Chemistry

The Honours Programme in Chemistry at Wits offers the opportunity to consolidate their understanding of their undergraduate knowledge and gain exposure to more specialised topics in chemistry.

Overview

The research component of the Wits Honours degree in Chemistry allows candidates the opportunity to work in the School’s well-equipped laboratories with access to a wide variety of modern instrumentation. Academic staff are actively involved in research, and the School’s publications are in the top 1% worldwide as judged by the citations they receive. Candidates will receive exposure to the methods, philosophy and ethos of research in areas of nanotechnology, materials and energy, organometallic chemistry and catalysis, bioinorganic chemistry, biocatalysis and green chemistry, synthesis, environmental and analytical chemistry, electrochemistry and crystallography.

The Honours degree in Chemistry is the equivalent of a professional qualification and is a pre-requisite for registering with SACNASP as a professional chemist. It functions as the gateway for students who want to embark on higher degree research at the MSc and PhD levels, and for students wanting to make a career in chemistry.

Course co-ordinators for the honours programme:

Curriculum

The Honours programme comprises a combination of compulsory and elective examinable courses, several workshops, and two half-year research projects.

Compulsory topics:

Analytical Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Problem Solving using Analytical Techniques
Inorganic Chemistry
  • Spectroscopic Methods in Inorganic Chemistry
  • Reaction Kinetics in Inorganic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
  • Main Group Elements in Organic Synthesis
  • Stereochemical Control
Physical Chemistry
  • Mathematical Methods for Chemists
  • Quantum Effects in Chemistry
  • Statistical Thermodynamics

Elective topics:

  • Environmental Modelling
  • Principles and Applications of Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Chemical Analysis
  • Bioinorganic Chemistry
  • Energy Storage and Conversion
  • Organometallic Chemistry
  • Chemistry of Drug Design
  • Heterocyclic and Pericyclic Chemistry
  • Transition Metals in Organic Synthesis
  • Inorganic Crystal Chemistry
  • Chemical Crystallography
  • Catalysis in the Chemical Industry
  • NMR Spectroscopy

Applications of artificial intelligence in chemistry

Entry Requirements

  • A Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent
  • A pass in the relevant major course at this University or any other university whose programme has been approved by Senate.
  • At least 60% average in the final undergraduate course.

Please note that this is a highly competitive programme and a 60% average does not guarantee admission. 

University Application Process

  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.