What is Chemical Engineering?
Chemical Engineering is about changing raw materials into valuable everyday products in a cost-effective and safe manner (think ice-cream, food/drink, clothing, pharmaceuticals, artificial limbs, cellphones, pet foods, fuel - the list is endless!).
Society needs chemical engineers, to safely develop new processes and products in such a way that they help manage resources whilst also ensuring to protect the environment.
What do we look for in students and What'skills do employers consider chemical engineers to have :
- Good at Maths & Chemistry but perhaps want to look to a career that uses both disciplines
- Individuals who are able to work on their own or in a team
- Are good communicator
- Able to take on a challenge
Chemical engineers are sought after by a wide range of employers, so our students work in large multinational companies such as
- the oil & gas giants Exxon and BP
- major pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, and Pfizer
- intermediate chemical manufacturers including Rohm & Haas
- food companies such as Nestle, General Foods
- specialists companies making paper, whisky, cosmetics
- management consultancies
They are amongst the highest paid graduates in their first posts and remain so during their working life. The nature of the chemical and process industries is such that many graduates will work overseas on short and long term secondments or move overseas permanently.
We are one of the largest Chemical Engineering departments in the UK, and offer innovative courses delivered by enthusiastic staff with a dynamic and progressive approach and many years of practical experience in important subject areas such as :
- environmental protection
- process design
- safety
- advanced chemical processes
The Department is strongly industry-orientated and has links worldwide with major employers of chemical engineering through :
- our unique, award-winning programmes in Chemical Engineering by distance learning
- our MEng final year placement scheme
All our courses are accredited to the Institution of Chemical Engineers which as a result offers a direct route to Charter Engineer status.
Our Research interests are at the forefront of chemical engineering technologies and we are actively involved in the areas of :
- Energy
- Hydrogen
- Electrochemical energy storage in batteries and supercapacitors
- Novel fuel cells
- Carbon loss in refinery operations
- CO2 sequestration in coal
- Chemicals production
- Micro reactors
- Low flow measurement
- Separations processes
- Flow properties at high pressures
- Nano materials production, characterisation and handling
Chemical Engineering at Strathclyde was rated the best in Scotland in the last Scottish Higher Education Funding Council Teaching Quality Assessment and is amongst the best in the UK and we are amongst the few departments in the UK to offer fully accredited full and part time courses at BEng, MEng and postgraduate MSc level. (Read about our Admission Requirements)