Decline of Chemistry in the UK..

Questions ... Is there enough industrial demand for chemists? How many chemistry graduates actually want to go into industry?

Reply 2

not1

15

theepw

Does it mean that it will be harder to get into Unis now, because of their reduced size of Chemistry departments, or will it make it easier to get in to study that certain degree, because demand for Chemists has increased, meaning lower grades will be required in order to study, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy etc?

Just look in uni prospectuses to see the answer to that: lower grade offers for chem students, even at top unis.

Reply 3

cobra

14

Yep its true, i got a BBB offer from durham and that was my highest offer, warwick offered BBB, leeds and york offered BBC

Reply 4

shiny

Questions ... Is there enough industrial demand for chemists?

Yes and no. Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals is not a growth area in the UK, so job numbers are fairly steady, however, the companies have a reasonable turnover of staff so there are opportunities.

How many chemistry graduates actually want to go into industry?

Quite a lot actually, but most want to after further study (usually PhD). Chemistry has the highest stay on rate for postgraduate training.

Reply 5

ChemistBoy

Yes and no. Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals is not a growth area in the UK, so job numbers are fairly steady, however, the companies have a reasonable turnover of staff so there are opportunities.

Quite a lot actually, but most want to after further study (usually PhD). Chemistry has the highest stay on rate for postgraduate training.

So actually it is quite good that Chemistry grads are in short supply :smile:

Reply 6

shiny

So actually it is quite good that Chemistry grads are in short supply :smile:

Sshhh! We're trying to make people feel sorry for us!

Seriously though, even though the employment prospects are not as rosy as some quarters would have you believe, there is still a desperate shortage of chemistry graduates (for industry, research and teaching). Which is all rather good for me. :biggrin:

Reply 7

theepw

OP

14

What kind of degrees are we actually talking about here?

Is it just a straight Chemistry degree thats in demand, or does it apply to all degrees realted to Chemistry, eg. Medicine, Pharmacy, Bio chemistry?

Reply 8

ChemistBoy

Sshhh! We're trying to make people feel sorry for us!

Seriously though, even though the employment prospects are not as rosy as some quarters would have you believe, there is still a desperate shortage of chemistry graduates (for industry, research and teaching). Which is all rather good for me. :biggrin:

Sounds like Engineers! :biggrin:

Except there are plenty of engineering graduates, but hardly anyone of them wanna do engineering! :biggrin:

Reply 9

shiny

Sounds like Engineers! :biggrin:

Except there are plenty of engineering graduates, but hardly anyone of them wanna do engineering! :biggrin:

I can understand why though! :biggrin:

Reply 10

ChemistBoy

I can understand why though! :biggrin:

I know. I'm totally mad aren't I! :biggrin:

Reply 11

hihihihi

theepw

What kind of degrees are we actually talking about here?

Is it just a straight Chemistry degree thats in demand, or does it apply to all degrees realted to Chemistry, eg. Medicine, Pharmacy, Bio chemistry?

everyythingg

Reply 12

Sophdoph

1

I saw the news and was really saddened by it. OK, I gave up all sciences after GCSE but my dad has a chemistry degree and has been a chemistry teacher for over 30 years, hence my concerns.

I think chemistry is a good subject, its difficult, I think which is one of the major reasons for its decline but it is key for so many important British industries. I hope more people feel that they can take up chemistry if they enjoy it, as I think university chemistry must be a lot more fun than the basic stuff you can do when you're 13 in a tiny school lab :smile:

Reply 13

Kuz

1

In reply to the first post, it is sad that no-one is doing chemistry and that prestigious unis like Queen Mary, Kings etc... are closing their chemistry departments due to lack of students wanting to take up the subject as well as lack of teaching staff. But for future chem grads its nothing but a good thing. Lack of graduate chemists can only increase thier demand with, access to the course regarding grades is much easier also. I have been constantly told by my chemistry teacher that with a chem phD (what I'm aiming for) the skys the limit with regards to job opportunities due to lack of other chemists. And entry to a good uni was easier this year than previous years for people like myself as the typical grade entry from about 2 / 3 years of AAB to this year my highest grade entry of BBB at somewhere as reputed as Imperial or Warwick, with my lowest grade entry being CCD :eek:

So the future is only bright in my opinion for chem grads :biggrin:

Reply 14

Kuz

In reply to the first post, it is sad that no-one is doing chemistry and that prestigious unis like Queen Mary, Kings etc... are closing their chemistry departments due to lack of students wanting to take up the subject as well as lack of teaching staff. But for future chem grads its nothing but a good thing. Lack of graduate chemists can only increase thier demand with, access to the course regarding grades is much easier also. I have been constantly told by my chemistry teacher that with a chem phD (what I'm aiming for) the skys the limit with regards to job opportunities due to lack of other chemists. And entry to a good uni was easier this year than previous years for people like myself as the typical grade entry from about 2 / 3 years of AAB to this year my highest grade entry of BBB at somewhere as reputed as Imperial or Warwick, with my lowest grade entry being CCD :eek:

So the future is only bright in my opinion for chem grads :biggrin:

Not if our industry moves abroad due to lack of qualified individuals in the UK! :frown:

Reply 15

piranha85

It makes me feel special that I'm one of the few people who genuinely enjoys chemistry. :rolleyes:

My uncle (a chemistry teacher) was delighted to find I would be studying Biochemistry because no one else in the family is persuing a scientific career, let alone a chemistry related one.

I heard that Chemisty courses are decreasing in number because subjects allied to chemistry (eg. biochem, pharmacology) are becoming more popular.

Chemistry being so broad and varied is just being broken up into smaller sub-disciplines.

Reply 16

piranha85

I heard that Chemisty courses are decreasing in number because subjects allied to chemistry (eg. biochem, pharmacology) are becoming more popular.

Chemistry being so broad and varied is just being broken up into smaller sub-disciplines.

I'm afraid the truth is a bit grimmer than that; all sciences are experiencing declining numbers of students. All the Chemical sciences and related disciplines are suffering from recruitment problems (so say the RSC). I'm not sure biochem is really taking students away from chemistry as it has been an established discipline for many years now and isn't really just a sub-disicipline of chemistry.

Reply 17

ChemistBoy

I'm afraid the truth is a bit grimmer than that; all sciences are experiencing declining numbers of students.

yeah, hardly anyone does physics these days!

Reply 18

calamity jane

7

I want to do chemistry (if I don't like pharmacy :smile:

) I think international students will oon take advantage of the lack of chemistry applicants in the UK. Everyone knows its a good platform to do basically anything (biosciences, chemical sciences, finance, management, law (coz chemists, mathematicians and physicists are smart unlike all the stupid business studies people). As for the low entry grades, not anymore at Imperial anyway! They are rasing their grades from 2005 entry onwards ABB at least now (A chemistry and B in Maths!!). I really hope more people will take up the subject after high school. i get the impression people (espeically guys) think chemistry isn't as hard ot interesting as engineering or physics. Don't know about more interesting......

Reply 19