Chemistry with External Placement

Expand your horizons and gain invaluable experience for your future career by doing a six-month placement as part of your degree, in industry or at an overseas university.

Overseas university placements give you the opportunity to join a leading research group and immerse yourself in another country and culture including Australia, Hong Kong, Germany and the Netherlands.

On an industry placement you’ll experience research in a commercial environment. Host organisations range from small high-tech enterprises and national research facilities, to global companies such as Johnson Matthey, Merck, and Proctor & Gamble. Many industry placements are paid.

Whichever type of placement you choose, you’ll gain real-world experience and transferable skills which will impress employers. Indeed, some of our students are recruited by their host company or have gone on to study for a PhD at their host institution.

Our placements take place in year four – having completed three years of chemistry training and an independent research project, you’ll have a competitive edge when you apply for your placement, and the confidence to get the most out of the experience.

At Southampton you’ll study in recently refurbished labs at a Russell Group university where trailblazing research feeds into your degree and we take pride in our 2024 Guardian ranking of 4th in th UK.

You’ll be prepared for a role as a professional chemist or may choose to use your skills in another field. Our graduates have achieved success in sectors including finance, banking, accountancy, sales and marketing, management, patent law and teaching.

Supporting your studies You’ll be part of a supportive Chemistry community, with a personal academic tutor to provide any extra help you need, both academically and personally. During the first two years we limit small group tutorials to a maximum of five students, so you’ll have plenty of time and attention from your tutors.

Between classes, the Chemistry department will be your ‘home’ on campus – a place to grab a coffee in the common room, catch up with friends and talk to staff.

CV and interview skills workshops will help you secure your placement, and you’ll have regular catch-ups with a dedicated supervisor during your placement.

Outstanding undergraduate laboratories

Take advantage of our recently refurbished labs, which opened in 2019 as part of a £12m investment in Chemistry’s facilities. You’ll study in bright and spacious modern laboratories using new research-grade equipment such as NMR and IR spectrometers and X-ray diffractometers. There are also laptops for each student to record their lab work.

With full support and training, you’ll learn to make and analyse your own samples, using the same equipment that you’ll find in industry labs and the latest ‘green’ chemistry practices – all excellent preparation for your placement and future career.

Learn about research as it happens Southampton is a Russell Group university, which means you’ll learn from staff who are involved in making new discoveries.

Our academics are advancing battery technology for cleaner energy, designing drugs for hard-to-treat cancers, and using digital modelling in the fight against COVID-19, to name just a few examples. They will share their passion for their specialist areas with you, bringing the most up-to-date knowledge to your seminars and lectures.