Undergraduate

BSc (Honours) Molecular Science

On this page

• Description
• Planning your studies
• Career relevance
• Courses
• Learning outcomes
• Credit for previous study elsewhere
• Classification of your degree
• Regulations
• How to register

Description

This degree programme will develop your understanding of the processes and interactions at the atomic and molecular scale based on a broad foundation of chemical knowledge and practical skills, and the way that the molecular scale impinges on the macro scale. You will develop a range of transferable skills that will be of value in employment both within and without the arena of molecular science, and will also gain a knowledge and skills base from which you can proceed to further studies in molecular science and related areas. You will have an appreciation of the potential and the limitations of scientific knowledge and an awareness of its industrial, environmental, economic and social impact.

Planning your studies

If you’re new to study or to the OU, we recommend that you start with a course at Level 1. For this degree we recommend starting with Exploring science (S104) and Practising science (SXR103).  If you have not studied science or basic maths before – or perhaps not for some time – we recommend you study Science starts here (S154) before S104. These should provide you with an appropriate background in scientific thinking, knowledge, methods and skills to progress to the Level 2 study. We recommend that you start your Level 2 study with The molecular world (S205) and its associated residential school Exploring the molecular world (SXR205) before moving on to Level 3. 

We recommend that you study the following courses if you want a Molecular Science degree that is focused on environmental science (S216 and SXR216); astronomy and planetary science (S282 and S283); or  biology and medicine (S377, SD329 and S807). If you wish to cover all aspects of molecular science we recommend that you study S345, S346 and S347.

You can register your intention to study for this degree when you reserve your place on individual courses, or you can ask us at any time to link courses that you have already studied towards the degree. This gives you the flexibility to delay your decision or to change your mind as your studies progress. However, there are significant advantages and no disadvantages to linking as early as possible in your studies. One advantage is that, once linked, we can provide you with additional program-based support.

There is no time limit for obtaining the required credit points for this qualification unless you are including discontinued courses which may cease to be countable at some point after their final presentation. You must include at least 120 points from OU courses that have not been counted in any other OU diploma or first degree that you may have been awarded. If you have graduated with an OU BSc degree without honours this requirement is reduced to 60 points.

Career relevance and employability

Science graduates are well placed to enter a range of both scientific and non-scientific jobs. The study of molecular science develops good analytical, reasoning and problem-solving skills, and students also become proficient in using computer technology. Skills such as these are sought by a wide range of industrial, financial, business and public sector employers, so molecular science graduates, particularly those who have good communication and interpersonal skills, are in demand by employers.

This molecular science degree plus relevant post-graduate experience may qualify for recognition by the Royal Society of Chemistry. This provision is already in place for specific OU course combinations within the general area of chemistry. Ask the Student Registration & Enquiry Service for Recognition leaflet 3.8 Scientific Institutions if you are interested in the possibility of RSC recognition.

Ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for the careers publication OU study and your career if you want to find out more about the process of career development and about sources of careers information and guidance.

For planning your next career steps, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.

There’s more information about the career relevance of degrees on the national HE Prospects website.

Courses

For this 360-point honours degree you require:

140 points from the following compulsory courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, at Level 1 the discontinued courses S102, S103, at Level 2 the discontinued courses S246 and S247

*students who satisfactorily attended the residential school that was previously a component of S102 or S103 may count this instead of SXR103

**students who satisfactorily attended the residential school CHEM999 that was previously a component of S246 and S247 may count this instead of SXR205

And at least 60 points from the following optional courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses S327, S342, S343, S344

And 10 points from one of the following residential school courses:

Or one of the residential schools that was previously a component of the discontinued courses S342, S343 and S344

And 30 points from the following compulsory course:

And you will also need further points from any of the courses listed in any of the categories above, at any level, and/or from the following optional courses to bring your total number of molecular science points to 300. (The additional points required here will vary according to how many 10-point SXR courses you have included in your degree.)

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses S191, S195, S199, T172, S268, S269, S278, S280, S281, S293, ST240, S328

To complete the 360 points needed for an honours degree, the remaining points up to a maximum of 60 points can be from any OU undergraduate courses. You must ensure that you have the required 120 points at Level 3.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.

Credit for previous study elsewhere

If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.

Credit transfer details for this qualification:

• Essential Information Sheets - BSc (Honours) Molecular Science

Classification of your degree

On successful completion of the required number and type of courses you will be awarded a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Molecular Science degree. Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. The class of degree is determined by the best grades you achieve in 240 points from courses above Level 1. These 240 points must include all the compulsory Level 2 and 3 requirements of the award as specified, and must include at least 120 points at Level 3. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony to collect your award certificate.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.

Award Regulations

• Introduction to the Award Regulations
• General Award Regulations
• BSc (Honours) Molecular Science
• Schedule A to the Award Regulations

Student Regulations

The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.

How to register

To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.

About this page

An undergraduate qualification in Science.

Study explained

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