Imperial College VS Durham (chemisrty)

I received offers from both IC and Durham for chemistry.but I heard that the department of chemistry in IC is not very good. can anyone give me some advice. thankyou!

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Reply 1

ChemistBoy

Imperial College has an excellent chemistry department so I don't know who told you it wasn't very good. At undergraduate level there really isn't going to be any difference between studying at Durham and Imperial in terms of the course so the choice is between locations really.

Reply 2

oleahi

I can't believe you are comparing Durham with IC.......

Reply 3

James94

Durham has a better reputation for chemistry and is harder to get into. Living in London is a nightmare. Out of the two, I would go for Durham, my dad did his PhD at Imperial and hated living in London, he was skint and homeless for ages, living off of the few friends of his that had managed to find accommodation.

Reply 4

Planar

ICL

(I know nothing)

Reply 5

latarontella

I have the same problem, what did you choose in the end?

Reply 6

Chucklefiend

Both are highly respected institutions and both are top 3 in the country for Chemistry, so it's more about personal preference. Do you want to live in a big city with an amazing night life and loads to do? Or would you rather live in a smaller, quieter more relaxed city? Ask yourself this question then choose based on your answer.

Reply 7

purple-girl

Original post by latarontella

I have the same problem, what did you choose in the end?

I think the main factor you should consider is location given Durham and London couldn't be much more different! I do some Chemistry in my degree at Durham so if you have any questions about the city/department feel free to PM me.

Reply 8

sfs1012

Imperial is better since it is a science institution and look at the difference in world university ranking for chemistry. Imperial is a lot higher up the table than Durham so it has got a much better international reputation. I would say, in the UK only Oxford is better than Imperial for chemistry. But be warned, the amount of workload at Imperial is very high and you will only succeed if you enjoy the course.

Reply 9

vedderfan94

Original post by sfs1012

Where did anyone mention Oxford at all? :confused:

Reply 10

TenaciousMonkey

Original post by vedderfan94

Where did anyone mention Oxford at all? :confused:

It was just a comparison to show how "high up" Imperial is.

Reply 11

a.partridge

yeah but in real terms you're not going to be any "higher up" than somebody who is as clever as you working as hard at durham...

it's not as if durham is some polytechnic

in terms of future research the difference between these places will be your grades / research projects undertaken

in terms of jobs it will be extra curricular stuff

I don't really see a case for the manifestation for this higher standing for any application but boasting...

Reply 12

lukas1051

I know that Imperial has a fantastic reputation worldwide, although I do not know about chemistry, from the sounds of it Durham can definitely compete. One thing you may want to consider is that if you're studying in London you're probably more likely to make contacts, find a job in the city etc., despite Imperial being a science institution,it is quite heavily targeted by banking firms etc., this is an opportunity you may not find in Durham (but I guess it depends what you want to do with your degree). It seems very close cut, so I would simply go for which one you prefer, the campus, the city, the general atmosphere... You don't want to be spending 3/4 years somewhere you dislike for the sake of a marginal difference in reputation and employment prospect.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 13

Ruvermillion

Imperial hands down. Imperial's Chemistry department is top notch and Imperial is a specialist science university, so imo its better than Durham. If you are looking for prestige and reputation, Imperial squashes Durham like a bug.

Reply 14

latarontella

Original post by Ruvermillion

This isn't all strictly true. Indeed Imperial is a specialist scientist university and yes, it has prestige for science. BUT Durham has prestige for the natural sciences and has an excellent reputation for producing graduates who are very intelligent, very commited/dedicated to working independently rather than being spoonfed, all-rounders and very sociable. Imperial graduates are of course of the same level of intelletual capacity, but will not have experienced the all-round university experience that those who attended Durham would have had. You cannot say that 'Imperial squashes Durham like a bug' because it just isn't true.. For what occupation are you talking about in the case of imperial beating durham graduates? They are both equally sought after!

Reply 15

dugdugdug

Re career, if you choose to stay in Chemistry / Sciences, it's unlikely prospective employers worldwide won't have heard of Imperial. The same could be said for Durham.

If instead you opt for a career outside industry, say finance, there will be more Imperial grads than Durham, so your chances of securing a place SHOULD but by no means a forgone conclusion, be higher.

Base on the above, I think Imperial will open more doors.

However, you must also enjoy the place, not only the uni but the town / city.

Imagine if the best place for Chemistry worldwide is somewhere in Ulan Bator. Would you be swayed to go there?

BTW, I have nothing against Ulan Bator.

Reply 16

QuantumOverlord

Original post by sfs1012

You cannot say this, there is alot of evidence that durham is at the very least comparable to IC for chemistry, there is no evidence that IC is alot better. Also Cambridge does chemistry as part of its natural sciences degree.

Reply 17

QuantumOverlord

Original post by Ruvermillion

Source?

Reply 18

PatrickD

They really are very similar as you can tell form the differing opinions on this thread. Just make up your own mind based upon which one you prefer. You won't regret it as you'll never know what the other one was like anyway. :smile: