MEng Chemical Engineering / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

Begin your journey towards a challenging yet rewarding career in chemical engineering by studying at the subject's birthplace: Manchester.

In the four-year Chemical Engineering MEng degree you will not only learn the fundamentals of this key subject; you'll also have the opportunity to specialise in an advanced area of your choosing - including energy, separation and modelling - so you can dig even deeper into the theme that interests you most. The fourth year also allows you to carry out a research project and write a dissertation in a specific area.

At Manchester, all of our programmes are accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), meaning your education will equip you to graduate with an industrially approved degree. There will be emphasis on the technical aspects of chemical engineering, and these revolve around managing the behaviour of materials and chemical reactions, as well as predicting and manipulating compositions, flows, temperatures, and pressures of solids, liquids and gases.

This is balanced with process safety and sustainability, which are inherent to all of our programmes. The latter is heavily embedded within your third-year design project. Here, you will undertake an open-ended team project to design a complete production process. Examples have included the sustainable production of chemicals such as propylene oxide and ethylene glycol from waste, and our design teams have won more IChemE Macnab-Lacey Prize for their efforts than any other university.

Aims

  • You will study a range of core material, learning the fundamentals of chemical engineering before specialising in the areas of advanced chemical engineering that interest you most.
  • We will help you understand and describe chemical, physical and biological processes using mathematical equations.
  • You will benefit from hands-on experience using specialist equipment, and learn techniques applied in industry for large-scale manufacturing.
  • You will develop skills that will be of great use in your future career, such as team-working, problem-solving, communication, and the use of information technology

Special features

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Specialisation in Year 4

The four-year MEng option presents an opportunity to study advanced chemical engineering topics, as well as carry out a research project and write a dissertation in a specific area, such as molecular modelling; healthcare engineering; engineering and sensing; bioengineering and biotechnology; catalysis and chemical reaction engineering; systems modelling and sustainability.

Reputation

The Department has an excellent international reputation, and a qualification from us can be your passport to a successful career anywhere in the world. We're ranked 4th for chemical engineering in the UK, and 7th in Europe (QS World University Rankings 2023).

Facilities

Get to grips with an incredible array of facilities and equipment . Our £12 million James Chadwick Building houses the biggest pilot-scale laboratory of any university in the UK. Take a  virtual tour to discover more.

In our new Home of Engineering and Materials, we’re ripping up the rule book to offer a truly innovative teaching and learning experience. You’ll have access to world-leading sustainable research facilities and some of the most unique, industry-leading equipment and instrumentation in the sector to meet today’s requirements and those of the future. Explore  Our Home for Engineering and Materials.  

Welcoming community

Our Department has a rich history and a bright future - and always a welcoming and encouraging student community. You'll also be taught by true experts in their fields. Find out more on our Department blog .

#BBD0E0 »

Teaching and learning

At Manchester you will be taught by academic staff who are leading experts in chemical engineering, in a diverse and inclusive learning environment. We use a combination of teaching and learning methods, including lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions and problem-based learning, supported by lecture podcasts and supplementary video tutorials.

Coursework and assessment

Our degrees are assessed by a combination of examination and coursework, designed to allow you to demonstrate your ability and develop a wide range of transferable skills. For example, our first and second year laboratories are assessed by a range of methods to develop the complementary transferable skills that will be vital in the workplace, including:

  •  technical report
  • presentation
  • interview
  • poster display

Your third year design project is assessed by group and individual design reports, a group presentation and an individual interview, with peer assessment also incorporated.

The fourth year research project is assessed by the final dissertation, as well as a poster presentation and interview. 

Course content for year 1

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Engineering Mathematics 1 CHEN10011 10 Mandatory
Engineering Chemistry CHEN10022 10 Mandatory
Process Fluid Flow CHEN10031 10 Mandatory
Process Engineering Fundamentals CHEN10041 10 Mandatory
Computational Methods for Chemical Engineering CHEN10051 10 Mandatory
Laboratory Projects 1 CHEN10060 10 Mandatory
Engineering Mathematics 2 CHEN10072 10 Mandatory
Fundamentals of Thermodynamics CHEN10081 10 Mandatory
Process Heat Transfer CHEN10092 10 Mandatory
Chemical Engineering Design Project CHEN10122 10 Mandatory

Course content for year 2

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Laboratory Projects 2 CHEN20020 20 Mandatory
Engineering Mathematics 3 CHEN20041 10 Mandatory
Chemical Engineering Optimisation CHEN20051 10 Mandatory
Distillation & Absorption CHEN20072 10 Mandatory
Process Integration CHEN20082 10 Mandatory
Momentum, Heat & Mass Transfer CHEN20112 10 Mandatory
Chemical Reactor Design CHEN20141 10 Mandatory
Process Safety CHEN20152 10 Mandatory
Process Design & Simulation CHEN21112 10 Mandatory
Solids Processing CHEN20061 10 Optional
Leadership in Action Online Unit UCIL20031 10 Optional
Displaying 10 of 11 course units for year 2

Course content for year 3

Course units for year 3

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Design Project 3 - Part 1 CHEN30012 15 Mandatory
Design Project 3 - Part 2 CHEN30022 20 Mandatory
Process Synthesis CHEN30031 10 Mandatory
Design Project 3 - Part 3 CHEN30032 15 Mandatory
Catalytic Reaction Engineering CHEN30051 10 Mandatory
Multi-Component Engineering Separations CHEN30071 10 Mandatory
Process Control CHEN30091 10 Mandatory
Process Design CHEN30122 10 Mandatory
Batch Processing CHEN30321 10 Mandatory
Sustainable Development & Industry CHEN31201 10 Mandatory

Course content for year 4

Course units for year 4

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Dissertation: Semester 1 Report & Individual Performance CHEN40100 10 Mandatory
Dissertation: Poster & Presentation CHEN40122 10 Mandatory
MEng Dissertation CHEN40132 40 Mandatory
Sustainable Energy Systems CHEN40202 15 Optional
Nuclear Fuel Cycle CHEN40221 15 Optional
Chemical Engineering Molecular Simulation CHEN40232 15 Optional
Utility System Design CHEN40431 15 Optional
Science of Formulation CHEN40441 15 Optional
Fundamentals of Numerical Methods & Simulation CHEN40451 15 Optional
Advanced Separation Processes CHEN40461 15 Optional
Chemical Product Design CHEN40472 15 Optional
Process Fluid Dynamics CHEN44211 15 Optional
Sustainable Resources and Processing CHEN44491 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 13 course units for year 4

Scholarships and bursaries

At The University of Manchester we're committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please see our undergraduate fees pages and check the Department's funding pages .

What our students say

The course is a perfect blend of lectures, coursework, design projects, and exams and

enhances one's problem-solving skills. Manchester also gives you the opportunity to work with students from all over the world. This prepared me for my current role where collaboration is key to successfully delivering various projects in a multinational company.

Shobana Simon / Process Engineer, Shell
Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting the Department of Chemical Engineering blog .

Facilities

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CEAS Pilot Hall Tour

Come to our Home of Engineering and Materials - a place like no other. This is where engineers, material scientists and fashion students collaborate, innovate and make their mark on the world. Unleash your potential in our creative, academic playground that signals the evolution of a proud history of innovation spanning almost 200 years.

In this very special place, we’re ripping up the rule book, offering you a truly innovative teaching and learning experience. As well as our creative classrooms, you’ll also have access to world-leading sustainable research facilities in our new buildings.

Our variety of spaces allows for greater collaboration for all our students, and it is the place to connect and tackle real-life challenges together. So, a chemical engineer could be sat alongside a materials scientist working on clean water, or bump into a fashion student developing their own sustainable brand, or an aerospace engineer sending a rocket into space. It is a place like no other for interactions and one of the biggest communities of engineers and materials scientists in any University in the world.

Dive into a world of possibilities, whether you are interested in aerospace, robotics, or sustainable fashion, there’s a home for you here. 

Explore  Our Home for Engineering and Material Science

What's more, our strong, ever-growing links with industry not only help to inform our courses, but also boost our excellent teaching and research facilities.

This includes our impressive James Chadwick building:

In our £12 million James Chadwick Building you'll have access to modern lab spaces, dedicated computer suites, and a famed pilot scale area with a range of large-scale industrial processing equipment. It's one of the biggest and best of any European university. See our outstanding facilities for yourself through our virtual open day

The University of Manchester also offers an extensive  library and online services , helping you get the most out of your studies. 

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk