Head of the School of Chemistry
Prof. Anita Maguire

Welcome to the webpages of the UCC School of Chemistry. We are one of Ireland's largest and most vibrant Schools of Chemistry with a long standing commitment to excellence in teaching and research. CK402 (Biological and Chemical Sciences) and CK406 (Chemical Sciences) are the entry streams for the School's undergraduate courses, which include the B.Sc. Chemistry (CK402 and CK406), the B.Sc. Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds (CK402) and the B.Sc. Chemistry with Forensic Science (CK402 and CK406) degrees, all accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry. In collaboration with UCC Department of Physics, we offer the B.Sc. Chemical Physics degree, accredited by the Institute of Physics, for which the entry streams are CK406 and CK408.

Postgraduates are a major part of the School's activities, especially Research PhDs and Taught and Research MSc programmes. Our research is largely focused on interdisciplinary fields such as pharmaceutical chemistry, nanoscience and nanotechnology, atmospheric chemistry and development of new analytical sciences. Undergraduate students get the opportunity to perform research in these areas via projects undertaken during years 3 and/or 4, while our Masters students also undertake a full research project. The strength of the School's research standing is shown by our extensive links with leading research centres, including UCC centres such as the Tyndall National Institute, the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), the Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility (ABCRF); as well as other Irish centres including CRANN and AMBER at TCD and the Synthesis and Solid-state Pharmaceutical Centre (SSPC), led by UL. The School engages extensively with industry both nationally and globally, in particular in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, microelectronics and medical devices.

We do our utmost to provide the best possible education, training and support to all our students so that our graduates are ideally placed to move onto the next phase of their careers whatever and wherever that may be. Our very strong research engagements and excellent interactions with industry directly inform our programmes, ensuring they are up to date and relevant so as to provide excellent career foundations.

Chemistry is an absolutely core science for understanding the material nature of our world. It is essential for development of quality-of-life products such as medicines and advanced materials, plays a key role in all advanced economies and is essential for addressing societal and environmental challenges. A wide range of directions are available to chemistry graduates and postgraduates, and their contributions are essential for our current and future societal and economic needs. The School of Chemistry is committed to helping students on this journey and has a very strong student-centered focus. Please do not hesitate to contact myself of any of my colleagues should you require any further information about any aspect of our degree programmes or research activities. We will be only too happy to assist.

Prof. Anita Maguire