Chemical Engineering

BEng Hons

  • UCAS code H800
  • Entry year 2025
  • A level requirements ABB
  • Duration Full time 3 years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • Practical hands-on courses including lab-based sessions and project work

  • Brand new state-of-the-art facilities

  • Get real-world experience with our placement years

Chemical Engineers pioneer materials and technologies of the future; they design and develop the processes behind today’s most useful products. In studying this programme, you will further develop your knowledge in chemistry and engineering, and develop the skills for a rewarding career.

Chemical Engineers do not work in isolation and modern engineering is just as much about effective teamwork and communication, as it is the underlying science. As a result, our accredited Chemical Engineering programme recognises the broad field of the subject by starting with a general first year, which is shared among all engineering subjects at Lancaster.

You will explore core themes of design, materials, thermodynamics and heat transfer, along with appropriate mathematical study in the first year. Alongside these, you will develop your design, problem-solving, management and leadership skills.

Following the first year, where you will have developed a solid foundation of engineering knowledge and begun to explore a variety of different areas of the discipline, you will have the opportunity to consider and plan your academic progression. At this stage, you may choose to begin your Chemical Engineering study, or move onto any of our other specialist programmes.

In the second year, you will begin to encounter specialist modules in chemical engineering, and you will continue to develop your core skills as an engineer. This year, you will also be encouraged to engage with and solve increasingly open-ended, real-world problems. Alongside the technical modules, you will develop your creativity, entrepreneurial and analytical skills, improving your employability.

On this programme, you may decide to spend a year in industry, gaining valuable experience and enhancing your employability. We have extensive links built through our leadership in research and have students undergoing placements with multinational corporate companies through to smaller specialist SMEs. We would recommend the most appropriate time to do this would be at the end of year two, once you have gained a reasonable amount of engineering knowledge.

A key element of year three is the group design project, where you will be asked to solve an open-ended design project over the course of the year. The projects typically involve conceptual design, as well as evaluation of economic, safety, legislative and ethical standards of assessment. Alongside this, you will practise and develop project management, team-working and technical writing skills.

The degree is professionally accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) as meeting partial fulfilment of the educational requirements to become a Chartered Engineer, and is underpinned by the CDIO framework (Conceiving, Designing, Implementing and Operating). All of your teaching is delivered by world-class academics and shaped by their outstanding research output. You will gain hands-on experience with access to cutting-edge facilities and an array of high-quality equipment in our state-of-the-art Engineering Building.

MEng Hons Chemical Engineering

We also offer a MEng Chemical Engineering programme, which IChemE has accredited as meeting complete fulfilment of the educational requirements to become a Chartered Engineer. This programme provides further skills, knowledge and experience, with a focus on leadership and management. Students wanting to transfer to this programme must achieve a minimum threshold at the end of year two.

Course accreditation

Institution of Chemical Engineers logo Engineering Council logo

Careers

Chemical engineering is an innovative and interdisciplinary subject area, combining techniques and processes used across the STEM field in order to evolve the world around us. Chemical engineers are therefore in high demand across a huge range of sectors – and our graduates have gone on to pursue careers in energy, oil and gas, manufacturing and much more. Some have even gone on to pursue further study and embark on a career within academia, working at the forefront of scientific research and discovery. The highly-transferable skills you will acquire will make you a desirable employee in many fields – even those beyond traditional engineering career destinations. Graduates from our Engineering degrees are well-paid too, with a median starting salary of £29,000 (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023).

Here are just some of the roles that our BEng and MEng Chemical Engineering students have progressed into upon graduating:

  • Engineering Consultant – Ernst & Young
  • Wind Analyst – SSE Renewables
  • HDD Design Engineer – O’Connor Utilities Ltd
  • Graduate Chemical Engineer – Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC
  • Submarine Engineer – Royal Navy
  • Data Engineer – Cabinet Office
  • Graduate Engineer – Engineering Analysis Services Specialists
  • PhD Candidate – Lancaster University
  • Project Engineer – Hydraulic Analysis Ltd
  • Safety and Reliability Engineering Consultant – AFRY UK
  • MPhil Advanced Chemical Engineering – University of Cambridge
  • Operations and Management – Network Rail
  • PhD Candidate – Newcastle University

Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, you also graduate with the relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our Employability section for full details.

Entry requirements

Grade Requirements

A Level ABB

Required Subjects A level Mathematics and a Physical Science: Chemistry, Physics or Biology

GCSE Mathematics grade B/6, English Language grade C/4. GCSE Chemistry at grade B or 6 required with an A level in Physics or Biology.

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.

Other Qualifications

International Baccalaureate 32 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including either:

  1. Mathematics HL grade 6 (either pathway) plus grade 6 in a HL Physical Science
  2. Mathematics HL grade 6 (either pathway) plus grade 6 in two SL Physical Sciences
  3. Mathematics SL grade 7 (Analysis and Approaches) plus HL grade 6 in a Physical Science

Acceptable physical science subjects include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Other physical sciences at HL may be considered. GCSE Chemistry at grade B or 6 required with a HL in Physics or Biology.

BTEC Considered alongside A level Chemistry

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualifications. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

core modules accordion

Core

core modules accordion

Core

core modules accordion

Fees and funding

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.

Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2025/26 are:

Home International
£9,250 £29,820

Fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

Scheme Based on Amount
Based on {{item.eligibility_basis}} Amount {{item.amount}}

We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

Undergraduate open days 2024

Our summer and autumn open days will give you Lancaster University in a day. Visit campus and put yourself in the picture.

Undergraduate Open Days
two students sitting and reading on some outdoor steps
  • Virtual tour

    Take five minutes and let us show you what Lancaster has to offer, from our beautiful green campus to our colleges, teaching and sports facilities.

  • Accommodation guide

    Most first-year undergraduate students choose to live on campus, where you’ll find accommodation to suit different preferences and budgets.

  • The city and beyond

    Our historic city is student-friendly and home to a diverse and welcoming community. Beyond the city you'll find a stunning coastline and the picturesque Lake District.