Analytical Science supports research and development in key industries and underpins many aspects of biological and clinical sciences, environmental sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, materials science and synthetic chemistry. This course offers expertise from international experts within academia and companies like Syngenta, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. It provides training in experimental approaches and data analysis with a view to finding creative solutions to real-world problems.
Emphasis is on collaborative research with our industrial partners and academic disciplines, and you will take two 10-week projects in different research teams. This will prepare you for either a research career or to take up further studies through a PhD.
Core modules
Statistics for Data Analysis
The aim of this module is to give students a basic understanding of the statistical methods appropriate to data analysis in analytical science, and to provide guidance on some statistical tools for more advanced study. Topics include: basic probability; error analysis and calibration; summarising data and testing simple hypotheses; statistical computing (software and practice, including simple graphics); experimental design and analysis of variance; sampling methods and quality control; simple analysis of multivariate data. Each session will combine lecture and data analysis workshop. At the end of the course the student should be able to appreciate the added value that statistical analysis can bring to research to perform basic statistical analyses of simple data sets using statistical software to design simple experiments.
Techniques in Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
This module will introduce practical fundamentals of qualitative and quantitative analysis. We will consider practical aspects of sampling and calibration techniques. The laboratory sessions will include quantitative analyses using volumetry, gravimetry, UV/Visible spectroscopy, and state-of-the art inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) techniques (OES and MS).
Frontier Techniques for Analytical Science
This module introduces students from a range of different backgrounds to advanced analytical techniques. To ensure students appreciate the links between need for measurement, instrumentation design, data quality and data analysis.
Microscopy and Imaging
This module provides a foundation in the principles and applications of microscopy, starting with basics of light microscopy and progressing to state of the art confocal microscopy, electron microscopy and scanned probe microscopy. The latter includes atomic force microscopy and electrochemical imaging techniques for which Warwick is particularly well-known. The module includes workshops on image analysis and seminars that cover the most recent developments in the field.
Transferable Skills
2 × 11-week Research Projects
Optional modules
Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:
- Introduction to Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Electrochemistry and Sensors
- Mass Spectrometry
- Chromatography and Separation Science
- Magnetic Resonance
- X-ray and Neutron Techniques
