Chemical Engineering with a Foundation Year

Sustainable manufacturing, clean energy, and innovative healthcare are just a few of the pressing challenges that need the creativity and expertise of chemical engineers.

If you don't have the usual scientific or mathematical background for an engineering degree, a foundation year is for you. After successfully completing the foundation year, you automatically progress onto year 1 of your chosen degree.

The foundation year is designed to prepare you for your degree. You’ll study core topics such as chemistry, mathematics and an introduction to engineering, gaining hands-on experience through laboratory work and lab reports. You’ll also complete a project relevant to your chosen degree programme, ensuring you are fully prepared to succeed in your first year of your degree and build confidence in both learning and practical application.

In your first year of your BEng degree, you’ll develop a solid understanding of core chemical engineering principles and essential scientific and mathematical concepts. You’ll gain hands-on experience through laboratory work, practical projects, and problem-solving exercises, while also building key skills in teamwork, communication, and professional practice.

Your second year of your degree focuses on applying your knowledge to real-world chemical engineering challenges. You’ll learn how to design, operate, and optimise processes safely and efficiently, while developing digital and analytical skills, including data-driven engineering techniques. Collaborative design projects and practical exercises give you opportunities to solve complex problems and experience how chemical engineers work in industry.

In your final year, you’ll tackle advanced process design and sustainability challenges. You’ll integrate your learning to solve open-ended industrial problems, considering technical, environmental, and economic factors. Optional topics allow you to tailor your studies to your interests. By the end of the course, you’ll have the expertise, practical experience, and professional skills to innovate and succeed in diverse chemical engineering sectors, making a real impact on industries that shape our world.

The Chemical Engineering BEng is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers on behalf of the Engineering Council, for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer, and partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. The Chemical Engineering MEng fully meets the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.