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Chemical Engineering

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

Including Mathematics.

Considered on an individual basis.

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a Grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34

To include 5 at Higher Level or 6 at Standard Level Mathematics or, if following the new Maths Curriculum, 5 at HL (or 6 at SL) "Mathematics: analysis and approaches", or 5 at HL (or 7 at SL) "Mathematics: applications and interpretation". Plus 4 at Higher Level or 5 at Standard Level English Language.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D*D*

To include B at A Level Mathematics. Must be in relevant subject. If student is not taking A Level Mathematics, they must achieve a minimum D in ‘Mathematics for Technicians’ and D in ‘Further Mathematics for Technicians’ modules of the BTEC. Students are also required to have minimum two A grades at GCSE, to include a minimum grade B in Mathematics and two other Science subjects.

Accepted in lieu of one non-subject specific grade at A Level.

UCAS Tariff

136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Chemical engineering

Chemical engineers design, operate and optimise chemical and physical processes that turn raw materials into valuable products for human use. They also use their skills to dispose of the by-products generated by these processes in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner.

You will be trained you to meet the needs of modern process engineering and gain the ability to use analytical skills and tools to formulate and solve problems relevant to the application of engineering to industry. The course will also provide a foundation for you to aim for the prized Chartered Engineer status.
The course involves industrial visits to various companies such as Valero, Avalon (AstraZeneca), Aberthaw Power Plant, First Milk, Tata Steel and Vale INCO Ltd. Modules build on established Chemical Engineering areas with application to energy, health, food, water and the environment.

**Chemical Engineering Facilities include:**
Atomic Force Microscopy, Fermentation Rigs, Particle Characterisation, Surface Plasmon Resonance, Hydrodynamic Shear Adhesion Assays, Membrane Separation Rigs and Rheometers

**We guarantee that you will be made a conditional offer for a course at Swansea University. Subject requirements will apply. Please come along to our next Open Day or get in touch for further information.**

Modules

Areas studied typically include:

Year one: Chemical Engineering Science, Chemical Process Principles, Engineering Analysis, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Instrumental and Analytical Chemistry, Introductory Organic Chemistry

Year two: Biochemical Engineering Principles, Fluid Flow, Instrumentation Measurement and Control, Process and Pilot Plant Operations, Process Design and Simulation, Process Modelling, Reactor Design, Separation Processes, Thermodynamics of Process Design

Year three: Applied Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering Design Project, Energy and Low Carbon Technologies, Environmental Engineering Practice, Particulate Systems, Reactor Design, Safety and loss Prevention

Year four (MEng): Chemical and Environmental Design, Colloid and Interface Science, Complex Fluids and Rheology, Industrial Engineering and Research Practice

The Uni


Course location:

Bay Campus

Department:

Chemical and Biological Process Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

86%
Chemical engineering

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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
85%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

86%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
70%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

75%
UK students
25%
International students
77%
Male students
23%
Female students
72%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
C

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.

£26,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
high
Employed or in further education
69%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

55%
Engineering professionals
14%
Science, engineering and production technicians
7%
Natural and social science professionals

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.

£26k

£26k

£30k

£30k

£34k

£34k

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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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

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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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here