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 and build confidence in both learning and practical application.

At Sheffield, we’ll equip you with the skills to tackle global challenges and make a real impact in industries shaping the future. Chemical engineering plays a key role in essential sectors such as energy, food production, and pharmaceuticals.

A Chemical Engineering MEng from Sheffield opens the door to a diverse and rewarding career in industries that shape our world.

We emphasise learning through practical experience, incorporating lab work, projects, and open-ended problem-solving into the course. Our state-of-the-art pilot plant allows you to apply your knowledge by experimenting with large-scale process equipment, providing hands-on experience with industry-standard tools. This practical approach is integrated throughout the course, ensuring you develop real-world skills from day one.

Alongside a diverse range of core and optional modules, you’ll have the opportunity to choose a specialism in energy, pharmaceutical, or biological engineering. In your third year, you’ll take part in a process design project, applying your skills to design an entire real-world process from start to finish.

By your fourth year, you’ll take on an independent research project, diving into cutting-edge research in a field of your choice.

Chemical engineering is rapidly evolving, and we’ll make sure you’re ahead of the curve. You’ll gain essential skills for an increasingly digital manufacturing world, including advanced computer modelling techniques. These skills are critical for future-proofing your career in a tech-driven, sustainable economy.

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.