IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING YEAR 3 MChem & FINAL YEAR BSc WILL BE POSTED ON THE NOTICE BOARD OUTSIDE THE BRUNNER LECTURE THEATRE.
Lecture and tutorial timetables are shown in separate documents in VITAL, as are details of the First Semester practical courses.
Course and Module Codes | Staff Contacts | Diary Dates | Assessment
Transfers between Taught Programmes | BSc Students: Careers or further study
What to do if you have to miss classes or an exam | ... you are having difficulties
It may be useful to be aware of the members of staff with specific responsibilities for Year 3 MChem students and Final Year BSc students. There is a more complete list of Staff on the Departmental Website (http://www.liv.ac.uk/Chemistry/).
Dr David L. Cooper (extn. 43532, dlc@liverpool.ac.uk, Room M06 Donnan Labs) is Coordinator for Year 3 MChem students (except for those on placements in industry) and for all Final Year BSc students. He is responsible for checking on work and progress, and is available for day to day advice if you are having any problems with the course.
Dr Simon Higgins (extn. 43512, Shiggins@liverpool.ac.uk, Room 300 Robert Robinson Labs) deals with MChem and BSc students on placements in industry and with Year 4 MChem students.
Prof. Andrew Hodgson (extn. 43536) and Dr Martin Volk (extn. 43317) deal with Examinations. Email: chemexam@liverpool.ac.uk. You should consult them if you want further information about the examination procedures.
Prof. Paul O'Neill is Director of the Chemistry and Pharmacology courses.
Phil Harrison (extn. 44656, phil.harrison@liv.ac.uk, Careers Resource Centre) is the Careers Adviser in the Careers Service with responsibility for chemistry students.
Term & Semester dates are listed here.
9 am, Monday, 24th September 2007: Start of First Semester lectures (various locations).
11 am, Monday, 24th September 2007: "Introduction to Year 3" (Gossage).
2 pm, Monday, 24th September 2007: "Introduction to Employability Resources (and CHEM380)" (Muspratt).
11 am, Tuesday, 25th September 2007: "Careers Service Presentation (and CHEM380 lecture)" (Gossage).
2 pm, Tuesday, 25th September 2007: "Introduction to CHEM3x5 Practicals" (Brunner).
Wednesday, 26 September 2007: Start of CHEM3x5 practical work (afternoon).
Vacation (15 December 2007 - 06 January 2008): Revision for First Semester examinations.
07 January 2008: First Semester examinations begin.
18 January 2008: First Semester examinations end.
18 January 2008: End of First Semester.
21 January 2008: Start of Second Semester lectures and CHEM3x6 practical work.
Vacation (15 March 2008 - 06 April 2008): Revision for second Semester examinations.
06 June 2008: End of Second Semester.
[See separate documents in VITAL for full details of Assessment Procedures, including important information on Plagiarism and Collusion.]
Written examinations are held at the end of each Semester. Past exam papers are available. Lecturers may also be able to supply practice questions for you to attempt.
After all the written papers have been marked, the external examiners will come to the Department in early June and, together with the staff, assess the scripts from the examinations in both Semesters. Further information about various aspects of the assessment will be given during the year; you can also consult Dr Martin Volk (extn. 43317) or Prof. Andrew Hodgson (extn. 43536). Email: chemexam@liverpool.ac.uk.
THERE ARE NO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER RESIT EXAMINATIONS FOR YEAR 3 AND YEAR 4 STUDENTS
The Year 3 MChem programmes are meant to be more challenging than the corresponding BSc programmes. The MChem courses are aimed primarily at students who expect to perform at the 2.1 level (and above). Year 3 MChem students with an overall Year 2 mark that is more than 3 percent below 60% is encouraged to seek advice from the Year 3 Coordinator as to whether they might be better served by a BSc programme.
Except in the case of students on industrial placements, any Year 3 MChem students who do not continue into Year 4, either by choice or because they do not satisfy the requirements, will be automatically considered for the award of a BSc degree. Students who think it likely that they will choose to change from MChem to BSc are strongly advised to consider making that change before the start of the first Semester: they could achieve higher marks on a BSc programme and, potentially, a higher class of final degree. Some MChem to BSc changes might still be possible after the first Semester exams, subject to the availability of suitable modules, but such students will find themselves following a different programme in the second Semester than is taken by those who started the year as BSc students. This is a further potential disadvantage of delaying such a decision.
The "TRANSFER BETWEEN TAUGHT PROGRAMMES" forms are available from the Undergraduate Office.
The CHEM380 module covers various important employability skills, and includes sessions on producing a good CV, making job applications, and preparing for interviews. You also have access in VITAL to the "Physical Sciences Centre Employability Resource Pack". Even if you do not intend to start looking for employment until after you have graduated, you could do well to seek additional advice now from the Careers Service.
The Department also offers opportunities for a wide range of postgraduate work at both Masters and Doctoral level, but has moved to a system in which only students with a Masters degree are usually admitted to the PhD programme. In order to be in a position to compete with well-qualified applicants (e.g. ones having Masters degrees) from other universities, BSc students may wish to consider various one-year taught masters courses that are offered at the University. More detailed information about such postgraduate opportunities will be provided during the Year.
MAKE PLANS FOR YOUR FUTURE EARLY AND DO NOT IGNORE INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING STAYING ON FOR POSTGRADUATE WORK
You are expected to attend all lectures in the modules for which you are registered, to do the relevant set work, to attend tutorials and oral presentations, and to attend regularly in the laboratory. If you are unable to do any of these because of illness or for other reasons you must follow official Absence Guidelines. Make sure you obtain a medical certificate from your GP or the hospital, as appropriate. The University's procedures on "Mitigating Circumstances in Relation to Performance in Assessments and Examinations" (and the corresponding Application Form) are available elsewhere. In particular, there should be copies of the forms outside the Undergraduate Office.
Any student who misses an examination or part of an examination due to illness or other exceptional circumstances, or whose performance was impaired by illness or other exceptional circumstances, should make relevant information available immediately to Dr Martin Volk (extn. 43317) or Prof. Andrew Hodgson (extn. 43536). Email: chemexam@liverpool.ac.uk. The University's procedures on "Mitigating Circumstances in Relation to Performance in Assessments and Examinations" (and the corresponding Application Form) are available elsewhere. Students must report any such circumstances no later than one week before the meeting of the Board of Examiners at which the results of the assessments concerned will be considered.
If you feel that you are not coping with any part of the year's work, you should discuss the matter as soon as possible first with the Module Leader and then with the Year Coordinator (Dr David L. Cooper).