Our Department is a vibrant mix of enthusiastic students and talented researchers drawn from across Scotland, UK, Europe and the World.
Our staff are internationally recognised chemists and forensic experts active in research and engaged in international casework.
More than £10 million has been recently invested in our buildings and laboratories so students, researchers and staff benefit from the modern, well-equipped and comfortable facilities.
Our graduates are to be found world-wide, pursuing rewarding careers and advancing chemistry in all its forms.
Thousands of graduates and research publications have flowed from the Department and our alumni are to be found throughout international research, industry and education.
Teaching
We teach internationally respected degrees in chemistry and its specialisations, covering all levels from BSc to PhD.
Our teaching has been independently assessed at the highest "excellent" rating by the national Teaching Quality Assessment (TQA).
Research
We also have a very successful postgraduate research school that helps drive forward our contribution to new scientific discovery.
In the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) the quality of our research was judged to be "of national and international excellence".
Graduates
We have excellent links with prospective employers through our Industrial Placement Scheme and our graduates compete very successfully for jobs in all branches of the chemical industry.
Their chances of employment are substantially increased by the Industrial Placement year and the training they receive in communication skills.
All of our graduates, whatever the course option they have chosen, have an excellent record of finding work.
In a recent survey of UK chemistry departments, the Guardian ranked Strathclyde Chemistry as the best in Scotland, and in the UK Top Ten, for graduate employment prospects.
The Strathclyde Approach
Strathclyde Chemistry distinguishes itself primarily in the way it seeks to apply chemistry to major issues in our society, such as drug discovery, industrial manufacture, forensic detection, school teaching and environmental protection.
Our courses have unique and specialist applications of chemistry such as forensic science, chemical engineering and drug design.
Our Reputation
Our reputation for excellence and originality is based on our mission to innovate across a broad sweep of educational and investigative chemistry, and our efforts to target that new knowledge towards key areas in society and industry.
University Guides (such as those published by the Times and Independent newspapers) which independently assess university degree subjects according to a range of criteria such as entry standard, graduate job prospects and student environment, confirm our leading status in the UK.
Both the Independent and Times 2009 Guides to UK Departments of Chemistry ranked us as top in Scotland, and in the UK top ten.
Above all, we recognise that our reputation depends on the student experience in our Department.
We ensure flexibility and breadth of choice in our degrees so our students can quickly discover which areas of chemistry are best suited to their abilities and interests.
History
It comes as a surprise to many visitors to learn that our Department has a much longer history than the University of Strathclyde as a whole. We were established as a Department of Chemistry at the beginning of the 19th Century and over the last 200 years have earned a very high reputation for being at the leading edge of chemistry education and research.
Find out more about the history of our department.
Indeed, the University of Strathclyde has provided degrees in forensic science for longer than any other university in the United Kingdom, and our Centre for Forensic Science is recognised internationally as a Centre of Excellence in forensic science education, research and practice.