BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering

Key information

• Degree: Chemical Engineering (2+2, 4+0) BEng (Hons)
• Types of study: Full-time
• Duration: Three or four years depending on entry qualifications
• Start date: September 2020

For the 2+2 programmes, you will spend the last two years on our UK campus. For the 4+0 programmes, you will spend your entire degree programmes in Ningbo China with ‘study abroad’ opportunities.

^{©University of Nottingham Ningbo China}

Course overview

The BEng Chemical Engineering course will equip you with core scientific and engineering knowledge, practical laboratory skills, team working, problem-solving and other transferable skills needed to pursue careers as professional chemical engineers, as well as a diverse range of other career options.

By the time you graduate, you will have the expertise to work at a professional level and with your international experience, you will be in demand from a range of industries including energy, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, food and environmental services, as well as government agencies around the world.

Special features

The Chemical Engineering degree programme has been accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). 

Accreditation by IChemE is valued internationally, providing assurance for potential employers that as a graduate you are equipped with a range of sought after professional skills.

As well as receiving the accreditation from IChemE, in 2017 the BEng Chemical Engineering programme was approved by the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province as a 13th Five Year Plan Provincial First-Class Discipline, offering yet further recognition of the excellence in chemical engineering education that this programme offers.

Course structure

Preliminary year

In the Preliminary year, you will follow a foundation programme designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge for undergraduate study in English.

• CELEN036 Foundation Algebra for Physical Sciences & Engineering (10 Credits)
• The Scientific Method
• CELEN039 Foundation Science A: Physics (10 Credits)
• CELEN048 Undergraduate Reading and Writing in Academic Contexts (20 Credits)
• CELEN069 Oral Communication Skills A (10 Credits)
• Foundation Calculus and Mathematical Techniques
• CELEN040 Foundation Science B: Chemistry (10 Credits)
• CELEN052 UG English in Specific Academic Contexts B (Engineering; Comp Sci; Env'mental Sci & Architecture) (20 Credits)
• CELEN082 Oral Communication Skills B (10 Credits)

Qualifying year

The chemical engineering and environmental engineering courses share a common first-year programme, and so at the end of the year, you can elect to transfer between them. The transition to university studies is carefully managed, with extensive staff support and formative feedback mechanisms.

The qualifying year takes students with backgrounds in science and maths and introduces the fundamental engineering sciences including heat & mass transfer and fluid mechanics. Safety and environmental aspects are also covered, as are the development of professional skills. Learning is enabled through a variety of methods from problem-based learning to tutorials and laboratory classes.

Typical qualifying year modules

• Fundamentals of Engineering Design
• Fluid Mechanics
• CHEE1041 Process Engineering Principles (20 Credits)
• CHEE1042 Chemistry for Engineers (20 Credits)
• MATH1047 Mathematical Methods for Chemical and Environmental Engineering (20 Credits)
• Introductory Geology
• CHEE1040 Thermodynamics And Heat Transfer (20 Credits)

Year 3

Part 1 year is spent developing the fundamental engineering sciences into the key processes and operations that are common within chemical engineerings, such as reaction engineering, separations, plant design and computer systems. Laboratory work is a major component of year one, with greater exposure to industry and cutting-edge research. Safety and environmental aspects are an important part of year two, which also sees you becoming more independent in your approach to learning.

Typical part 1 year modules

• Differential Equations and Calculus for Engineers
• Separation Processes 1
• Particle Mechanics
• Fundamentals of Process Control
• Interfacial Chemistry
• Chemical and Phase Equilibria
• Probabilistic and Numerical Techniques for Engineers
• Plant Design
• Engineering Materials
• Waste Management
• Process Engineering Project
• Analytical Measurement

Year 4

In part 2, the skills and knowledge already gained are applied to more practical engineering problems. Laboratory exercises are more open-ended, using large-scale and industrial equipment. Project management, business and finance are covered with a significant amount of input from industry. 

Part 2 students undertake a group design project, which simulates a commercial environment where companies tender for a design contract. Projects are industry-driven and allow you to develop and demonstrate the skills and competencies necessary to be professional chemical engineers.

Typical part 2 year modules

• Design Project
• Process Engineering Laboratories
• Multicomponent Separations
• Reactor Design
• Industrial Process Analysis
• Process Simulation 1
• Process Dynamics and Control
• Advanced Transport Phenomena
• Biochemical Engineering

^{©University of Nottingham Ningbo China}

Accreditations

The Chemical Engineering degree programme has been accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). 

Accreditation by IChemE is valued internationally, providing assurance for potential employers that as a graduate you are equipped with a range of sought after professional skills.

As well as receiving the accreditation from IChemE, in 2017 the BEng Chemical Engineering programme was approved by the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province as a 13th Five Year Plan Provincial First-Class Discipline, offering yet further recognition of the excellence in chemical engineering education that this programme offers.

Careers and further study

The majority of our graduates continue with careers as design engineers, operations engineers and environmental engineers.

Prospective Industrial Careers for Chemical Engineering

The most common further study destinations for Chemical Engineering graduates include the University of Nottingham, Imperial College London, the University College London, University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.

Among the 30 graduates from BEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering in 2019, 27 chose to continue their studies. 100% of them were admitted into the top 50 universities in the world.

Scholarships, sponsorships and bursaries

To encourage academic excellence, we offer a comprehensive and expanding range of full and partial scholarships. 

Historically nearly 30% of our undergraduate students were awarded scholarships for their entry. Once enrolled, current students are eligible for additional merit and/or performance-based scholarships and awards, which covers approximately 32.5% of our whole student body.

Entry requirements

Depending on your academic and English language qualifications, you may be eligible for a traditional three-year degree programme, or a four-year programme with a preliminary year enabling you to gain the subject-specific knowledge and skills required to embark on degree-level studies.

Please find the entry requirement relevant to your country of origin on our website. If your country is not listed, please email global@nottingham.edu.cn.  

If you are a mainland Chinese student, your Gaokao score should be in the first division as a minimum requirement, and your English test score should be no less than 115/150. For more details, please check the Chinese version prospectus.

English language requirements 

If your first language is not English or your entry qualification was not obtained in the English medium (from an approved institution) you are required to provide evidence of your proficiency in English. Minimum requirements:

• IELTS 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in writing) – eligible for a three-year programme;
• IELTS 5.5 (no less than 5.0 in writing) – eligible for a four-year programme;
• PTE Academic 62 (minimum 55) – eligible for the three-year programme;
• PTE Academic 55 (minimum 51) – eligible for the four-year programme.

Alternative requirements

You should be at least 18 years of age on admission to the University. The date of "admission" is defined as the first day of September in the relevant academic year. This requirement may be waived on an individual basis if your parents or guardians give their written agreement in advance to additional safeguards and requirements.