Chemical Engineering (Industrial) MEng, BEng

Program Overview

The University of Leeds' Chemical Engineering (Industrial) program equips students with the skills to design, optimize, and solve problems in various industries, including energy, environment, health, water, and food. Through a combination of core chemical engineering subjects, hands-on experience, and exposure to advanced topics like digital design and machine learning, graduates are highly sought-after in the field. The program is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers and offers an optional industrial placement year, providing students with practical experience and industry connections.

Program Outline

Chemical Engineering (Industrial) MEng, BEng | University of Leeds

Degree Overview:

This program addresses global challenges in areas like energy, environment, health, water, and food. It equips students with the skills to design, optimize processes, and solve problems, making them highly sought-after in the field. The program focuses on developing innovation and leadership to decarbonize industry, manufacture sustainable products, advance healthcare through personalized medicine, and digitally transform the chemical industry.

Objectives:

• To provide students with a strong foundation in core chemical engineering subjects.
• To develop practical skills in chemical engineering practice and design.
• To expose students to advanced topics like digital design, machine learning, intensified processes, and product formulation.
• To prepare students for careers in the chemical sciences and engineering field.

Outline:

Year 1 & 2:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Introductory Science:
(10 credits) - Foundation Mathematics, Foundation Physics, Foundation Chemistry, or Topics in Nanotechnology depending on entry qualifications.
• Professional Engineering Skills: (20 credits) - Develops teamwork, communication, data analysis, engineering ethics, and project management skills.
• Engineering Mathematics: (10 credits) - Fundamental mathematical methods for solving engineering problems.
• Process, Biochemical and Reaction Engineering Fundamentals: (20 credits) - Introduces core chemical and process engineering concepts, supported by site visits and a virtual reality plant environment.
• Mass and Energy Balances Fundamentals: (20 credits) - Introduces principles of mass and energy balances and their application to unit operations and processes.
Includes a design project applying chemical engineering concepts.
• Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena Fundamentals: (20 credits) - Explores physical laws underpinning engineering processes and their application to solving chemical engineering problems.
• Materials Science and Engineering: (20 credits) - Covers classes and properties of materials, their selection, and processing for various applications.
• Advanced Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods: (20 credits) - Teaches mathematical techniques for modeling engineering phenomena and using numerical methods to solve complex problems.
• Chemical Engineering Practice and Process Simulation: (20 credits) - Develops practical skills through bench and pilot-scale equipment, industry-standard process simulation software, and a group design project.
• Applied Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena: (20 credits) - Builds on Year 1 knowledge to explore complex applications in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
• Process Safety and Environmental Engineering: (20 credits) - Develops core competencies in safety, engineering ethics, and sustainability.
• Chemical Reaction Engineering: (20 credits) - Studies different types of chemical reactors and their operation to achieve desired process requirements.
• Separation Process Principles: (20 credits) - Covers theory and performance of various separation process units, applying theoretical knowledge to design mass transfer equipment.

Year 3:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Process Plant Design Project:
(40 credits) - Comprehensive, open-ended process plant design project with individual and group work elements. Applies chemical engineering knowledge and skills to design a plant considering feasibility, economic viability, and environmental sustainability.
• Engineering Management and Discovery Labs: (20 credits) - Broadens professional engineering skills with an emphasis on project and supply chain management.
• Process Optimisation and Control: (20 credits) - Covers process instrumentation, control systems, and strategies to optimize unit operations and processes.
Introduces digitalization advancements driving Industry 4.0 in the chemical sector.
• Multi-phase Separations and Solids Processing: (20 credits) - Builds on Year 2 knowledge of separation processes, covering multi-component separations, unit operations for heterogeneous mixtures, and handling and processing of solids and particulates in bio and chemical processes.
• Pathways:
• Digital Manufacturing and Processes:
• Sustainability in Process Engineering:
(20 credits)
• Energy Engineering:
• Energy Technologies:
(20 credits)
• Materials Engineering:
• Materials Synthesis and Characterisation:
(20 credits)
• Nuclear Engineering:
• Nuclear Operations:
(20 credits)

Year 4:

• Optional Industrial Placement Year:
• Students can apply for a paid industrial placement year, extending their studies by one year.
• Placement opportunities are available with major organizations like P&G, Johnson Matthey, Bentley Motors, EDF Energy, Unilever, AstraZeneca, and Sellafield Ltd.

Year 5:

• Compulsory Modules:
• Research and Innovation Project:
(45 credits) - Independent innovation project tailored to the student's area of interest. Students work in an academic research group, accessing UK-leading research facilities and using the latest experimental and/or computational techniques to address research hypotheses.
• Chemical Products Design and Development: (15 credits) - Covers methods of chemical product design with a focus on product formulation to design innovative chemical products for the fast-moving-consumer-goods sector.
• Multi-scale Modelling and Simulation: (30 credits) - Explores the use of digital tools for advanced design of chemical products and processes, including digital twins to study and predict the performance of complex unit operations.
• Pathways:
• Digital Manufacturing and Processes:
• Process Digitalisation and Machine Learning:
(15 credits)
• Advanced Reaction Engineering:
(15 credits)
• Energy Engineering:
• Renewable Energy Technologies: electricity production technologies:
(15 credits)
• Renewable Energy Technologies: energy vectors and networks:
(15 credits)
• Materials Engineering:
• Materials Selection and Failure Analysis:
(15 credits)
• Nanomaterials:
(15 credits)
• Nuclear Engineering:
• Nuclear Engineering and Decommissioning:
(15 credits)
• Nuclear Futures:
(15 credits)

Assessment:

• Modules are assessed through a combination of methods, including:
• Written and online examinations
• In-class and online tests
• Assignments
• Individual and group projects
• Laboratory reports
• Presentations

Teaching:

• The program utilizes an integrated approach to learning and teaching.
• Students gain hands-on experience through:
• Engineering labs
• Process simulations
• Virtual environments
• Project work
• Industrial visits
• Teaching is delivered by:
• Expert academics, from lecturers to professors
• Industry professionals with years of experience
• Trained postgraduate researchers
• Students are assigned an academic personal tutor for regular meetings and support.

Careers:

• The program prepares students for a wide range of careers in industries such as:
• Chemical process industries (fine chemicals, speciality chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, coatings)
• Energy
• Nuclear
• Electronic and advanced materials
• Biotechnology
• Healthcare
• Petrochemicals
• Environmental engineering
• Resource management
• Finance
• Graduates are highly sought after by top employers, with recent graduates securing roles such as:
• Production Scientist
• Project Manager
• Process Engineer
• Chemical Engineer
• Industrial Engineer
• Commercial Graduate Trainee
• Design Engineer
• Nuclear Safety Case Author
• Instrument and Control Engineer
• Junior Systems Engineer
• Energy Engineer
• Data Analyst
• Innovation Process Engineer
• Product Development Engineer
• Digital Consultant
• Application Scientist
• Chemical Process Engineer

Other:

• The program is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and meets the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
• The program emphasizes the importance of ethics in engineering practices, with dedicated modules covering topics like professionalism, codes of conduct, corporate social responsibility, engineering and responsibility, ethics in innovation, and research ethics.
• Students can participate in study abroad programs at universities worldwide.
• The University of Leeds Careers Centre provides support with finding work experience, internships, industrial placements, and graduate positions.
• The program offers a paid industrial placement year, providing students with practical experience and industry contacts.
• The program is ranked in the top 100 in the world for Chemical Engineering by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 and in the top 5 in the UK for Chemical Engineering by the Guardian University Guide 2024.