Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year
International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year) -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
A030
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
Course summary
- Become a professional chemical engineer from day one.
- Learn by completing applied and industry-led projects from the very start.
- Explore mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, process safety and reaction engineering.
- Engage in sustainability-related projects such as hydrogen and carbon capture.
- Gain hands-on practical and lab skills to support your technical understanding.
- Prepare for the full degree with an extra foundation year at the start.
On this course you’ll build your knowledge of key chemical engineering topics through practical and project-based learning – with an emphasis on solving industrial challenges. You’ll gain the skills and experience to design safe, sustainable and economically viable industrial plants and processes, becoming a chemical engineer with essential skills in our society.
This foundation year course is for those who don't meet the entry requirements for our BEng Hon Chemical Engineering course or would like extra preparation before starting degree-level study.
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
How you learn
This course is designed for you to gain experience as a professional engineer by developing technical and professional skills from the start. You’ll have opportunities to apply your skills and knowledge at every level, through real-world project-based learning set and supported by industrial partners. Previous projects have been supported by British Oxygen Company (BOC), ITM Power, OGC Energy and E.ON.
Through practical laboratory sessions, you’ll learn how fundamental concepts work in practice. As part of projects you complete on the course, you’ll visit chemical and process plants to help you understand how chemical engineers design plants, plus the wider implications and impact on society.
You learn through:
- Diverse lectures emphasising peer collaboration.
- Tutorials to practise and apply your knowledge ahead of assessments.
- Hands-on lab experience including computational modelling and simulation.
- Q&A and discussions for self-assessment and understanding.
- Support sessions for receiving feedback and preparing for assessments.
- Teamwork activities for collaboration in an innovative environment.
- Project-based learning to apply knowledge, creativity, design, critical analysis and professional skills to real-world projects.
Course topics
Core modules on this course cover key chemical engineering topics, such as mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, process safety and reaction engineering.
You’ll be presented with chemical engineering concepts for you to critically evaluate and take ownership of your learning. Projects defined in-partnership with research colleagues in The Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI) and National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE) will allow you to understand the wide range of projects and job roles available to chemical engineers.
Assessments will be varied with an emphasis on developing communication skills required by professional engineers. You’ll produce portfolios and project reports, deliver engaging presentations and test your understanding in exams.
Course support
We’ll nurture your critical thinking and design skills, promote lifelong learning, and foster creativity and ethical practices. By working on projects at every level of the course you’ll develop management and leadership skills.
- You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate level employment. This includes:
- Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- Access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments.
- Industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities.
Course leaders and tutors
Hessam Jahangiri
Course Leader / Senior Lecturer in Chemical EngineeringLecturer in Chemical Engineering
Tim Spencer
Research FellowTim's research at MERI involves the application of theory and simulation techniques for the predictive modelling of real life systems that involve fluids.
Applied learning
You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career – and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.
In previous years students have undertaken placements at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, RAF Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, Envirogen, Network Rail and British Glass.
Live projects
At every level of the course, you’ll work on applied projects set by industrial partners and research centres. We have developed strong links with UK and multinational companies, from corrosion consultants to biomass power stations.
You’ll be able to develop a range of sustainable solutions – including carbon capture & storage systems, designing green hydrogen plants and making water treatment plants more energy efficient.
Our academics work across different research centres including MERI and NCEFE. Students have previously gained experience working on research projects on biofuel – such as analysing the properties of waste coffee grounds from our cafes and how they can be used as a solid fuel.
Field trips
You’ll visit process and chemical plants to explore the range of industries and sectors where chemical engineers are needed. Previous site visits have included Ewden Water Treatment Works, E.On’s Blackburn Meadows Power Station and Drax Power Station.
Networking
You’ll learn from industry experts to gain insight into how the knowledge and skills you’ve learned can be applied to the chemical engineering industry. Past speakers have included experts in pollution reduction, process safety and hydrogen production.
You can attend scheduled events across the academic year and meet industry partners, employers, researchers and alumni. Past events have included the Alumni Careers Panel, Careers Fair, Winter Research Poster Event, SHU Racing Launch and EngFest.
You’ll also be encouraged to become a free student member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). As a member you’ll have access to a wealth of online resources, plus tools and training for professional development. You’ll be invited to get involved with the Sheffield Member’s Group of the IChemE, so you can network with professional engineers.
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- Process engineering
- Project engineering
- Process design engineering
- Integrity
- Project management
- Process improvement
- Solutions engineering
- Environmental health and safety
- Sustainability consultancy
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- Atkins
- Deloitte
- Envision AESC
- Envirogen Group
- Galliford Try
- ITM Power
- Johnson Matthey
- Molson Coors
- Moeschle
- National Grid
- Network Rail
- Schneider Electric
- Severn Trent
- Vital Energi
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Engineering and Maths Facilities Tour
Take a look around the Engineering and Maths facilities at Sheffield Hallam University.
Equipment and facilities
You’ll work with researchers and projects using facilities and equipment from MERI, NCEFE and our Hertha Ayrton STEM Centre.
You’ll learn and experiment in a dedicated chemical engineering lab and get hands-on experience with interactive equipment including:
- Distillation columns
- Absorption and desorption columns
- Mass transfer in liquid and gaseous systems
- Fluid transport equipment (pumps, pipes and valves)
- Fluidised bed
You’ll also simulate chemical engineering problems with industry-standard software – such as Ansys Workbench, Aspen Plus & Aspen HYSYS.
360 tour - engineering facilities
Media Gallery
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 80
This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC qualifications. For example:
- CDD at A Level.
- MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with C from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include a maximum of one AS level, EPQ and general studies
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language at grade C or 4
- Maths at grade C or 4
- Science at grade C or 4
*GCSE Equivalents
- Level 2 Literacy or Functional Skills Level 2 English
- Level 2 Numeracy or Functional Skills Level 2 Maths
• Access - an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
We may also accept you, if you have no formal qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying the subject.
Some applicants may be invited to attend an informal interview with the course leader to ensure that the programme is suitable for themselves and their aspirations.
UK students may be able to claim financial support for the course.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Engineering And Mathematics In Practice
Foundation Mathematics, Mechanics And Electronics 1
Foundation Mathematics, Mechanics And Electronics 2
Fundamentals Of Materials And Manufacturing
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Chemical Engineering Fundamentals
Chemical Engineering Mathematics
Chemistry, Materials And Employability For Chemical Engineers
Practical Chemical Engineering
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Chemical Engineering Principles
Chemical Reaction Engineering & Thermodynamics
Process Modelling And Control
Sustainable Chemical Engineering
Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year
Final year
Compulsory modules
Individual Design Project
Particle Processing And Applications
Reactor Design
Sustainable Design Project
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years. We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for School of Engineering and Built Environment (PDF, 142.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
