ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR CHEMISTS AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENTISTS PART 1 - 2027/8

Module Overview

This module introduces and develops subject-specific skills underpinning your first year of study at degree level, as well as enhancing your employability by development of transferrable skills:

Mathematics: for the manipulation of physical laws, basic calculations and applications of more advanced mathematical techniques in Chemistry
Computing: for the manipulation and presentation chemical and experimental data, basics of molecular modelling, responsible use of genAI
Statistical skills: for presentation, analysis and significance testing of hypotheses and analytical data
Independent reading, writing and presentation skills on chemically relevant information and job/placement applications

These skills are essential to the study of Chemistry and allied sciences and will be built upon further in all future modules on this degree, and particularly those with a significant laboratory component.

Module provider

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Module Leader

WRIGHT James (Chst Chm Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Fundamental mathematical skills
¿ Numbers, dimensional analysis and presentation of numerical information
¿ Algebra refresher
¿ Exponents, roots and logarithms
¿ Introduction to polynomial functions
¿ Trigonometric functions relevant to Chemistry
¿ Principles of calculus

Computing
¿ Use of databases of chemically relevant information
¿ Use of data handling/spreadsheet software
¿ Introduction to molecular modelling
¿ Responsible use of genAI and academic integrity

Statistical skills
¿ Descriptive statistics
¿ Statistical distribution
¿ Significance testing for hypotheses
¿ Calibration and correlation

Independent reading, writing and presentation skills
¿ Searching for appropriate scholarly sources
¿ Writing scientific reports
¿ Presenting information in the professional setting

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

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Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate:
¿ Your competence in key mathematical and statistics skills
¿ Your ability to independently read and present scientific information professionally and responsibly without the abuse of genAI
¿ Your competence in and understanding of the outputs of Chemistry software

Thus, summative assessment in the module consists of:

Company/report and ethical use of genAI in writing task ¿ where you will conduct independent reading around a chemically and/or pharmaceutically relevant company or product of interest, the relevant science behind it, and the broader context. You will demonstrate this, as well as your understanding of ethical use of genAI in finding and presenting information sources, to prepare a professional report. (LO4,5) (35%)

Molecular modelling and data handling task, to allow you to demonstrate your understanding and competence in basic molecular modelling using a freely available software, and presentation/calculation on output data using relevant spreadsheet software. (LO3) (25%)

Closed book exam (maths & stats) at the end of semester on the fundamental mathematical and statistical skills content, covering the whole semester¿s material. This exam will allow you to demonstrate your competency in the key maths and statistical skills in a closed-book environment, necessary for application in laboratories and in later study. (LO1,2) (40%)

Formative assessment and feedback are provided throughout the module, supporting the Learning Objectives as follows:

¿ In-class problems: opportunities for feedback are created through your engagement with and response to in-class questions/problems posed by the lecturer (LO1-3).
¿ Self-test resources in SurreyLearn: automated feedback is provided on self-tests based on content covered in the maths and statistics lectures (LO1,2).
¿ Workshop sessions: feedback will be given to you by the tutor based on your answers to the assigned problems in your preparation before the session, as well as your ability to solve open-ended problems in the dedicated skills and computing workshops (LO3-5).

Other opportunities for feedback include:
¿ 1:1 feedback on attempts at practice exam papers by appointment with the module coordinator
¿ 1:1 feedback on formative and summative coursework by appointment with the module coordinator

Module aims

• Achieve competency in key mathematical and statistical skills for physical sciences
• Achieve competency to read and write descriptive statistics and to conduct and interpret suitable statistical tests in physical sciences
• Achieve competency in the presentation and analysis of chemically relevant information using appropriate software
• Demonstrate your ability to present chemically relevant information in a professional setting and/or job applications
• Demonstrate understanding of the responsible use of genAI in a professional scientific setting

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning & teaching strategy is designed to develop your confidence in core maths/stats knowledge and its application to chemically relevant situations and develop your relevant professional and transferrable skills through interactive workshops.

The methods used will include:
Lectures in mathematics & statistics: a mixture of presentation from a lecturer, with built-in problems and questions based on the material. You will be invited to contribute solutions or comments on the problems and receive in-class feedback.

Computing workshops: in which you enhance your Digital Capabilities through an active approach, learning to use relevant software to process and present data.

Skills workshop sessions: a highly varied series of interactive sessions covering key professional and transferrable skills as highlighted above.

Self-study material including self-tests, provided through SurreyLearn, which supports the lecture material.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHE1048

Other information

Within the University¿s broader education strategy, this module particularly develops students¿ Digital Capabilities. Students will likely for the first time use dedicated Chemistry software to present and synthesise new information. This also includes data generation and analysis in dedicated molecular modelling software and Excel. Your work with genAI to identify its responsible use and advantages/limitations is a key digital capability. The requirement of some significant amount of self-study in the first semester of the programme, particularly in the mathematics section also helps develop students¿ your Resourcefulness & Resilience. You¿ll be required to engage in self-study to identify your areas for development in maths, particularly if you have not completed an A-level or its equivalent qualification in maths. The aspects of this module covering professional and transferrable skills such as preparation of job/placement application documents, report writing, and genAI use are all key skills in Employability. These are deliberately timed so as to benefit your current studies and prepare you for the possibility of placement applications in the coming year. This module supports learning across all degree programmes in which it sits. Particular relevance can be found in the following modules (modes of support highlighted in brackets): ¿ CHE1044, CHE2035 (statistical skills) ¿ CHE1041, CHE1042, CHE2041, CHE2042 (presentation of chemical information) ¿ CHE1043, CHE2040 (mathematics)

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2027/8 academic year.