The Department of Chemistry is committed to the promotion of scientific knowledge through excellence in research, comprehensive, open, distance and e-learning (CODel) teaching and learning in Chemistry by providing a congenial learning environment accessible to all students, without sexual, religious, nationality or racial bias.
Dr M Mketo
Department of Chemistry (Chair)
Dear prospective students, collaborators, funders, and visitors
I am delighted to welcome you to the official website of the Department of Chemistry at the University of South Africa (Unisa). The Department of Chemistry is one of four departments in the School of Science (SoS), which falls under the umbrella of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET). The Department of Chemistry is the only department at CSET which occupies a space in Florida Science campus, Johannesburg and in Muckleneuk main campus, Pretoria. The staffing consists of 21 permanent staff members (5x professors, 2x associate professors, 5x senior lecturers, 3x lecturers, 2x administrators and 4x technical members in the laboratories), 3 fixed term contractors (1x senior lecturer and 2x lecturers) and 10x post-doctoral fellows. The department strives for excellence, integrity, collegiality and creativity while persuading Unisa’s core business, namely teaching & learning, research & innovation and community engagement.
The study of matter is chemistry, and matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. Moreover, chemistry incorporates the study of substances (elements or chemical compounds), structures, properties and reactions together with the energy changes of those reactions. Chemistry properties are valuable to biologists, physicists, geologists, engineers, astronomers, just to name the few, hence it is sometimes called the central science. Chemists synthesise new products, improve manufacturing processes, and ensure good quality products (plastics, detergents, cosmetics, paint, electronics, food, water, medicine and construction materials) used in our daily lives.
The Department of Chemistry at Unisa offers a wide range of study options to suit different students’ journeys and ambitions, including Higher Certificate in Physical Sciences, Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in chemistry with four core chemistries namely, Analytical, Inorganic, Organic and Physical, BSc Hons degree in chemistry, where students are also exposed to structural, polymer, quantum, computational and environmental chemistry and BSc Hons degree in chemistry education. The department has state of the art laboratory facilities in both campuses (Florida Science campus and Muckleneuk campus), where undergraduate, and honours students conduct practical sessions.
As we flourish in the space of Comprehensive Open Distance e-Learning (CODeL) environment, undergraduate students are trained on Virtual Chemistry Laboratories to ensure their preparedness prior to hands-on-experience in the venue-based laboratories.
Postgraduate studies at the Master's and Doctorate levels in various research areas of chemistry. The Department of Chemistry has four Research Focus Areas (RFAs), namely, Food and Environmental Chemistry, Material Science and Medicinal Chemistry. The department is also starting initiative in growing chemistry education research to strengthen scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in a CODeL institution. These RFAs are well aligned with five of the Unisa’s 10 Catalytic Niche Areas (CNAs) such as Marine Studies (CNA # 1), Automative (CNA # 2), Energy (CNA #4), Fourth Industrial Revolution and Digitalisation (CNA # 6) and Natural Sciences (CNA #7). The RFAs enhances collaborations within the chemistry department, while CNAs encourages multidisciplinary cutting-edge research. The Department of Chemistry has established strong collaboration with Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions (iCES), Centre for Material Sciences and other various national and international scholars. Experienced research leaders (6x NRF rated) and excellent research facilities are available to expand national and international research profile of the Department of Chemistry and to expose students to the frontiers of research in their field of choice. The number of postgraduate students is rapidly growing, and these students are fully funded (R 100, 000.00 MSc and R 160, 000.00 PhD per annum). The department mostly attract postgraduate students from South Africa, Swaziland, LeSotho, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, as a way of “Reclaiming Africa Intellectual Futures”.
Both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students will be given the space to be creative and develop personally and professionally. Our programmes are accredited by Council on Higher Education (CHE) and South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Our curriculum provokes critical thinking, creativity and innovation, as we believe in research that breaks new ground and makes an impact nationally and globally with real-life applications. The focus of the Department of Chemistry is to produce students who are world and work ready and to help tomorrow’s leaders unlock their full potential, channelling their skills and passion into careers that will reduce socioeconomic challenges currently facing South Africa and Africa at large. Companies that hire chemist graduates include chemical manufacturers, cosmetics and fragrance producers, environmental consultancies, pharmaceutical companies, food and beverage producers, mining and metallurgy companies, oil and gas companies, plastic manufacturers, just to name the few.
You can learn more about our research by exploring each academic staff member or Research Focus Areas by clicking here (insert the link). Moreover, the various state of the art instruments can be found here (insert the link). Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the university’s excellent resources, such as the library 24/7 access irrespective of the location, the Directorate for Counselling and Career Development (DCCD) and Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD).
Thank you for visiting our departmental webpage and I hope our programmes meet your professional and academic goals.
Warm regards,
Dr M Mketo
Department of Chemistry (Chair)
College of Science, Engineering and Technology
