Chemical Engineering
University of Aberdeen
UCAS Code: H813 | Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hon)
University of Aberdeen
UCAS Code: H813 | Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
Three A Levels at BBC to include Chemistry, Maths and Physics or Design & Technology or Engineering. Mathematics and Physics or Design & Technology or Engineering should be at Grade B. GCSE English at a Grade C also required. Entry to Year 2: Three A Levels with A in Maths and AB in Physics and Chemistry. GCSE English at a Grade C also required.
One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32 Points including Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics at HL (5 or above) and English at Standard Level. Entry to Year 2: 34 points with 6 at HL required for Maths, Chemisry and Physics and 5 in English at Standard Level.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
5 subjects at Higher, with 3 at H2 and 2 at H3 H2 or above in Mathematics and H3 or above in Physics and Chemistry required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDM in Mathematics and Physics required. GCSE at C or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry or Physics or Dual Award Science.
Scottish Advanced Higher
Entry to Year 2: Three Advanced Highers with AAB, A in Maths and AB in Physics and Chemistry. Also required: English at Standard Grade 1, 2 or 3 or National 5 at grades A, B or C.
For entry to Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Chemical Process Technology (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Engineering Maths 1, 2 and 3 (or equivalent), Physics Principles Mechanics (H93H 34). For entry to Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Engineering Systems (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Engineering Maths 1, 2 and 3 (or equivalent). Contact Selector to discuss exact unit requirements. For entry to Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Petroleum Engineering (120 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Engineering Maths 1, 2 and 3 (or equivalent), Fundamental Chemistry: An Introduction (DX2933), and Fundamental Concepts of Organic Chemistry (DP2P33).
For entry to Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Chemical Process Technology (240 SCQF credit points) - BA in Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Engineering Maths 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 (or equivalent). For entry to Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Engineering Systems (240 SCQF credit points) - A in all Graded Units - Curriculum to include: Engineering Maths 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (or equivalent). Contact Selector to discuss exact unit requirements.
Scottish Higher
BBBB required to include Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics or Engineering Science (previously known as Technological Studies). Also required: English at Standard Grade 1, 2 or 3 or National 5 at grades A, B or C.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Chemical engineering involves developing more sustainable ways of manufacturing the products we use every day while addressing the global challenges of climate change, energy, sustainability, and human health.
Chemical engineers design processes to transform raw materials into products such as chemicals, fuels, foods and pharmaceuticals at an industrial scale safely, sustainably and cost-effectively. Chemical engineers also contribute enormously to wider society, for example, by manufacturing new drugs at affordable costs and by tackling environmental problems such as pollution and global warming.
You will develop a wide understanding of chemical and process engineering and learn how chemical engineers play a critical role in making key decisions including:
- selecting the best reaction pathway to the desired product in order to minimize formation of unwanted by-products
- determining how to purify the product
- designing the best control system to ensure the process is safe
- developing the most cost-effective process
- how to deal with unreacted raw materials
- optimising the process to maximise yield and recycle energy to maximise efficiency.
Our interdisciplinary approach means that you study the fundamentals of each engineering discipline before specialising in your third year. You can therefore keep your options open while gaining a wide range of perspectives and skills - something that makes Aberdeen graduates better equipped to collaborate, innovate and lead in the workplace.
Our location in Aberdeen, the energy capital of Europe, and our strong industry links means that you will have the opportunity to engage with both the local upstream oil and gas industry and with the latest developments in the energy transition through the School of Engineering’s work in energy from biomass, energy conversion and storage, biorefinery and the production of chemicals from biomass.
If you are interested in chemical reactions and understanding how the physical properties of matter can be harnessed to create world-changing technologies, then you should consider Chemical Engineering at Aberdeen.
**Chemical Engineering at Aberdeen is ranked 3rd in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2023.**
Modules
The first two years cover general engineering, with elements of chemical, mechanical, petroleum and electrical/electronics, as well as civil. In the later years you specialise, following your chosen discipline in greater depth. You do not need to finalise your choice of specialisation until you begin third year. This is also the point at which a final decision between MEng and BEng must be made. Successful BEng candidates will be offered the chance to change to the MEng.
Assessment methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; Written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
International Students: The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. This scholarship is in the form of a tuition fee waiver. To be eligible students must be registering for a full-time, on-campus programme and cannot be in receipt of external scholarships or other University of Aberdeen scholarships, except for awards granted by the University of Aberdeen Development Trust. Please note that the scholarship does not apply to the DPLP or Medicine.
View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be eligible to apply for.
The Uni
University of Aberdeen
School of Engineering
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Chemical, process and energy engineering
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Chemical, process and energy engineering
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to make good money from the word go? This is the degree for you! The UK has had a shortage of chemical engineers for a while now so starting salaries are very good. In fact, across the UK, only doctors and dentists bettered the average starting salary for chemical engineering graduates, with an average starting salary of around £28,000. Key sectors for chemical engineers last year included the petrochemicals, food, nuclear, pharmaceuticals, materials and consultancy industries. Their skills set also means that the finance industry likes graduates from these degrees, so there are options if you don't fancy engineering as a career. Most graduates take a longer course that leads to an MEng — which is what you need to take if you want to be a Chartered Engineer. Chemical engineers are also more likely than other engineers to take doctorates and go into research roles, so if you want to take an engineering subject but fancy a research job, this might be a good subject to take.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Chemical, process and energy engineering
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£27k
£35k
£37k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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