Chemical Engineering with a Foundation Year

You’ll learn to design and operate processes that make fuels, medicines, plastics, food, and advanced materials. The foundation year prepares you with essential science, maths, and engineering skills. Once you’ve successfully completed the foundation year, you’ll progress onto the BEng degree.

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 Chemical Engineering 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.

Accreditation

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.

Why study this course?

• Learn from experts in the field - You’ll be taught by academics who are at the forefront of their fields, contributing to cutting-edge research that shapes the future of chemical engineering. From energy systems to advanced materials, you’ll benefit from their expertise and industry connections.

• World-class facilities, practical training - Gain invaluable experience using industrial-scale equipment in energy, pharmaceutical, and biological engineering. The Diamond Pilot Plant, featuring the UK's first university powder processing line, mirrors the systems and processes used in industry, ensuring you graduate with real-world skills that employers value.

• Our graduates work in leading chemical engineering roles - Our course is designed with your future in mind, with employability embedded at every stage. Our careers team hosts an annual conference offering networking with guest speakers from companies such as Nestlé, Pepsico, GTC, and Reckitt.