Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Chemical Engineering (with placement year)

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

AAA including Maths and at least one from Chemistry or Physics

Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 Credits overall including 45 at Level 3. Please obtain: 45D at Level 3, including 15 credits in Maths modules and 15 credits in Chemistry and Physics based modules

Considered on a case by case basis. Please contact Loughborough University directly.

We recognise the benefit of the Extended Project in developing independent research and critical thinking skills. We would consider this as evidence of motivation to study a specific subject in more depth, and while we do not generally include it as part of our offer conditions, it may be used to further consider an application upon receipt of final examination results. www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language grade 4/C

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

37

37 (6,6,6 HL) including Maths and at least one from Chemistry or Physics at HL

We accept a wide range of international qualifications for entry as outlined on our website – please view the individual course typical offers on our website and choose Ireland in the Country/region drop down field for more information.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in a relevant subject: DD plus A Level Maths at grade A BTEC National Diploma in Applied Science or Engineering: DD plus A levels AA to include Maths and either Chemistry or Physics Preferred subjects: Applied Science, Engineering.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

BTEC National Extended Certificate in Applied Science or Engineering: D plus A levels AA to include Maths and either Chemistry or Physics. Preferred subjects: Applied Science, Engineering.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

BTEC National Extended Diploma in Applied Science or Engineering: DDD plus A level Maths at Grade A Preferred subjects: Applied Science, Engineering.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A

AA including Maths and either Chemistry or Physics, plus Highers at AAB in 3 other subjects

For 2024 entry, the following T Levels are currently being considered on a case by case basis. More information can be found on our website at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

Applicants taking the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma will be asked to achieve the A level requirements for their course as part of their qualification. The Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted alongside two A levels providing individual course entry and subject requirements are met. www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

UCAS Tariff

112-144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

5years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Chemical engineering

Chemical Engineering is a highly adaptable and versatile area of engineering, which applies the principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, and economics to transform energy and materials into useful and affordable products. It covers the research, design and operation of new and existing processes, to minimise environmental impacts, ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards and maximise profits and benefits to society.

The 2020 annual skills survey for UK engineering employers highlighted an expected shortfall in skilled chemical engineers to support the UK’s green recovery and net-zero targets, which means chemical engineers will be highly sought after for the specialist work required.

Chemical engineers take leading roles in many different sectors, ranging from energy and water, food, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, to consumer products, and even finance. They use their technical know-how and ingenuity to develop solutions to many of the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change and the large-scale production of new vaccines.

At Loughborough, we conduct world-leading research to drive the sustainable revolution, in areas such as low-carbon technologies, next generation healthcare or advanced manufacturing. An example is our new National Centre for the Circular Chemical Economy, which seeks to transform the UK chemical sector to eliminate waste and reliance on fossil technologies. Our research directly informs our teaching and project work, ensuring our students are fully equipped to meet 21st century challenges.

Our Chemical Engineering degrees teach students how to apply scientific and engineering principles to the design and analysis of chemical process equipment and flow sheets. Bench and pilot-scale laboratories, VR simulation, computer classes and project work help students to understand and apply taught principles to engineering problems, whilst also developing key laboratory, teamwork and IT skills.

We offer a number of options during the degree. These include language options in years one and two (at different levels) in either French, German, Spanish or Mandarin, as an alternative to Materials Processing and Food Engineering. Our students can then choose up to three optional modules in their third year including management, environmental, IT, bioprocessing and healthcare topics, and four options in Year 4 for more in-depth focus on aspects of the degree or expanding their knowledge across disciplinary boundaries. During the final design project, students work both in teams and individually to conceptualise and design an industrial plant to address a specified design challenge, usually aligned with their module choices and research strengths of the department. The project brings together all aspects of the degree, including initial technology selection and flowsheet development, detailed design of individual unit operation, process optimisation, safety and operability analysis and finally full economic and environmental evaluation.

During the MEng degree, you will also complete a Professional Development Project (PDP), where you can join a research group at Loughborough, in industry or abroad, to develop new knowledge in science or engineering. The PDP is an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand insight into our ground-breaking research, whilst acquiring key transferable skills, such as project planning, reporting and data analysis. Recent projects have ranged from electrochemical harvesting of CO2 for renewable chemical production, the development of microfluidic manufacturing devices, or the application of artificial neural networks to predict material behaviour.

Modules

For a full list of areas studied, see the 'What You'll Study' section of the course page on our website.

Assessment methods

Our course offers good balance between knowledge and application-based assessments.

Overall, around 50% of assessments are exam-based, but the proportion reduces slightly from the first to final year. The other half of our assessments are in the form of coursework, both individual and in groups, such as reports, oral presentations, posters or software files. These are excellent opportunities to develop essential communication and team working skills and receive detailed verbal or written feedback.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£27,250
per year
International
£27,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Loughborough University

Department:

Chemical Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

83%
Chemical engineering

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemical, process and energy engineering

Teaching and learning

66%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
75%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

95%
Library resources
94%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
62%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
75%
Male students
25%
Female students
84%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemical, process and energy engineering

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£28,500
med
Average annual salary
95%
high
Employed or in further education
79%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

34%
Engineering professionals
18%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
11%
Business, research and administrative professionals

Want to make good money from the word go? This is the degree for you! The UK has had a shortage of chemical engineers for a while now so starting salaries are very good. In fact, across the UK, only doctors and dentists bettered the average starting salary for chemical engineering graduates, with an average starting salary of around £28,000. Key sectors for chemical engineers last year included the petrochemicals, food, nuclear, pharmaceuticals, materials and consultancy industries. Their skills set also means that the finance industry likes graduates from these degrees, so there are options if you don't fancy engineering as a career. Most graduates take a longer course that leads to an MEng — which is what you need to take if you want to be a Chartered Engineer. Chemical engineers are also more likely than other engineers to take doctorates and go into research roles, so if you want to take an engineering subject but fancy a research job, this might be a good subject to take.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Chemical, process and energy engineering

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£27k

£27k

£34k

£34k

£39k

£39k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Brunel University London | Uxbridge
Chemical Engineering with Placement
MEng (Hon) 5 Years Sandwich 2024
UCAS Points: 128-160
Lower entry requirements
Heriot-Watt University | Edinburgh
Chemical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 5 Years Sandwich 2024
UCAS Points: 96-128
Nearby University
Aston University, Birmingham | Birmingham
Chemical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 4 Years Sandwich 2024
UCAS Points: 112-128
Same University
Loughborough University | Loughborough
Chemical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 4 Years Sandwich 2024
UCAS Points: 112-144

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here