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Programme: BScHons Chemistry

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Code Faculty Department
02240123 Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Department: Chemistry
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 1 year Total credits: 135 NQF level:  08

Programme information

Renewal of registration

  1. Subject to exceptions approved by the Dean, on the recommendation of the relevant head of department, a student may not sit for an examination for the honours degree more than twice in the same module.
  2. A student for an honours degree must complete his or her study, in the case of full-time students, within two years and, in the case of after-hours students, within three years of first registering for the degree. Under special circumstances, the Dean, on the recommendation of the relevant head of department, may give approval for a limited extension of this period.

In calculating marks, General Regulation G.12.2 applies.

Apart from the prescribed coursework, a research project is an integral part of the study.

Admission requirements

  1. Relevant BSc degree
  2. A weighted average of at least 60% for chemistry modules at final-year level

Note: Additional modules may be required in order to reach the desired level of competency 

Examinations and pass requirements

A final mark of 50% for each module. To continue to a second semester, a minimum of 40% is required in each module in the first semester. The registration of students who do not meet this requirement will be terminated at the end of the first semester.

Pass with distinction

The BScHons degree is awarded with distinction to a candidate who obtains a weighted average of at least 75% in all the prescribed modules and a minimum of 65% in any one module.

Minimum credits: 135

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Selected aspects of: Mass spectometry: ion sources, analysers, detectors, isotope ratios, accurate mass, ion fragmentation, tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatography: theory and instrumentation of gas, liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography, multidimensional systems and coupling to mass spectrometry.

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  • Module content:

    Selected aspects: Electrochemistry: fundamental theory, voltammetry, metal-ligand equilibria, modelling and measurement of solution composition. Statistics: precision and accuracy, random errors, hypothesis testing, method of least squares, curve fitting, multivariate statistics, interpreting patterns of data. Chemical metrology: propagation of errors, quality control of quantitative and qualitative analytical information, international standards, interlaboratory calibration

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  • Module content:

    Stereocontrolled organic synthesis: substrate stereocontrol in diastereoselective synthesis. Retrosynthesis: principles and applications. Protecting groups in synthesis. Aromatic and heteroaromatic chemistry.

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  • Module content:

    Stereocontrolled organic synthesis: chiral auxiliaries in synthesis; reagent controlled synthesis; catalyst controlled synthetic methods. Pericyclic reactions and transition metals in organic synthesis. Aliphatic and heterocyclic amine chemistry.

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  • Module content:

    Inorganic and organometallic chemistry. Classification of ligands and complexes. Synthesis, structure, bonding and reactivity of complexes. Homogeneous catalysis and template effects.

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  • Module content:

    Main group chemistry. From complexes to clusters to networks. Reaction kinetics and mechanisms. Supramolecular chemistry Bioinorganic and bioorganometallic compounds. Metals in medicine.

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  • Module content:

    Crystallography: theoretical principles, symmetry elements and operations, point groups, space groups, theory of crystals, X-rays, crystallographic techniques, structure determinations, powder diffraction and crystallographic data bases.

    Molecular modelling: molecular structure/energy, methodology, principles and and molecular surfaces.

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  • Module content:

    Chemical kinetics: rates of chemical reactions, equilibrium reactions, temperature dependence of reactions, complex reactions, reaction mechanisms and kinetics by thermal analysis. Statistical mechanics: Boltzmann distribution, partition functions, ensembles, thermodynamic functions, equilibria.

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  • Module content:

    Students work on one project during the year which has a significant component that can be described as instrumental or computational or analysis of data or theoretical. A report and a presentation are required.

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  • Module content:

    Students work on one project during the year which has a significant component that can be described as instrumental or computational or analysis of data or theoretical. A report and a presentation are required.

     

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  • Module content:

    Chemical information literacy; Molecular modelling; NMR spectroscopy; Mass spectrometry; Crystallography and Metrology will be presented from a practical point of view with an emphasis on the interpretation of data and use of instrumentation rather than on underlying theory.

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The information published here is subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information. The General Regulations (G Regulations) apply to all faculties of the University of Pretoria. It is expected of students to familiarise themselves well with these regulations as well as with the information contained in the General Rules section. Ignorance concerning these regulations and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression.

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