PhD with Integrated Studies in Formulation Engineering
Program Overview
The PhD with Integrated Studies in Formulation Engineering is a 4-year full-time program that integrates expertise from Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, and Chemistry to focus on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that create and maintain product structure. Students take a multidisciplinary approach, selecting modules from a range of topics to develop a framework for the design, manufacture, and performance assessment of formulated products. The program has a 100% graduate employability rate, with 70% of students employed in Formulation Engineering.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The PhD with Integrated Studies in Formulation Engineering is a 4-year full-time program managed by the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Formulation Engineering. It integrates the expertise of the component schools (Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics and Chemistry) aimed at formulation of multiphase structured products in a wide variety of forms. The program focuses on research into the physical, chemical and biological processes that create product structure, and the maintenance or breakdown of that structure in use. It emphasizes achieving the desired performance of the product and the means to achieve this, rather than on characterization of existing processes. This approach places new demands on interdisciplinarity and innovation. Students will take a multidisciplinary approach, involving the component disciplines of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics and Biosciences, to a largely undeveloped area. The program aims to produce graduates able to take charge of development teams in the most competitive markets.
Outline:
The program comprises 120 credits of taught material spread over two/three years. Modules are chosen from a range of topics including:
Basic Training and Introductory Modules (Years 1 and 2)
- Bioscience for Graduates from Other Scientific Disciplines - 10 credits: This module provides a foundation in bioscience for students whose first degree did not contain the appropriate material.
- Design of Experiments, Measurements and Sensors - 20 credits: This module focuses on the design of experiments, measurement techniques, and sensor technology.
- Industry 4.0 and Big Data - 20 credits: This module explores the impact of Industry 4.0 and big data on formulation engineering.
- Innovative Toolkit - 20 credits: This module provides students with a toolkit of innovative techniques and approaches.
- Project Management (Business Strategy Delivery) - 10 credits: This module covers project management principles and business strategy delivery.
Specialism, Business and Research Skills Modules (Years 2 and 3)
- Specialism modules: Students choose a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 80 credits from a range of specialism modules. Examples include:
- Bioseparations - 20 credits
- Cell Factories - 20 credits
- Chemical NanoEngineering - 10 credits
- Design & Development of Drug Delivery Systems - 10 credits
- Explosion Science, Prevention and Protection in Industries - 10 credits
- Additive manufacturing and 3D printing for healthcare applications - 10 credits
- Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare Technologies - 10 credits
- Advanced Energy Technology - 20 credits
- Advanced Therapeutic Medicine Products - 10 credits
- Applied Food Microbiology - 10 credits
- Applied Synthetic Biology - 10 credits
- Energy Engineering Design - 10 credits
- Energy Storage - 10 credits
- Energy Systems and Policy - 10 credits
- Energy System Design - 10 credits
- Energy Systems Modelling - 10 credits
- Frontiers in Tissue Engineering - 10 credits
- Future Engineering of Food - 10 credits
- Food Structure for Performance - 10 credits
- Interfaces in Products and Processes - 10 credits
- Medical Devices - 10 credits
- Introduction to Healthcare Technologies - 10 credits
- Minerals and Mineral Engineering - 10 credits
- Non Ideal Materials - 20 credits
- Principles of Hydrogen Safety - 20 credits
- Renewable Energy Systems - 10 credits
- Sensor Systems in Medicine - 10 credits
- Thermal Energy – conversion, storage and applications - 10 credits
- Numerical Modelling and Simulation Tools - 20 credits
- Plant design & manufacturing principles in pharmaceutical production - 10 credits
- Business Skills: Students can choose from modules such as:
- Business and Strategy Development - 10 credits
- Project Management (Business Strategy Delivery) - 10 credits
- Transferable Skills for Postgraduate Students - 10 credits
- Research Skills: Students can choose from modules such as:
- Innovative Toolkit - 20 credits
- Independent Study 1 - 10 credits
Teaching:
The taught modules are typically intensive one-week long courses at the University, with the majority offered at Masters level with a pass mark of 50%. A 'Training Need Analysis' is developed in collaboration with supervisors and modules are selected on the following basis:
- Directly relevant to their research
- Develop business and transferrable skills
- Cover areas of Formulation Engineering not taught in the research engineer’s degree or career history
- Cover new manufacturing paradigms
Careers:
The program has a 100% graduate employability rate, with 70% of students being employed specifically in the field of Formulation Engineering. Around a third of students are retained by the sponsoring companies upon completion of the program.
Other:
The program is competitive and offers a stipend, potential for an industry top-up bursary, engagement with a wider research community, interdisciplinary training and research projects, and integral engagement with leading industrial partners in both training and research.
