The ambassadors

By and 2008-11-01T00:00:00

Teaching chemistry

Undergraduate chemists get the opportunity to teach as part of their degree course

In Short

  • Undergraduates can now go into schools and colleges as part of their BSc chemistry course and learn how to teach
  • Ambassadors gain credits towards their degree course        

Many schools and colleges in the UK are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit specialist science teachers.1 Without these teachers, the country has little hope of motivating high-quality students to study science post-16. The Undergraduate Ambassadors' Scheme (UAS), which aims to encourage science graduates into teaching, addresses these issues and is beginning to bear fruit

The Undergraduate Ambassadors' Scheme (UAS)2 was launched in 2002 by the then Training Development Agency in response to a growing shortage of subject specialist science and maths teachers in secondary schools and colleges in the UK. The basic principle of the UAS is straightforward - ie that science students spend some time during their degree on a placement in a local school or college for which they can earn academic credits that go towards their degree. UAS is offered to students as a course module which may count from 10-40 credits (each year of a UK university degree course counts as 120 credits).  

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor. 

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

  • unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
  • teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
  • applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.