Frequently Asked Questions in Applied Chemistry
Last updated: 30/03/07
Do I have to declare "Applied Chemistry" as my Major to enrol in the Applied Chemistry course?
The prerequisite for Applied Chemistry is CM1161. We'll base admission on the performance in the first year, with special consideration of CM1161. Polytechnic graduates who have been exempted from CM1161 can be admitted based upon their performance in the other chemistry modules.
Your registration of the Major in year one ("Chemistry" or "Applied Chemistry") does not affect your chances of being admitted into the Applied Chemistry programme. You should however change the registration once you have indeed taken up the offer of Applied Chemistry.
What is the difference between Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering?
Applied Chemistry is a course offered by the Chemistry Department. It trains chemists. A chemist has skills in re-arranging atoms to form new molecules (chemical synthesis). In Applied Chemistry, we will never lose perspective that these new molecules have to be useful, and have to be prepared in larger volumes if they are to be an industrial product. Thus, students will be exposed to certain engineering problems related to the scale-up of a synthesis from the lab bench to the production plant. Analytical procedures (chemical analysis) will be discussed with a perspective to use them for process control and quality assurance.
A chemical engineer in contrast concentrates on the manufacturing process itself. (S)he analyses this process in terms of "unit operations" such as mixing, distillation, extraction. Physical properties such as viscosity, density, heat capacity are of more importance than chemical properties of the materials involved.
Graduates from the Applied Chemistry Programme should be good chemists, but they should know enough chemical engineering to understand the language of the engineers, and to work at the interface between chemistry and chemical engineering.
What are the job prospects/what is the difference in the job description for Applied Chemistry and Chemistry graduates?
There is no difference in the jobs you may take up after graduation. The exposure to the work in chemical industry during the Professional Placement does however give you a better idea about the scope of jobs available in the industry, and this extra experience will be of advantage in landing your first job.
A preliminary statistic shows that 59% of our graduates found employment in chemistry-related jobs in industry and statutory boards. Another 13% work in other professions, including as science teachers. 20% pursue higher degrees. We lost contact with the remaining 8% - they may have returned to their home country, or may not seek actively employment.
What are the prerequisites for the Drug Option?
In order to be admitted into the modules offered by the Department of Pharmacy for the Medicinal Chemistry Option of Applied Chemistry, you have to have either a good background in Biology, i.e., you have to have taken Biology at "A"-levels or you have to read the bridging module LSM1401 Biochemistry. International students may consult with the Department of Pharmacy whether their standard of biology can be recognized as equivalent to the Singapore ( Cambridge) A-level standard.
You have to fulfill this prerequisite before you can enroll in any of the modules offered by the Department of Pharmacy for the Medicinal Chemistry Option (i.e., PR3101 Principles of Medicinal Chemistry; PR3104 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; PR4210 Bioorganic Principles of Medicinal Chemistry).
PR1101 is not required for Applied Chemistry students.
When is the exact date for attachment?
Any time starting from mid-May (after your examinations), but not later than early July.
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