BEng Hons in Chemical Engineering

What makes this course stand out is how much time you’ll spend applying what you learn. From your first year, you’ll get hands-on experience in specialist labs, work with real industry tools, and even have the chance to take a full placement year with a top engineering company. It’s a course designed to make sure you don’t just graduate with knowledge—you leave with the confidence and practical skills employers are looking for.

Here’s how Huddersfield helps you turn theory into practice:

• Placement Year – Many students choose to spend a year working in industry with companies such as Kemira, Rosehill Polymers, Sensient, or Verdant. It’s a fantastic way to build your CV, earn valuable experience, and make industry contacts.

• Placement Support Team – You won’t be on your own; Huddersfield’s dedicated Placement Unit helps you find the right opportunity, prepares you for interviews, and guides you through the whole process.

• Specialist Facilities – You’ll work in purpose-built chemical engineering labs, including the Joseph Priestley building, with access to process rigs, pilot-scale equipment, and analytical instruments.

• Industry Software – In modules like Chemical Engineering Design 1, you’ll learn to use professional simulation software, the same kind companies rely on to model and optimise processes.

• Research and Innovation Links – Centres like the Centre for Process and Environmental Engineering (CEPE) and the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre give you the chance to engage with cutting-edge research and industry partnerships.

When you finish your Chemical Engineering degree at Huddersfield, you’ll step into a world of opportunities. Graduates from this course are well-prepared for roles such as Process Engineer, Safety Engineer, Plant Designer, or even positions in R&D and Environmental Consultancy. Thanks to the IChemE accreditation, your qualification carries real weight with employers worldwide — and the option of a placement year gives you the chance to graduate with industry experience already on your CV.

Here’s how Huddersfield helps you build that future:

• Tailored Career Support – The Industry and Placements team works closely with you to secure work placements in the UK or abroad, guiding you through applications, interviews, and supervising your progress while you’re out in industry.

• Graduate Success & Salaries – Within 15 months of graduating, most Huddersfield chemical engineering students are either in professional roles or further study, with an average starting salary of around £24,500.

• Industry Connections – The University has strong ties with companies through its placement programme, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and specialist research centres such as the Biorefinery Engineering and Bioprocessing Research Centre. These links keep your learning relevant and connected to real-world challenges.

• Professional Recognition – The course is fully accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), giving you a clear route towards Chartered Engineer status — a qualification that sets you apart in the engineering profession.

• Graduate Pathways – Alumni have gone on to careers in sectors like pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, materials, energy, and environmental consultancy, with many using their placement year as a springboard into their first graduate job.

Further Academic Progression:
If you’re keen to keep pushing forward academically, Huddersfield also offers routes into postgraduate study — from specialist Master’s programmes in areas like sustainable engineering or process design, through to PhD research for those who want to shape the future of the discipline. And with IChemE accreditation behind you, you’ll also be able to work towards becoming a Chartered Engineer once you’ve gained professional experience.