MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering

Choosing the MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering at Manchester means you’re not just studying ideas you're building them. You'll be working in real labs, designing and running experiments, and completing a full dissertation project that gives you a real sense of how chemical engineering research and innovation works. The department puts learning into practice with cutting-edge facilities, expert supervision, and opportunities to work on problems that matter globally from sustainability and energy to biotech.

Here’s what your hands-on experience might include:

• Dissertation Project (60 credits): In your final term, you’ll dig into a big, independent research project. You can pick from topics that suit your interests whether it’s simulation, experimentation, or a hybrid and work side-by-side with academics who are doing real research. 

• Modern Lab Classes: Throughout the course, there are laboratory sessions where you’ll design and do experiments, learn how to collect and analyse data, and make decisions just like a working engineer. 

• Interactive Teaching: It’s not just lectures. You’ll attend seminars, take part in tutorials, and work in groups to solve real engineering challenges developing teamwork and communication alongside technical skills. 

• Top‑Tier Facilities:

  • In the James Chadwick Building, you’ll have access to a full suite of labs, dedicated computer suites, and a pilot-scale area with real industrial equipment. 

  • The Industrial Hub for Sustainable Engineering provides space to experiment with large-scale processes and sustainable technology. 

  • For analytical and experimental work, you can use equipment like FTIR microscopy, drop levitation, rheometers, crystallisers, and more. 

  • On the modelling side, the department supports computational work, including molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo simulations, and multiscale modelling.

• Process & Pilot‑Scale Operations: You’ll have access to unit‑operation facilities like large-scale reactors, distillation columns, continuous processing equipment, and in-line mixing great for understanding industrial processes first-hand. 

• Sensors & Process Analytics: There are advanced sensors you can use for in-process monitoring near-infrared, Raman, process NMR, tomography, and more to explore how real-time data drives chemical processes. 

• Research & Simulation Support: The Modelling and Simulation Centre at Manchester provides a strong computational backbone, letting you simulate complex processes and multi‑physics systems. 

• Supervision & Mentorship: You’ll work with research-active professors who are tackling real-world problems from sustainable systems to energy, materials, and biotech. 

• Ethical & Real‑World Engagement: Manchester embeds social responsibility into the course. You’ll be encouraged to take part in interdisciplinary projects (like their “Living Lab”) where you address sustainability challenges in a real-world context. 

• Career & Employability Support: Alongside your technical training, the university supports you with professional growth you’ll develop report writing, data analysis, presentation skills, and get help preparing for the kinds of roles top companies are looking for

After completing the MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Manchester, you'll be very well placed for influential and technical roles in a broad range of industries — from energy and pharmaceuticals to sustainability and manufacturing. Graduates often go into roles such as:

• Chemical / Process Engineer

• R&D Manager / Research Engineer

• Environmental / Sustainability Engineer

• Technical Services Manager or Engineering Consultant

Here’s how Manchester supports your career and why this degree is valuable:

• University Support & Employability Services

  • The Department of Chemical Engineering has a dedicated Careers and Employability team to help you with job‑search coaching, CVs, and networking. 

  • The Careers Service at the University of Manchester continues to support you for two years after graduation. 

  • You’ll develop highly transferable skills (problem‑solving, communication, data analysis) through course units and your MSc project that are very attractive to employers. 

• Employment Statistics & Salary

  • According to the Department’s own data, the average salary for their Chemical Engineering graduates is £30,763 (15 months after graduation). 

  • The MSc is designed to meet industry needs, which increases your employability and earning potential. 

• Industry Connections & Graduate Destinations

  • Graduates have gone on to work for big-name companies such as Unilever, Shell, GSK, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Jacobs, Schlumberger, Intel, and Procter & Gamble. 

  • The course prepares you for roles in a wide variety of sectors: food & drink, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, fast-moving consumer goods, energy, and waste treatment. 

• Accreditation & Long-Term Value

  • The programme is accredited by IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers), which is very important for professional recognition and for becoming a Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng). 

  • Manchester’s Chemical Engineering department has a strong legacy (it’s the birthplace of chemical engineering) and top-tier facilities, including pilot‑scale plants and high-tech labs. 

  • You can tailor your MSc via electives (e.g., biotechnology, AI/machine learning in chemical engineering, sustainable energy) to match both industry trends and your own interests. 

• Graduate Outcomes

  • Many graduates take up roles in design, manufacturing, R&D, consultancy or technical management. 

  • The MSc dissertation (research project) gives you real‑world research experience, helps you build your own technical portfolio, and makes you more competitive for R&D or doctoral roles. 

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the MSc, you have several strong academic options:

• PhD / Doctoral Study: You could pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering (or specialisms like sustainable processing, formulation, or energy systems), supported by Manchester’s research‑intensive department.

• Chartered Engineer (CEng): With IChemE accreditation, the degree helps you work toward professional engineer status.

• Specialist Postgraduate Certificates / Diplomas: You could later take more focused postgraduate study in niche areas like bioprocessing, AI in chemical engineering, or resource sustainability.