Chemical Engineering
University of Aberdeen
UCAS Code: H810 | Master of Engineering (with Honours) - MEng (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
AB required in Mathematics and Physics or a B in Design and Technology or a B in Engineering. If applicant presents with B in Physics, Design and Technology or Engineering, Mathematics must be A grade. GCSE English at C. A Level Chemistry is required in addition to the general engineering requirements.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
34 Points including Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at HL (6 or above) and English at Standard Level.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
5 subjects at Higher, with 4 at H2 and 1 at H3 H2 or above in mathematics and H3 or above in Physics required. For Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, H3 of above in Chemistry is also required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDD with 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. Chemistry at A Level also required. Note: BTEC in Applied Sciences is not normally sufficient on its own for entry into any of our Engineering programmes.
Scottish Higher
Applicants who achieve AABB or better over S4 and S5 are likely to be made an offer of admission. This may be unconditional or conditional, depending upon academic profile. Good performance in additional Highers / Advanced Highers may be required. Note: we do not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but we do consider that a B at Adv Higher is equivalent to an A grade at Higher. National 5 in English at grade C or above. Highers in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics or Engineering Science
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Chemical engineers contribute to society by helping to manage resources, protecting the environment and controlling health and safety procedures. If you have an aptitude and fascination for how the physical world works, are interested in how chemical reactions and the physical properties of matter can be harnessed to create world-changing technologies, and want to contribute positively to making the life of the human race better, then you should consider Chemical Engineering.
Chemical engineering is concerned with manipulating the chemical, biochemical or physical state of substances in order to convert raw materials into products in a safe and cost-effective manner. For example, petrol, plastics and the synthetic fibres which make up much of our clothing are all derived from oil which is extracted from the ground as a mixture of oil, water and gas.
Our MEng/BEng Chemical Engineering degrees deliver the learning outcomes required of any general chemical engineering degree programme giving our graduates the opportunity to find employment across the broad spectrum of chemical engineering employers. Our location in Aberdeen, the energy capital of Europe, and our engagement with local industry means that our students have the opportunity to engage with the local upstream oil and gas industry from the moment they commence their studies. The University has embarked on a major programme of refurbishing and upgrading the facilities. This has seen the addition of a new dedicated chemical engineering teaching laboratory and the development of state-of-the-art computing & learning spaces within the School of Engineering.
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.
It is possible to move between MEng and BEng and this can be accomplished at any point until the second half session of fourth year. Successful BEng candidates will be offered the chance to change to the MEng and there is no quota, meaning that if grade requirements are met that transfer is guaranteed.
**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; and 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
View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be able to apply for.
The Uni
University of Aberdeen
School of Engineering
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.
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.
£26k
£33k
£38k
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.
Explore these similar courses...
Higher entry requirements
Lower entry requirements
Nearby UniversitySame UniversityThis is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
