Skip to content

Chemical Engineering

BEng (Hons)

Typical offer for 2025
Duration
UCAS code

Suitable for applications.

Overview

The BEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering is shaped by the ongoing needs of industry, while focusing on the traditional disciplines of oil, gas and petrochemical production.

You’ll get the knowledge and hands-on experience you need to operate in a range of industry sectors, learning in a research-informed, multidisciplinary environment.

Your studies will give you a deep understanding of fundamental and advanced technical principles such as:

  • fluid mechanics
  • thermodynamics
  • mass and heat transfer
  • chemical reactions
  • process control
  • safety, health and environment

You’ll also gain practical experience with analytical tools, and the competencies required to apply this knowledge in industry.

Chemical Engineering at Bradford has extensive links to industry. Our Lecturers are actively working on research projects with industry, with recent research projects linked to leading pharmaceutical, oil, gas, petrochemical and advanced material engineering companies.

Programme options

We also offer a 4-year version of the BEng which includes a 'sandwich' placement year in industry. The placement year is an excellent way to develop your professional experience, build industry contacts, and gain insight into the day-to-day work of a professional engineer.

You may also be interested in our MEng Chemical Engineering programmes. We offer a 4-year version of the MEng and a 5-year version with sandwich year. These programmes give you a Master's level degree on graduation, with the additional year enabling further study of the technical and managerial aspects of chemical engineering.

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the IChemE. 

The accreditation will meet, in part, the exemplifying academic benchmark requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer and students will need to complete an approved format of further learning pursuant to the requirements of UK-SPEC.

Institution of Chemical Engineers logo
We’ve employed several students from Bradford, who have all completed 12-month work placements. Employing students enables us to bring in new skills and future-proof the business. The students from Bradford bring fresh ideas, as well as knowledge about new technologies and processes, which they pass onto our employees. And our employees pass on their experience of working at a chemical manufacturing site. Lucy, Apprenticeships & Graduate Programme Coordinator, Solenis UK

Entry requirements

Typical offer - 112 UCAS tariff points.

 

A levels

BBC to include A level Maths at minimum grade C plus another science subject.

Please note that where a science A level is taken, the University will require applicants to pass the practical element (for A levels awarded from August 2017 onwards).

T levels

Merit or higher in the following subjects:

  • Science
  • Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
  • Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing
  • Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control

BTEC Extended Diploma

BTEC Level 3 (2010-2016)
Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians (Unit 28) at minimum Merit.

BTEC Nationals Level 3 (from 2016)
‘Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems’ (Unit 7) AND ‘Further Engineering Mathematics’ (Unit 8) at minimum Merit.

Applicants on Access Programmes

112 UCAS tariff points from an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Engineering or Science and Engineering - must contain a minimum of 12 credits in Maths at minimum Merit.

International Baccalaureate Requirements

112 UCAS tariff points to include HL Maths at grade 5 and an additional HL science subject.

Plus HL 3 or SL 4 in English Language and Literature A or English B.

Plus minimum of

GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C or 4 (equivalents accepted).

English language requirements

Minimum IELTS at 6.0 or the equivalent.

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, and you have a UKVI approved IELTS, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course. See the Language Centre for more details. For further information on English Language requirements please see the dedicated international entry requirements page.

Transferring from another university

If you are currently studying at another university and would like to transfer to the University of Bradford, this course accepts students into the second or third year. This is called advanced entry

Applications for advanced entry will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must include an official transcript (not a screenshot of a portal), all module descriptors, and relevant qualifications. Module descriptors must include learning outcomes.

Applications must be submitted through UCAS and the required documents emailed along with your UCAS Personal ID no later than 31 August prior to the course starting in September. Relevant documents should be emailed to [email protected]

What you will study

All module information is for 2023 entry, and is subject to change.

Placement Year

This Chemical Engineering programme offers you the opportunity to take up a placement year working in industry in your third year.

The placement year is an excellent way to develop your professional experience, build industry contacts, and gain insight into the day-to-day work of a professional chemical engineer.

During the second year we’ll offer you all the support you need to find a placement that is aligned to your career aspirations and personal interests. These include sessions on CVs, interviews etc. from the Careers service at the University and presentations by both employers and previous year's students on their placements. Once on placement you’ll have support and guidance from a placements tutor, who will monitor your progress.

Our students have undertaken placements with organisations such as:

  • EDF Energy
  • Novartis
  • Thames Water
  • AMEC
  • BASF
  • Sellafield
  • Tracerco

After completing your placement you’ll return to complete the final year of the programme, and apply all you’ve learnt to your final project. Many students continue their relationship with their placement employers, working for them part-time or returning to work in graduate positions after finishing their studies.

Learning and assessment

Your learning experiences are varied – a mixture of:

  • formal lectures
  • practical lab sessions
  • tutorials and seminars
  • group work
  • computer based learning
  • coursework
  • poster and oral presentations

Independent study is supported by our Virtual Learning Environment, Canvas. Reading lists and suggested resources for independent study provide you with clear direction, while regular contact hours and informal feedback throughout the course provide all the support you may need. Assessments will include formal exams, class tests, lab reports, coursework, research reports, computer based assessment, quizzes, poster and oral presentations. Practical skills are assessed via individual and group technical reports with the laboratory work linked with the taught modules.

Official programme specification

Our facilities

This lab allows you to master the processes required to alter the chemical, biochemical or physical state of a substance, and to create everything from healthcare products to energy.

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2025

  • UK: £9,250

  • International: £24,456

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Career prospects

The chemical and allied industry is expected to grow more rapidly than the average for the whole of manufacturing industry. This, when coupled with the increasing appreciation of the value of chemical engineering in many areas such as the foodstuffs and pharmaceutical industry, metals extraction, medical science, and environmental protection, means your prospects as a graduate are bright. Recent graduates have gained employment at organisations including:

  • Unilever
  • Lorien Engineering Solutions
  • SUEZ UK
  • Pladis Global
  • IMI Precision Engineering
  • British Sugar
  • KPMG

Read employer case studies

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Student with back towards the camera, arms spread, overlooking a sea. The student is wearing a shirt saying 'See the world'.

Study abroad

All of our programmes offer the opportunity to study abroad, with two semesters at an international partner institution.

Study support

A Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) will be assigned to you to support you throughout your studies. You will have weekly meeting with your PAT, who will be an independent source of advice and guidance on making the transition to Higher Education and assisting you with any questions or problems you may encounter. The same tutor and tutees are paired in the second year.

In their final year of study the project supervisor takes over the personal tutor role. Weekly drop-in mathematics tutorials are available for Stage 1 students to help students with tutorial and coursework questions and to clear up difficulties that students have with mathematical topics taught in class.

In addition to standard study support through taught sessions, our Virtual Learning Environment (Canvas) allows you to access resources, participate in group work and submit work from anywhere in the world 24/7. The University central services are rich with support teams to assist you with every aspect of your journey through our degree courses.

From our Career and Employability Service, through our strong Students' Union, to our professional and efficient Student Finance team, there are always friendly faces ready to support you and provide you with the answers you need.

Research

The research informed curriculum at Bradford not only gives you the opportunity to be taught by experts but also to carry out research projects in some of the most advanced laboratories in the world - the Research & Knowledge Transfer Centres in:

  • Advanced Materials Engineering 
  • Polymer Micro and Nano Technology
  • Pharmaceutical Engineering Science
  • Sustainable Environments

You will be taught by academics who are working at the forefront of their engineering discipline. This enables us to explore with you how theoretical principles are being applied to solve real world challenges.

This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.