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Chemical Engineering and Chemistry BSc(Hons)

2025-26

Undergraduate Open Days
Undergraduate Open Days

Start date

22 September 2025

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years inc. placement year

Entry requirements

A Level - BBB-BBC

BTEC - DDM-DMM

See full entry requirements

Places available (subject to change)

30

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. You'll be taught by staff with specialisms in chemistry and chemical engineering, who are all involved in forward-thinking research.
  2. Your learning will take place in new £18.2 million facilities such as our chemical sciences labs, as well as purpose-built chemical engineering facilities, where you'll access equipment used in industry.
  3. Boost your employability prospects through undertaking a year long work placement in the UK or abroad.

Known as the central science, chemistry provides a fundamental understanding of how the world works. Studying chemistry alongside chemical engineering, a branch of engineering concerned with the analysis and design of chemical processes for manufacturing purposes, could introduce you to potentially exciting career opportunities, allowing you to make an impact in a variety of fields, including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, process chemistry and food science.

Why study Chemical Engineering and Chemistry BSc(Hons)

Unsure whether to study chemistry or chemical engineering? With our Chemical Engineering and Chemistry BSc(Hons) course, you can do both, with the curriculum split 50:50 between the two main subject areas. This course will provide you with a solid understanding of the fundamentals of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, with an emphasis on developing skills such as such as problem-solving, logical reasoning, and imaginative thinking.

You’ll gain relevant real-world experience throughout this course. You’ll be taught by leading academics through lectures, seminars, and sessions, which will be supplemented by modern industry instruments in our specialist chemical science labs. Following your first two years in the course, you’ll put your knowledge and skills to the test in an optional supervised work placement. During this placement year, you’ll:

  • Experience working in a real-world environment within the industry, in the UK or internationally.
  • Explore employment opportunities within organisations related to your studies and chosen pathway.
  • Network with potential employers and construct work experience profiles to prepare for a future Chemical Engineering or Chemistry career.

You’ll be learning from the best in this course, as the University of Huddersfield has been rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. Not only that, but our teaching staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates (HESA 2022).

This course will prepare you for a variety of potentially exciting careers in a range of fields in the industry, as well as for future study. You could work in chemical manufacturing, environmental consultancy, nuclear engineering or oil and gas.

Course detail

Core modules:

The Reactivity and Properties of Carbon Compounds

This module teaches you to recognise a range of functional groups and to name systematically compounds that contain them. Structure and bonding in organic compounds are discussed, as are the concepts of the octet rule, orbital hybridisation, formal charge, bond polarisation and resonance. The importance of molecular geometry is introduced and the basic principles of molecular conformation and of stereochemistry are covered. In preparation for the chemistry to follow, an integrated treatment of the 'language of chemical change' is presented. The ideas of mechanism and reaction intermediates are met, together with the curly arrow symbolism which chemists use to represent the electron movement inherent in chemical reactions. In the second half of the module, the chemistry of the principal functional groups is considered, using the ideas developed earlier. The lecture programme is reinforced by regular tutorials in which problems are worked. Running parallel to the lecture programme is a continuously assessed practical course that introduces you to the basic techniques of preparative organic chemistry.

Physical Chemistry 1

This module covers four areas of physical chemistry: Units, Conversions and the Properties of ideal and non-ideal Gases, Solution Chemistry of Acids, Bases and Salts, Reaction Kinetics and Catalysis, and Introductory Thermodynamics

Chemical Engineering Design 1

This module introduces you to the industrial manufacture of important chemicals and prepares you to formulate and solve material and energy balances on chemical systems. It also lays the foundation for subsequent courses in unit operations and chemical reaction engineering. It introduces the principles of operation and analysis of operations in chemical processes and the use of computer software packages including chemical engineering simulation software.

Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow

This module introduces you to the fundamental concepts of fluid flow and heat transfer with emphasis on practical design and rating calculations.

Chemical Engineering Labs and Inorganic Chemistry

This module covers two distinct areas of learning relevant to chemical engineers: (i) practical chemical engineering laboratory skills; and (ii) an introduction to the chemistry of the elements. The chemical engineering laboratory component of the module gives you the opportunity to engage with the practical laboratory skills in a chemical engineering context. You'll have the chance to learn the skills of safe laboratory practice; data recording, analysis, presentation and interpretation; practical application of fundamental chemical engineering knowledge; and basic technical report writing skills. The inorganic chemistry component of the module introduces you to the chemistry of the elements. Starting with the earliest known chemical events in the universe, this module discusses the elements, their origin, structure and properties before looking at the structure and bonding in and reactions of chemical compounds. The module also encompasses a number of areas of (mostly) main group chemistry including, but not limited to, the constituents of the earth's crust and the chemistry of the atmosphere.

Data Handling

This module provides an introduction to the use of computers in the chemical sciences for word processing, data handling and chemical drawing. The module also gives an introduction to the use of molecular modelling software for the understanding of chemical and physical properties of molecules. It will also consolidate the mathematical ability of students entering the course from a variety of backgrounds and provides the essential groundwork in this subject area.

Entry requirements

BBB-BBCat A Level including a grade B in Maths and grade B in either Chemistry or Physics. The endorsement for practical work is an essential part of Science A Level study, and is a requirement for entry to our degree course.

120-112 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications including a minimum grade B in Maths and grade B in either Chemistry or Physics at A Level.

Merit at T Level including grade B in A Level Maths.

DDM-DMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science plus an A Level in Maths at grade C.

  • Alternatively, a DDM-DMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering plus an A Level in Chemistry at grade C.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above to include 21 credits in Chemistry.
  • 120-112 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications which must include modules in Chemistry.

If you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry to this degree you may be able to apply to our Science Extended Degree (BCF0).

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered.  For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

Meet our students


Leah is studying Chemical Engineering BEng(Hons). Watch her film to find out what she likes about studying chemical engineering and the opportunity that has arisen from her placement at Tata Steel.

Placements


In the third year of this course, you’ll get the chance to step out of the classroom and into the real world on an optional placement year working for an organisation related to your areas of interest. This is when you’ll really be able to see your knowledge in action, pick up invaluable skills for your future career and boost your employability to help you hit the ground running after graduation.

You could stay to do your placement in the UK or experience a new culture and work abroad for one year. Where could this year take you?

Previous students in the Chemical Engineering subject area have undertaken placements with Synthomer and University of Huddersfield. Previous students in the Chemistry subject area have undertaken placements with Arxada, Chemfix, Cyprotex, Kemira, Rosehill Polymers, Thornton & Ross and University of Huddersfield.

During my placement year I developed my confidence and utilised my skills within a professional environment. I participated in multiple projects and had responsibility for important company tasks. I believe that this has set the foundations for my final year and also for my future career.

None

Leah Etheridge, Chemical Engineering BEng(Hons), placement with Bosch Thermotechnology

Your career


As a graduate of this course, you may consider a career in a wide range of areas, including chemical manufacturing, environmental consultancy, nuclear engineering, scale-up and plant design, process plant trouble shooting, oil and gas, water, energy, food, research and development, patent law and teaching.

Previous graduates from our courses in the subject area of Chemical Engineering have gone on to work in roles such as Process Engineer at Spirit Energy, Process Operator at Dow, Process Engineer at Sterling Pharma Solutions, Safety Engineer at BAE Systems, Drilling Fluids Engineer at Halliburton, Junior Process Engineer at Manrochem Ltd, Radiological Safety Assessor at National Nuclear Laboratory and Graduate Functional Safety Engineer at 6 Engineering Ltd.**

*Between 80% and 90% of graduates from this subject area were in work or further study 15 months after graduation (HESA Graduate Outcomes 21/22, UK Domiciled).

**University of Huddersfield

80-90% Graduates employed*

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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