Chemical Engineering with a Foundation Year

Learn to create and design the products that shape our world, from medicines and fuels to plastics and high-tech materials. The foundation year prepares you with essential science, maths, and engineering skills. Once you’ve successfully completed it, you’ll progress onto the MEng 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Graduates gain practical and technical skills, progressing to roles in sectors including renewable energy, biotechnology, and consumer goods, at global employers such as BASF, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sellafield.