CH3MCP: MChem Industrial Placement

Module code: CH3MCP

Module provider: Chemistry; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 80

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Full year

Module convenor: Dr Adam Bromley , email: a.p.bromley@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr James Cooper, email: james.cooper@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE CH3CC1 AND TAKE CH3CC2 (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: Maxi placement

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The MChem Industrial Placement module will provide students with experience of conducting research and practical chemistry in an industrial setting. This experience will develop a range of transferable skills relevant to a wide range of careers, including (but not limited to): working within a team, designing independent workflows, time management and engaging with relevant scientific literature.  

During this module, the student will establish themselves as an active researcher at their industrial host and will develop their skills as an independent researcher, with support from an assigned supervisor at their industrial host company. At the end of the module, the student will provide a report on their industrial placement and will communicate their results via an oral presentation. These assessments will provide students taking this course with valuable transferable skills in communication, presentation and analysis of (scientific) information, which will be valuable for their transition to working as professionals after graduation. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Apply fundamental concepts in chemistry and practical skills to an industrial setting and solve research problems relevant to industrial companies.
2. Engage with the scientific literature to plan reactions.
3. Evaluate their performance, and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, throughout the placement via regular meetings with their industrial supervisor and scheduled meetings with their academic placement tutor.
4. Discuss their research with colleagues in industry and explain their research to people in related fields (e.g. their academic placement tutor) through written and verbal media.
5. Summarise the progress of their research, construct plans for future research and manage workflows across timescales of weeks and months.

Module content

The student will conduct chemical research at a host company in industry. The student will be expected to work to company guidelines, follow health and safety protocols and conduct research in a professional manner. During each semester, an assigned academic placement tutor will conduct on on-site visit or an online meeting, where the student will provide an update on their progress. At the end of the module, the student will give an assessed presentation that describes the research they have conducted on placement. The student will also submit a report on the research they have conducted during the placement.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students will conduct practical chemistry on-site at an industrial placement host. The student will be assigned a supervisor at the host company who will act as their line manager for the duration of the placement and will supervise their research project. An academic placement supervisor from the Department of Chemistry will also be assigned and they will meet the student and the industrial placement supervisor at during each semester to evaluate progress with the placement. 

Whilst on placement, the student will learn how to conduct chemical research in an industrial setting with guidance from their industrial placement supervisor and (if appropr