MEng Chemical Engineering with an Industrial Placement Year

At Sheffield, learning chemical engineering isn’t just about lectures—it’s about rolling up your sleeves and working with the same tools and technologies that professionals use. From your very first year, you’ll be in labs, pilot plants, and digital spaces where theory comes alive. By the time you head out on your year-long placement, you’ll already feel like part of the industry.

Here are some of the highlights that make your learning hands-on and exciting:

• Diamond Pilot Plant (DiPP) – Think of this as your on-campus factory. You’ll run real equipment like crystallisers, fermenters, and even a Power-to-X plant that turns renewable energy into fuels. It’s where you’ll practise scaling up processes and handling real industrial challenges.

• Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) – A unique partnership with Siemens has created a “living lab” where you’ll explore cutting-edge tools like digital twins, live data monitoring, CAD design, and process simulations—exactly what modern engineers use in industry.

• The Diamond’s specialist labs – You’ll spend time in spaces designed for fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, biomedical engineering, and bioanalytics. These labs are fitted with industry-standard instruments, giving you skills you can take straight into the workplace.

• Projects and teamwork – Throughout your course you’ll take part in integrated projects, simulations, and design challenges that test both your technical knowledge and your ability to work in a team—just like in a real engineering company.

• Industrial Placement Year – In your fourth year, you’ll step into industry for at least 38 weeks. This is where you put everything into practice, gain professional confidence, and often line up a graduate job before you’ve even finished.

• Your learning hub – The Diamond building, Sheffield’s £81 million engineering space, is where you’ll be based. It’s packed with modern labs, collaboration spaces, and 24/7 study areas so you always have the right environment to learn and create.

A Sheffield MEng in Chemical Engineering—with a year of real industry experience—sets you up for an exciting future. Our graduates go into roles like Process Engineer, Product Development Scientist, Energy Systems Consultant, and Plant Operations Manager. Thanks to your placement year, you’ll graduate not just with knowledge but with proven professional experience, making you stand out from day one.

Here’s what helps Sheffield students take that next step confidently:

• Tailored career support – You’ll have access to Sheffield’s employability team and dedicated placement experts who guide you on CVs, interview prep, and making the most of your placement year.

• Impressive job outcomes – Around 85% of Sheffield chemical engineering graduates land a full-time job within six months, with average salaries of £31,000 just 15 months after graduation, rising to £37,500 by year five.

• Strong industry links – The department works closely with employers like Siemens, AstraZeneca, and Nestlé, giving you direct connections that often turn into placement opportunities or graduate roles.

• Accredited degree – This course is fully accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), putting you on the fast track to becoming a Chartered Engineer—a globally respected professional title.

• Wide career options – Sheffield graduates are working in everything from pharmaceuticals and food production to clean energy, water treatment, and advanced materials—industries where chemical engineers make a real impact.

Further Academic Progression:

If you decide you’d like to take your learning further, you’ll be well prepared to move into specialist Master’s degrees (such as sustainable energy or process systems) or even a PhD. Many Sheffield graduates continue their journey in cutting-edge research, whether that’s developing clean fuels, advancing materials, or tackling global sustainability challenges.