Chemical Engineering (with Optional Year in Industry)

Optional year in industry: The year in industry option will help you gain valuable work experience which will help you enhance your graduate employability prospects. During your placement you develop transferable skills such as communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, self-reliance and commercial awareness. At the end of your work placement you return to complete your degree and prepare to enter employment with improved confidence.

Our work placement officer and the University’s careers service are available to help you find and apply for your work placement. Advice is also available on job hunting and networking.

Course overview: This course includes an integrated masters - you study three years at undergraduate level and one year at postgraduate level. Explore advanced chemical processes and the drivers behind sustainability, decarbonisation, and net zero technologies. Understand the principles of cleaner design, develop concepts for environmentally friendly industries and create a holistic view of the sustainability of chemical products and services.

Collaborate with world-leading researchers, with access to the state-of-the-art facilities in hydrogen, carbon capture, CO2 mineralisation, gas and liquid separation membranes, biofuel and biochar, and advanced chemical engineering software. You graduate with an appreciation of societal requirements for sustainable development and corporate responsibility in industry, giving you the foundations to secure jobs with top-tier employers.

Top reasons to study this course

1. Financial awards: you may be eligible for a number of scholarships and awards.
2. Maths support: strengthen your maths with a free online Mathematics for University course before you start your course.
3. Industry links: we have long-term industrial links and joint projects with the top employers, offering you significant opportunities to gain practical experience and work on industry-focused projects.
4. International visits: you have opportunities to travel internationally through student mobility visits or spending a semester studying abroad with one of our partners in countries such as China, the Czech Republic, Spain and Malaysia.
5. Professional accreditation: this degree is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, under licence from the Engineering Council, as fully satisfying the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

After the course: Our graduates are working across sectors including; pharmaceutical, energy, recycling, battery production, pulp and paper, cement, fertilisers, chemical, food production, biochemical production/biotechnology, and consultancy companies.

As the world transits to sustainable and green technologies many new areas have emerged that need chemical engineers, these include hydrogen-ammonia economy, biofuels, emission mitigation, and novel materials. The sector-wise distribution of chemical engineers employed in different sectors such as oil, gas, nuclear, water, manufacturing and pharmaceutical.

You are qualified to work within research and the development of innovative and sustainable products and processes, production and process technologies and advanced technical support. Typical roles involve process engineers, sustainability managers, production in-charge, waste/energy managers, waste minimisation specialists, energy monitoring consultants, research scientist, environmental or carbon management officers, and government advisors.

The course trains you to start your own company or join a start-up. As a chemical engineer, you are trained to draw on resources and ideas from a variety of fields, making you adaptable, creative and able to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment.