology there - and is now doing a funded PhD. He really loves the uni.

Not sure that really helps but I thought I'd share it anyway.

Reply 7

ChemistBoy

16

GCDPI83

I do believe that you can´t proceed directly to a PhD coming from a BSc ( which is exactly I´m coming from, even it took me twice as you Brits to get my BSc in Chemistry here in Spain; believe or not ). You must have an MChem, MSc or something like that. And I don´t have it. Mind you, I do know that you can proceed to a PhD providing you can give proof of a related work experience with the PhD you would like to undertake, even though you haven´t pursued a Master.

I know plenty of spanish PhD students here in the UK that have entered directly from their first degree. It is even possible to get onto PhD programmes in science with a BSc anyway. Some universities require masters equivalency but not all. Hull, for example, will allow you on with a BSc, although you will initially be registered as an MSc student subject to a successful transfer viva towards the end of the year.

You think I would have proceed to a PhD in this field with this work experience ? I don´t think so.

At some of the universities you have applied to I think that it would be perfectly possible to proceed straight on to a PhD with a BSc qualification, regardless of work experience. People have given you the entrance requirements of very large, successful and competitive chemistry departments, which are obviously going to be quite demanding, Hull, UEA, Teeside and Newcastle are not so fortunate as to have as many high quality applciants as Manchester or UCL.

Reply 8

Aethelred

2

ChemistBoy

......

At some of the universities you have applied to I think that it would be perfectly possible to proceed straight on to a PhD with a BSc qualification, regardless of work experience. People have given you the entrance requirements of very large, successful and competitive chemistry departments, which are obviously going to be quite demanding, Hull, UEA, Teeside and Newcastle are not so fortunate as to have as many high quality applciants as Manchester or UCL.

If you meant the 7.23 I cited here then that is actually UK NARIC's view on what is equivalent to a 2(i) honours degree in Spain. In theory, every university should require this for entry to a PhD. I actually quoted the value given on Aberystwyth's postgrad pages (that's where I happened to find the value first). I have also known many Spanish students doing PhDs in the UK although I don't know what scores they had from a degree in Spain. It may be that some universities will accept lower scores.

OP - I think coming to the UK and studying an MSc and then applying for a PhD place for the following year if you are interested in research seems a sensible way forward from what you have said. I'd suggest simply choosing the city you prefer between Norwich and Newcastle if you are settled on those 2 options now.

Reply 9

GCDPI83

OP

ChemistBoy

I know plenty of spanish PhD students here in the UK that have entered directly from their first degree. It is even possible to get onto PhD programmes in science with a BSc anyway. Some universities require masters equivalency but not all. Hull, for example, will allow you on with a BSc, although you will initially be registered as an MSc student subject to a successful transfer viva towards the end of the year.

Some things to say.

I suppose those Spanish students you know, moving onto a PhD in the UK just straight after their BSc in Spain, really did their best at Uni and probably did get even better grades than the ones that a Spanish student is believed to achieve if he/she wants to proceed a PhD in Britain just after completing the degree. Of course do not get me wrong about this, they worked hard; they deserve what they got at all.

It would be also interesting to know where these Spanish have graduated from. Maybe they graduated from a very well-known Spanish Uni ( I can think of the likes of Complutense, Barcelona or Salamanca ) ,whose School of Chemistry may have partnerships with Schools of Chemistry in the UK, and that makes easy for them to apply to PhDs in Britain. The School of Chemistry of the Uni I went has no partnerships with any School of Chemistry in the UK, even not to send or receive students in a exchange scheme.

About me, undertaking a PhD could be really a bit of a commitment now; we are talking about three years and what if I realise I am not interested on research at all, that would crack me up actually. I do prefer studying a MSc and once I get that, see what options could I have. Maybe I manage to find a job or maybe I realise that research really appeals to me. Who knows ¡¡¡

Reply 10

GCDPI83

OP

The reason I write this now is because I´d like to thank all the people who put their thoughts here, which believe or not help me in some way to make up my mind on what course to take.

From this September I´ll be living in Newcastle :smile:

I really think that this is the course that really appeals to me the most. As I wrote at first, spending a six-month job placement at a clinical lab, really has driven me towards a path in Chemistry related somehow with Medicine. And I think Newcastle is probably the best place among the ones I had been thinking of to undertake a PG course at the UK.

I hope I´ll get the most out of this experience, both academically and socially.

Again, thanks.

MSc in Chemistry ?

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