About the School of Chemistry

Chemistry has been taught at St Andrews since 1811. We have more than 50 members of academic, administrative and technical staff who support our teaching and drive our research programs. As part of the EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, we are recognised as a research leader in the UK, with activity and strength over five core research themes.

Our Mission is to inspire the next generations of chemistry and chemical science graduates through the delivery of globally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate education and training and to provide a collegial, diverse and entrepreneurial environment that facilitates completion of world-leading research that impacts positively on our society.

Our Vision is to continuously develop the School so that it contributes even more strongly to the reputation of the University as a world-leading institution and to develop incentives and processes that enable the academics in the School to improve the quality of research and to provide an ever more enriching environment for student learning where all can reach their full academic potential.

Research

The universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews formed EaStCHEM in 2004 to combine the research activities of two of Scotland’s leading schools of chemistry. EaStCHEM is now recognised for excellence in both core and interdisciplinary chemistry with its wide-ranging research themes reflecting the relevance of modern chemistry in solving important global challenges and improving lives.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), EaStCHEM’s excellence across research and impact was rewarded by >99% of our research outputs being assessed as either “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”, and 100% of our impact case studies being assessed as “outstanding” or “very considerable”. We are one of only three chemistry submissions to achieve a 100% “world-leading” score for our research environment.

The School engages locally and internationally with research sponsors, industry, scientific societies and other educational communities in order to advance chemical knowledge, innovate in the service of society and educate the next generation of chemical scientists. 

Teaching

St Andrews offers a world-class education and ranks amongst the best universities in the UK. The School of Chemistry offers excellent undergraduate and postgraduate courses, with desirable student to tutor ratios and state-of-the-art, modern teaching facilities. The School of Chemistry was ranked first by the Guardian University Guide 2024 and was ranked first in Scotland and second in the UK by the Good University Guide 2024.

The School hosts the largest postgraduate group in the University, with around 160 PhD students and 100 post-doctoral research workers contributing to our research output. Our research groups have access to the latest commercially available technology that facilitates our cutting edge research.

Facilities

State-of-the-art instrumentation, facilities and services are available across all of the research areas within the School. Students and researchers can also make use of the facilities of the EaStCHEM partner at the School of Chemistry at Edinburgh.

See the Facilities page for more information on the equipment available.

History

Chemistry has been taught and researched in St Andrews for over two centuries.

Sir Robert Robinson, who received a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1947, worked at the School of Chemistry between 1921 and 1923, and wrote the first paper to use the iconic 'curly arrow' to demonstrate electron movement during this time. The University Museum houses the Chemistry Collection, which is a collection of historically significant instruments used for teaching and research from the 19th century onwards.

The University Library also houses a collection of historical books and manuscripts on alchemy, largely gathered by Professor John Read - a renowned scholar of the history of science.

A recently discovered periodic table, found while clearing out a lecture theatre, is believed to be the world’s oldest, having been dated as being printed between 1879 and 1896. In 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table as designated by the United Nations, the School celebrated this amazing discovery. The University was awarded a funding grant from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust for the conservation of the chart. A full-size facsimile is now on display in the School of Chemistry, while the original periodic table is being kept in climate-controlled conditions.