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Chemical Engineering

Entry requirements


Access to HE Diploma

M:18

An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 18 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language at grade C or 4, and Maths at grade C or 4.

UCAS Tariff

128-136

This must include at least two A levels, equivalent BTEC National qualifications or T levels (to include mathematics and physics or chemistry). For example: ABB-AAB at A Level including relevant subjects, DDD in BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject, Distinction overall from a T level qualification - must include B from Core and must be an engineering T level (excluding Design and development for engineering and manufacturing), or a combination of qualifications (which must include relevant subjects and may include AS levels and EPQ).

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

5 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Chemical engineering

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**

**Course summary**

- Become a professional chemical engineer from day one.

- Learn by completing applied and industry-led projects from the very start.

- Explore mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, process safety and reaction engineering.

- Engage in sustainability-related projects such as hydrogen and carbon capture.

- Gain hands-on practical and lab skills to support your technical understanding.

On this course you’ll build your knowledge of key chemical engineering topics through practical and project-based learning – with an emphasis on solving industrial challenges. You’ll gain the skills and experience to design safe, sustainable and economically viable industrial plants and processes, becoming a chemical engineer with essential skills in our society.

This course runs parallel to the BEng (Honours) Chemical Engineering.

**How you learn**

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

This course is designed for you to gain experience as a professional engineer by developing technical and professional skills from the start. You’ll have opportunities to apply your skills and knowledge at every level, through real-world project-based learning set and supported by industrial partners. Could this be changed to - Previous projects have been supported by British Oxygen Company (BOC), ITM Power, OGC Energy and E.ON.

Through practical laboratory sessions, you’ll learn how fundamental concepts work in practice. As part of projects you complete on the course, you’ll visit chemical and process plants to help you understand how chemical engineers design plants, plus the wider implications and impact on society.

**Course topics**

Core modules on this course cover key chemical engineering topics, such as mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, process safety and reaction engineering.

You’ll be presented with chemical engineering concepts for you to critically evaluate and take ownership of your learning. Projects defined in-partnership with research colleagues in The Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI) and National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE) will allow you to understand the wide range of projects and job roles available to chemical engineers.

Assessments will be varied with an emphasis on developing communication skills required by professional engineers. You’ll produce portfolios and project reports, deliver engaging presentations and test your understanding in exams.

**Applied learning**

**Work placement**

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career – and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.

In previous years students have undertaken placements at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, RAF Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, Envirogen, Network Rail and British Glass.

**Live projects**

At every level of the course, you’ll work on applied projects set by industrial partners and research centres. We have developed strong links with UK and multinational companies, from corrosion consultants to biomass power stations.

You’ll be able to develop a range of sustainable solutions – including carbon capture & storage systems, designing green hydrogen plants and making water treatment plants more energy efficient.

Our academics work across different research centres including MERI and NCEFE. Students have previously gained experience working on research projects on biofuel – such as analysing the properties of waste coffee grounds from our cafes and how they can be used as a solid fuel.

Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

**Important notice:** The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.

You can take an optional placement in year 4.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

Chemical Engineering Fundamentals
Chemical Engineering Mathematics
Chemistry, Materials And Employability For Chemical Engineers
Practical Chemical Engineering

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

Chemical Engineering Principles
Chemical Reaction Engineering & Thermodynamics
Process Modelling And Control
Sustainable Chemical Engineering

**Year 3**

**Optional modules**

Placement Year

**Year 4**

**Compulsory modules**

Individual Design Project
Particle Processing And Applications
Reactor Design
Sustainable Design Project

**Final year**

**Compulsory modules**

Advanced Chemical Engineering Principles
Advanced Process Design & Safety
Chemical Engineering Research Project
Computational Fluid Dynamics For Sustainable Chemical Engineering

Assessment methods

Coursework | Exam | Practical

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,655
per year
International
£16,655
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni


Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Business Technology and 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.

71%
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

78%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
89%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
72%
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

72%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
67%
Course specific equipment and facilities
61%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
78%
Male students
22%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
91%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

48%
Engineering professionals
9%
Science, engineering and production technicians
6%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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

£37k

£37k

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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?

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