A year in industry has enormous benefits beyond simply gaining experience and increasing understanding of a particular area of chemistry. You will also gain an understanding of the commercial context, develop a range of important transferrable skills, increase your self-confidence and resilience and develop time and project management skills. Placements often involve interacting with company staff at all levels and in different parts of the business. Learning to communicate and work effectively with colleagues is key to developing your employability. The Chemistry Department at Liverpool runs three Degree Programmes with a 1 year placement:
FZ11 - BSc (Hons) 'Chemistry with a Year in Industry'.
FZB3 - BSc (Hons) ‘Medicinal Chemistry with a Year in Industry’
FZ61 - MChem 'Chemistry with Research in Chemistry'.
The BSc placements include a wide range of chemistry and chemistry related projects and can cover activities from analytical chemistry to product development. The MChem placements must include a substantial original chemistry research project whereas BSc placements can include application of existing technology. MChem placement students also take a module by distance learning which provides essential core material. All placements are subject to approval by the Department. There is also flexibility to transfer to and from the Year in Industry Degree programmes, subject to approval by the Department.
You are supported by Careers and Employability and the Department in your search for placements and preparation for applications and interviews. Adverts received from companies are posted internally and you are also encouraged to search for placements yourself.
During the placement, you are allocated an academic supervisor and moderator and an industrial supervisor at the company. You have two formal meetings, an initial pastoral meeting and the final assessment visit. Regular informal online meetings throughout the year provide additional support and help you feel connected to the Department.
By the end of the placement, many students have developed a strong sense of company identity and feel fully integrated, making significant contributions and excelling in their field. For example, one of our students, Harriet McNicholl who recently did her MChem placement at AstraZeneca, won both National Undergraduate Placement Student of the Year and AstraZeneca Synthetic Chemistry Industrial Placement Student of the Year. Harriet worked at AZ in synthetic organic chemistry on process design for an Acute Myeloid Leukaemia therapeutic.
Harriet McNicholl
Chiara Basso Basset
BSc Year in Industry Student
Scott Bader
“I applied for a Year in Industry to improve my practical skills and confidence in the lab. I worked in a small research group and I was able to experience various aspects of R&D and organic synthesis. I learnt invaluable lessons from my industrial supervisor who always encouraged me to explain the reasons behind my choices in the lab. This made me gain a better understanding, and with time, much more confidence in solving problems independently.”
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