BEng Chemical Engineering

3 years full-time / 4 years full-time with integrated placement year

UCAS Code: H803

Typical offer level
A Level: BBB-ABB
BTEC National Diploma: DDD in relevant National Diploma
IB: 32 points (including Chemistry at Higher Level)

Specific subject requirements
A Level: Chemistry required, Maths preferred but not essential
GCSE: Maths Grade C and English Grade C
A suitable combination of two A Level and two AS Level subjects may be accepted

Tuition fees: £9,000 (£1,000 during placement year) for UK/EU students. (2013).  More on fees

Applicants receiving offers are invited to an open day.

BEng with Foundation Year also available (H102)

Information on visas for international students

The products in the world we use everyday require the skill of a chemical engineer.  You will be trained to ensure the safe and profitable production of the chemicals and materials required to create products such as clothing, food, medicine, transport and home entertainment systems.

Chemical engineers are very much at the forefront of working to improve the quality of our lives.  Chemical engineering is a challenging and fascinating profession with extensive career opportunities.  As a chemical engineer you will combine a detailed knowledge of chemistry with an understanding of engineering principles in order to design, construct and operate chemical process plants.

Subject Guide & Modules:

The BEng in chemical engineering is designed to develop your engineering skills, in the context of a firm grounding in chemistry. To ensure this you share a common first year with chemists. In later years you go on to specialise at a more advanced level in the core engineering topics. In addition you study the important topics of business, management and sustainability, all the while developing and applying problem-solving skills. Your computer modelling skills will also be developed with a strong emphasis on process simulation.

You have the option to spend an additional year on placement in industry after your second academic year. Many students take advantage of this option, and find the experience of great benefit both in their development as an engineer and in their final year performance.

Years 1

• Basic Mathematics

• Fundamental Mathematics

• Introduction to Separation Processes
• Design
• Process and Product Design
• Introduction to Transfer Processes
• Health, Safety and the Environment
• Molecular Structure for Engineers
• Kinetics for Chemical Engineers
• Molecular Transformations for Engineers
• States of Matter
• General and Introductory Chemistry
• Transistion Mathematics for Engineers
• Mathematics for First Year Engineers

Year 2 

• Process Design
• Transfer Processes
• Process Control and Instrumentation
• Separation Processes
• Process Simulation
• Reaction Kinetics
• Chemical Engineering Laboratory
• Engineering Materials 1
• Energy Supply
• Introduction to Business Management

Year 3 - Optional placement year

See placement year section or find out more about the Aston placement year.

Final Year

• Process Economics and Loss Prevention
• Advanced Process Design
• Sustainability Project
• Reaction Engineering II
• Process and Pollution Control
• Advanced Separation Processes
• Advanced Transfer Processes
• Innovation Management
• Energy Efficiency
• Introduction to Nuclear Power

Our excellent links with the chemical industry allow you to test and expand your knowledge, skills and understanding with a paid twelve month professional placement. It will provide integrated industrial and professional training, often in a position of responsibility, in areas such as the design, development, commissioning or operation of a chemical plant.

We will help arrange your placement for you or in conjunction with your sponsoring company. We will also provide opportunities for you to visit companies, undertake commercial project work and compete for sponsorships and prizes.

Our current and recent placement employers include: BNFL, ConocoPhillips, GSK, Kraft, Alfa Laval, Thames Water, AMEC and 3M.

Aston placement students also qualify for our £1,000 placement allowance for that year.

Find out more about placement years at Aston.

Our courses incorporate lectures, tutorials, plant visits and lab work. You will also be involved in project work; developing essential problem solving skills with specialist supervision from staff and industrial consultants. This hands-on experience will involve learning a wide range of techniques.

Assessment is by a combination of exams, project, lab and coursework. Your final degree classification is determined by your performance in all years after the first year.

For further information, see the programme specification (PDF).

In addition to the traditional oil and chemical-based industries you will be well equipped to go into a wide range of careers including food production, pollution control, environmental protection, energy conservation, waste recovery and recycling, medical science, health and safety, alternative energy sources, resource conservation, research, management and consultancy.

Our graduates have a strong record of finding suitable positions, reflecting the fact that the UK is a major contributor to the global chemical industry. Our graduates have found lucrative graduate engineering/consultancy positions with companies including: Procter and Gamble, Stone and Webster, BP, ExxonMobil, Kodak, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Unilever, AMEC, British Energy, Kappa, Mowlem, BT, Corus and Pfizer.

Further information about careers and salaries for graduate Chemical Engineers can be found at:
www.icheme.org.uk
www.whynotchemeng.com

Prof S Al-Malaika
Prof Al-Malaika's researches are in the areas of oxidation, stabilisation and modification of polymers. Current interests include studies on the oxidation and stabilisation of metallocene polyolefins, the antioxidant mechanisms and performance of biological antioxidant in polymers, synthesis of reactive compatibilisers for polymer blends, upgrading properties of polymers by reactive processing techniques, free radical grafting reactions on polymer melts and photo-bio-degradability of polymers.

Prof A V Bridgwater
Professor Bridgwater established the Bioenergy Research Group (BERG) in 1986. Since then it has grown to 25 members with an aggregated research income of over £13m. BERG specialises in the fast pyrolysis of biomass and solid wastes for production of liquid bio-fuels and chemicals. The group also researches advanced gasification and bioenergy system analysis, design and evaluation including economic assessment. Professor Bridgwater leads the SuperGen Biomass and Bioenergy Consortium supported by EPSRC. He also leads Thermalnet, an EU-forum on the thermal conversion of biomass, sponsored by the EC and IEA Bioenergy.

Prof B J Tighe
Professor Tighe's research focuses on the design, synthesis and applications of biomedical polymers, a significant proportion of which are hydrogels, a term frequently used to describe polymers swollen with water. Current interests include novel materials for ophthalmic applications, drug delivery systems, bioadhesive polymers, synthetic materials for articular cartilage, lung surfactant and cornea. The research is interdisciplinary and involves strong interactive connections with relevant industrial companies.

EAS Undergraduate Admissions Office
+44 (0)121 204 3400
engineering@aston.ac.uk