Degrees Offered

• BEng Honours Chemical Engineering (UCAS Code: H800)
• BEng Honours Chemical Engineering with a Year in Industry (4-year sandwich) (UCAS Code: H804)
• MEng Honours Chemical Engineering (UCAS Code: H802)
• MEng Honours Chemical Engineering with a Year in Industry (5-year sandwich) (UCAS Code: H805)

Contact Information

For entrance requirements:
E: admissions@qub.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)28 9097 3838

For course information:
Dr Gary Sheldrake
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
T: +44 (0)28 9097 4593
E: g.sheldrake@qub.ac.uk
W: http://www.ch.qub.ac.uk

Entrance Requirements

BEng

• A-level
  BBB including Mathematics and either a Science subject or Double Award Applied Science.
  Note: applicants not offering Chemistry or Physics at A-level should have a minimum of a grade C in GCSE Chemistry and Physics or Double Award Science.
  
• BTEC National Diploma
  A relevant BTEC National Diploma with 10 Distinctions and 8 Merits. Distinctions will be required in stipulated relevant units.
   
• Higher National Diploma
  Those with good grades in a relevant Higher National Diploma will be considered on their individual merits for entry to Stage 2. 
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate
  B2B2B2B2CC/B2B2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grade B2 in Mathematics and a Science subject.
  

MEng

• A-level
  AAB including Mathematics and a Science subject.
  Note: applicants not offering Chemistry or Physics at A-level should have a minimum of a grade B in GCSE Chemistry and Physics or Double Award Science.
  
  
• BTEC National Diploma
  A relevant BTEC National Diploma with 16 Distinctions and 2 Merits. Distinctions will be required in stipulated relevant units.
   
• Irish Leaving Certificate
  AB2B2B2B2B2 including Higher Level grades A and B2 in any order in Mathematics and a Science subject.
  

Option to Transfer
Transfers between BEng and MEng may be possible at the end of Stage 2.

For students whose first language is not English
An IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information on other acceptable English Language qualifications is available here.

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO Queen's University Belfast is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including: International Foundation in Engineering and Science.

The Subject

Chemical Engineering uses chemistry, mathematics, biology and physics to provide an integrated approach to understanding the changes which take place in processes, from the molecular to global scale, and to create methods which can change chemical or physical composition, energy content, structure, or physical state, ie mathematics and science in action. The subject also involves the application of knowledge to the design, development and operation of plants that process chemical and related products. Its boundaries border and overlap on other areas such as mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, chemistry, materials science and biology.

Sandwich degrees with a year in industry are four- or five-year programmes with a one-year industrial placement in the penultimate year. The placement may be national or international.

Course Content

All degrees are modular with six modules (or the equivalent in half-modules) each year. Students take a range of modules in engineering, chemistry and science. To obtain professional accreditation students must follow a defined pathway.

Stage 1
Students take several Chemical Engineering modules as well as modules in Chemistry, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering.

Stage 2
Students extend their knowledge of Chemical Engineering, and study associated subjects such as computer-aided design and applications, laboratory practice, and professional studies.

Stage 3
Comprises more advanced Chemical Engineering modules, various modules covering aspects of management and professional studies, an in-depth design project and an optional research project.

MEng
MEng students at the end of Stage 3 are eligible to apply for a year-long study programme in the USA through Study USA, formerly the Business Education Initiative. MEng students take a fourth year, when they study research-led modules in advanced Chemical Engineering as well as specialist topics such as analysis and computer simulation of advanced chemical processes, energy and quality management, and safety and environmental management. There are further professional studies modules involving an entrepreneurial project in this year, and students carry out a major industrial project. There are opportunities to study abroad under the Erasmus exchange programme. We have exchanges with Chalmers Technical University in Gothenburg, Sweden, and with Delft Technical University in Delft, The Netherlands.

Click here for more information on modules

Learning and Teaching

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

On the MEng in Chemical Engineering we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts and develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society. We make use of innovative technologies and a world class library to enhance their development as independent, lifelong learners.

Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading.  Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).

• Practicals:  these are essential to the training in this laboratory-based subject area. You will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts.  Most of the core taught modules at Stages 1 and 2 have practical components associated with them, whilst stage 3 has a double weighted practical module (CHM3015).  Typically at stage 1 you would be in the lab for two afternoons and in stages 2 to 3 it is two full days per week.

• E-Learning technologies:   Information associated with lectures and assignments is typically communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online.  Opportunities to use IT programmes associated with data manipulation and presentation are embedded in the practicals and the project- based work.

• Seminars/tutorials:  Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 6-10 students).  These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers.  You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups as well as using them as a route to providing individual feedback.

• Design Classes:  Design classes and embedded throughout taught modules in Stages 1 to 2.  IChemE accredited design modules CHE3013 and CHE3014 are taken at Stage 3, a significant aspects are: problem solving; sustainability, environmental awareness, and safe working practices and transferable skills (such as, report writing, oral presentations, IT, teamwork, critical thought, entrepreneurship). 

• Self-directed study:  This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, preparation for seminars / tutorials, writing of laboratory reports can be completed. You are encouraged to undertake private reflection on feedback, and at the later stages undertake independent research using the primary literature to support project work and critically review taught course material.

• Supervised projects:  In the final year, you will be expected to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic or practical methodology that you have chosen.  You will receive support from a supervisor who will guide you in terms of how to carry out your research. The supervisor and a second academic member of staff will formally meet, interview and review the work at the half way stage, and then provide support in the write up stage, although weekly contact is anticipated in most projects within the School.

• Personal Tutor:  Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during Level 1 and 2 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic and professional development through the discussion of selected topics. 

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment (general):  The way in which you are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module.  Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments.  Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations.  Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students through the VLE and on the school’s own website.

Feedback (general):  As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers.  University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted. 
• Face to face comment.  This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid.  In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time. 
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work. 

Careers

Overview

Studying for a chemical engineering degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions.  Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, including chemistry.

Chemical Engineering is a vocational degree, with the majority of our graduates pursuing careers in the pharmaceutical, petrochemical, manufacturing and food industries although opportunities are available todevelop careers in a wide range of other sectors.

Employer Links

Consultations

We regularly consult and develop links with a large number of employers including, for example, Warner-Chilcott (international pharmaceutical company), Almac, Invista, Seagate, and Johnson Matthey who are members of the Industrial Advisory board for the course. 

Placement Employers

Our past students have also gained work placement with organisations such as:

Other Employer Links

Many of the research projects within the School have industrial input, and are in collaboration with a wide variety of companies operating in the chemical sector.  Given the close working relationships between industry and the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, new opportunities to expand placements, industrial contact and career opportunities are continually developing.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers.  Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and, through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.  See Queen’s University Belfast fullEmployability Statementfor further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives:  Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s.  Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports. 

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students).  Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts.  As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plusin particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies.  These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.

Special Features

Flexibility: the School offers degrees in both Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and students can switch between the two subject areas in the first year if their interests change.

Awards: in all degrees, at each stage, attention is given to transferable skills such as numeracy, problem-solving, communication (written and oral) and information retrieval. Students who present an acceptable portfolio are eligible for the City & Guilds Licentiateship award.

Accreditation: the degrees are accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.