University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester
LE1 7RH
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Course contact details
Admissions Enquiries
Email:study@le.ac.uk
Phone:0116 2525281
Medicinal Chemistry
- BSc (Hons)
- false false
- Full-time
- 22/09/2025
- Undergraduate
- Main Site
Course summary
Every infection-fighting and disease-treating drug owes a great debt to chemistry. In this degree, you’ll be given a solid grounding in chemistry and its role alongside drug development.
The medicinal and pharmaceutical industries need scientists with a firm understanding of chemistry together with a knowledge of biochemistry, disease action, and drug behaviour. Our Medicinal Chemistry degrees provide you with an excellent grounding in all these areas. They have been designed to cover all aspects of pharmaceutical drug development, from target selection, through to drug discovery and optimisation to clinical trials and marketing.
If you choose to study for a BSc or MChem degree in Medicinal Chemistry you will, on graduation, be equipped with the skills to work in the pharmaceutical industry or in the health and biomedical sectors. Pharmaceutical Chemists are at the forefront of drug development, design, synthesis, trials and marketing, and as one of the largest employer sectors in the UK, a diverse range of careers will be open to you.
The School of Chemistry at Leicester is one of the best in the UK for both teaching and research. We have a reputation as a friendly, supportive School that produces highly trained graduates with skills valued by employers. This is because we offer high quality courses that are designed to give you a wide range of employment opportunities, and are carefully structured to ensure you will cover all the relevant topics.
Whichever degree you study, you will always benefit from our excellent teaching, our well-equipped laboratories, our high-quality welfare provision and academic support. You will also reap the benefits of the cutting-edge research being carried out in the School by our academics – the same academics who teach you.
Our specialist research areas include atmospheric chemistry, chemical biology, materials and interfaces, spectroscopy and dynamics, and sustainable synthesis and catalysis. You can be sure of learning about the very latest breakthroughs in each area throughout your course. In your final year, you will carry out your own personal research project, working under one of our academic staff and applying the knowledge and practical skills which you have gained on the course – placing you at the cutting-edge of chemistry research.
Modules
For more information on this course and a full list of modules, visit the course information page on our website
Assessment method
For more information on the methods of assessment on this course, visit the course information page on our website
Ways to study this course
Campuses
- Main Site
Study options
- BSc (Hons) • Full-time • 3 to 4 years
Start dates
- 22/09/2025
Apply by
29 January
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Application codes
- Course code:
- F120
- Institution code:
- L34
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus Code:
- -
- Points of Entry:
- Year 1, 2
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
University of Leicester has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
How to apply
Apply by
29 January
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- F120
- Institution code:
- L34
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus Code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)
Contact the Admissions Team at study@le.ac.uk with details of the course you are studying including modules taken, previous qualifications obtained with grades (at GCSE and A level or equivalent), the reason for your transfer request.
Entry requirements
A level
BBBTo include Chemistry.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDDBTEC in Applied Science, including several Chemistry related modules. If A-Level Chemistry is not held an additional entrance exam will be required - please contact Admissions for more information.
Access to HE Diploma
D: 30 creditsAccess to HE Diploma must be in a relevant science subject, require a minimum of 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Distinction. To include 15 Level 3 Chemistry credits at Distinction.
If A-Level Chemistry is not held an additional entrance exam will be required - please contact Admissions for more information.
Scottish Higher
AABBBincluding Chemistry grade A.
AS
2 AS Levels accepted in place of 1 A-Level, must be alongside 2 further A-Levels including Chemistry.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
BTEC must be in a relevant science subject and should be taken alongside A-Level Chemistry.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Considered when combined with other qualifications, including Chemistry A-level.
Scottish Advanced Higher
BBBAdvanced Higher in Chemistry required.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
28 pointsTo include grade 5 in HL Chemistry.
Minimum of 4 in HL Maths or 5 in SL Maths required if grade 5/B not held at GCSE.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Two A-levels including Chemistry and the Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate.
Extended Project
Considered when combined with other qualifications.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H2, H2, H2, H2, H3including H2 in Chemistry.
Plus, Ordinary Level 4 in Maths or Higher Level 7 in Maths
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Grade 5/B in GCSE Mathematics.
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the programme of study and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous examination results.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 or equivalent is required. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
For further details of our English Language requirements please see our website https://le.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-language-requirements
Contextual admissions
Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria.
Historical entry grades data BETA
This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Not enough data available
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
The tuition fee for home students is reviewed annually and for the academic year 2025/6 it is £9,535. The fee for subsequent years may increase in line with inflation, subject to government regulations. The inflation rate used will be RPIX, which includes all the items in the Retail Price Index, excluding mortgage payments. For your information, the inflation rate used by the Government when increasing the tuition fee from £9,250 to £9,535 was 3.1%.
Fees for international students can be found on the individual course pages. https://le.ac.uk/courses
For further information about fees and funding please see the following page of the University website: https://le.ac.uk/student-life/undergraduates/fees-funding
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