Masters degrees in Bioprocess Engineering equip postgraduates with the skills to apply engineering principles to biological processes, the products of which can be used within industry.
Courses range from taught MSc degrees, to research-based MRes and MPhil programmes. Entry requirements normally include an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology.
Have you ever wondered how the latest life science discoveries - such as a novel stem cell therapy - can move from the lab into commercial scale production? Would you like to know whether it is possible to produce bio-polymers (plastics) and biofuels from municipal or agricultural waste? If you are thinking of a career in the pharma or biotech industries, the Biochemical Engineering MSc could be the right programme for you.
Our MSc programme focuses on the core biochemical engineering principles that enable the translation of advances in the life sciences into real processes or products. Students will develop advanced engineering skills (such as bioprocess design, bioreactor engineering, downstream processing), state-of-the-art life science techniques (such as molecular biology, vaccine development, microfluidics) and essential business and regulatory knowledge (such as management, quality control, commercialisation).
Three distinct pathways are offered tailored to graduate scientists, engineers, or biochemical engineers.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme offers three distinct pathways tailored to: graduate scientists ("Engineering Stream"); graduate engineers from other disciplines ("Science Stream"); or graduate biochemical engineers ("Biochemical Engineering Stream"). The programme for all three streams consists of a combination of core and optional taught modules (120 credits) and a research or design project (60 credits).
Core modules
Students are allocated to one of the three available streams based on their academic background (life science/science, other engineering disciplines, biochemical engineering). The programme for each stream is tailored to the background of students in that stream. Core modules may include the following (depending on stream allocation).
Please go to the "Degree Structure" tab on the departmental website for a full list of core modules.
Optional modules
Optional modules may include the following (details will vary depending on stream allocation).
Please go to the "Degree Structure" tab on the departmental website for a full list of optional modules
Research project/design project
Students allocated to the "Engineering" stream will have to complete a bioprocess design project as part of their MSc dissertation.
Students allocated to the "Science" and "Biochemical Engineering" streams will have to complete a research project as part of their MSc dissertation.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and individual and group activities. Guest lectures delivered by industrialists provide a professional and social context. Assessment is through unseen written examinations, coursework, individual and group project reports, individual and group oral presentations, and the research or design project.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Biochemical Engineering MSc
The rapid advancements in biology and the life sciences create a need for highly trained, multidisciplinary graduates possessing technical skills and fundamental understanding of both the biological and engineering aspects relevant to modern industrial bioprocesses. Consequently, UCL biochemical engineers are in high demand, due to their breadth of expertise, numerical ability and problem-solving skills. The first destinations of those who graduate from the Master's programme in biochemical engineering reflect the highly relevant nature of the training delivered.
Approximately three-quarters of our graduates elect either to take up employment in the relevant biotechnology industries or study for a PhD or an EngD, while the remainder follow careers in the management, financial or engineering design sectors.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
The department places great emphasis on its ability to assist its graduates in taking up exciting careers in the sector. UCL alumni, together with the department’s links with industrial groups, provide an excellent source of leads for graduates. Over 1,000 students have graduated from UCL with graduate qualifications in biochemical engineering at Master’s or doctoral levels. Many have gone on to distinguished and senior positions in the international bioindustry. Others have followed independent academic careers in universities around the world.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
UCL was a founding laboratory of the discipline of biochemical engineering, established the first UK department and is the largest international centre for bioprocess teaching and research. Our internationally recognised MSc programme maintains close links with the research activities of the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering which ensures that lecture and case study examples are built around the latest biological discoveries and bioprocessing technologies.
UCL Biochemical Engineering co-ordinates bioprocess research and training collaborations with more than a dozen UCL departments, a similar number of national and international university partners and over 40 international companies. MSc students directly benefit from our close ties with industry through their participation in the Department’s MBI® Training Programme.
The MBI® Training Programme is the largest leading international provider of innovative UCL-accredited short courses in bioprocessing designed primarily for industrialists. Courses are designed and delivered in collaboration with 70 industrial experts to support continued professional and technical development within the industry. Our MSc students have the unique opportunity to sit alongside industrial delegates, to gain deeper insights into the industrial application of taught material and to build a network of contacts to support their future careers.
Accreditation
Our MSc is accredited by the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
The “Science” and “Biochemical Engineering” streams are accredited by the IChemE as meeting the further learning requirements, in full, for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng, MIChemE).
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Bioprocess Engineering at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
From authoring definitive text books on chemical engineering to finding solutions to the world's water shortages, Swansea University has a proud tradition delivering pioneering innovative process engineering solutions.
Our research on Bioprocess Engineering builds on established process engineering areas with application to energy, health, food, water and the environment.
One of our major strengths is our close and extensive involvement with local, national and international engineering companies.
There is a wide range of research at Swansea University. This includes:
- Bioengineering, biomedical engineering
- Desalination
- Pharmaceutical engineering
- Polymer engineering
- Separation processes
- Transport processes
- Water and wastewater engineering
MSc by Research in Bioprocess Engineering typically lasts one year full-time, two to three years part-time. This is an individual research project written up in a thesis of 30,000 words.
Students enrolled on the MSc by Research in Bioprocess Engineering benefit from the facilities at the Centre for Water Advanced Technologies and Environmental Research (CWATER) at Swansea University.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.
World-leading research
The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality. This has increased from 73% in the 2008 RAE.
Research pioneered at the College of Engineering harnesses the expertise of academic staff within the department. This ground-breaking multidisciplinary research informs our world-class teaching with several of our staff leaders in their fields.
Highlights of the Engineering results according to the General Engineering Unit of Assessment:
Research Environment at Swansea ranked 2nd in the UK
Research Impact ranked 10th in the UK
Research Power (3*/4* Equivalent staff) ranked 10th in the UK
One of the major strengths of Chemical Engineering at Swansea University is the close and extensive involvement with local, national and international engineering companies. The companies include:
Acordis
Astra Zeneca
Avecia
BP Chemicals
Bulmers
Dow Corning
GlaxoSmithKline
Nestle
Murco
Phillips 66
Unilever
Valero
Engineering organisms and processes to generate the products of the future
Many everyday products are generated using biological processes. Foods such as bread, yoghurt and beer rely upon microscopic organisms to generate their structure and flavour. Many drugs are made using cells, such as insulin used to treat diabetes and many anticancer chemotherapy drugs. In the future, more products will be made using biological processes as they are typically ‘greener’ than traditional chemical processes – they are less energy intensive and generate fewer harmful chemical by-products. Biological processes are also responsible for many environmentally-friendly biofuels, which aim to reduce fossil fuel use.
Biological processes are key to many UK companies, from small contract manufacturers of protein and DNA drugs to large companies making fuels, commodity chemicals, foods and plastics. Biochemical engineering is an area that is essential to UK, European and Worldwide industrial development.
This is a highly multidisciplinary subject, requiring the integration of engineering and bioscience knowledge. If you are interested in pursuing a career in industrial biotechnology, biochemical engineering, biotechnology or bioprocessing, then this programme will provide you with the basic knowledge and skills required. Optional modules expand your horizons to include specific product areas (such as pharmaceuticals) and other skills required for a career in the area (such as business skills).
Birmingham is a friendly School which has one of the largest concentrations of chemical engineering expertise in the UK. The School is consistently in the top five chemical engineering schools for research in the country.
It has a first-class reputation in learning, teaching and research, and is highly placed in both The Guardian and The Times league tables.
Biochemical Engineering concerns the use of biological organisms or processes by manufacturing industries. It is a multidisciplinary subject, requiring the integration of engineering and bioscience knowledge to design and implement processes used to manufacture a wide range of products; from novel therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies for treating cancer, vaccines and hormones, to new environmentally-friendly biofuels. It is also essential in many other fields, such as the safe manufacture of food and drink and the removal of toxic compounds from the environment..
This course will provide you with the skills you need to start an exciting career in the bioprocess industries, or continue research in the area of bioprocessing or industrial biotechnology.
Industry involvement
Academics working at Birmingham have strong links with industry, through collaborative projects, so allow students to make contact with companies. Graduates from the MSc programme have gone on to careers in biochemical engineering world-wide, in large and small companies working in diverse areas.
There are also guest lectures from academics working at other institutions.
Practical experience
You will gain practical experience of working with industrially applicable systems, from fermentation at laboratory scale to 100 litre pilot scale, in the Biochemical Engineering laboratories. Theory learned in lectures will be applied in practical terms. In addition, theoretical aspects will be applied in design case studies in a number of modules.
All MSc students complete a summer research project, working on a piece of individual, novel research within one of the research groups in the school. These projects provide an ideal experience of life as a researcher, from design of experimental work, practical generation of data, analysis and communication of findings. Many students find this experience very useful in choosing the next steps in their career.
Special Features
The lecture courses are supplemented with tutorials, seminars and experimental work. Industrial visits and talks by speakers from industrial and service organisations are also included in the course programme.
Pilot Plant
The Biochemical Engineering building houses a pilot plant with large-scale fermentation and downstream processing equipment. The refurbished facility includes state-of-the-art computer-controlled bioreactors, downstream processing equipment and analytical instruments
Course structure
The MSc is a 12-month full-time advanced course, comprising lectures, laboratory work, short experimental projects and a research project. You will take an introductory module, four core modules, and then choose 50 credits of optional themed modules. The course can also be taken on a part-time basis. The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) lasts for 8 months from the end of September until June.
For the first eight months you have lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. Core module topics include:
There are numerous optional modules available across three themes:
From June to September you gain research training on your own project attached to one of the teams working in the bioprocessing research section.
Related links
The MSc is a 12-month full-time advanced course, comprising lectures, laboratory work, short experimental projects and a research project. You will take an introductory module, four core modules, and then choose 50 credits of optional themed modules. The course can also be taken on a part-time basis. The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) lasts for 8 months from the end of September until June.
For the first eight months you have lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. Topics include:
You also have practical experience of working in the newly-refurbished pilot plant of the Biochemical Engineering building
From June to September you gain research training on your own project attached to one of the teams working in the bioprocessing research section.
Accredited by the the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Develop the essential skills for a career in bioindustry or for further advanced research in next-horizon biotechnologies. You’ll learn from world-class researchers, including staff from Biomedical Science and Materials Science and Engineering. Our graduates work in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical and bioprocess organisations.
Our teaching is grounded in specialist research expertise. Our reputation for innovation secures funding from industry,
UK research councils, the government and the EU. Industry partners, large and small, benefit from our groundbreaking work addressing global challenges.
You’ll have access to top facilities, including modern social spaces, purpose-built labs, the Harpur Hill Research Station for large-scale work, extensive computing facilities and a modern applied science library. There are high-quality research facilities for sustainable energy processes, safety and risk engineering, carbon capture and utilisation, and biological processes and biomanufacturing.
Contact us for current information on available scholarships.
Four core modules including research project, a conversion module, and three optional modules.
Conversion modules:
We use a combination of lectures, tutorials, examples classes and coursework assignments.
Assessment is based on assignments for each module, formal examination of core modules, dissertation and oral presentation of the laboratory-based research project.
This Masters programme trains graduates of engineering, science or related disciplines in general and specialist process systems engineering subjects.
Such areas are not generally covered in engineering and science curricula, and BSc graduates tend to be ill prepared for the systems challenges they will face in industry or academia on graduation.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Modules related to the different groups are taught by a total of six full-time members of staff and a number of visiting lecturers.
As part of their learning experience, students have at their disposal a wide range of relevant software needed to support the programme material dissertation projects. In recent years, this work included the design of various knowledge-based and business systems on the internet, the application of optimisation algorithms, and semantic web applications.
Numerous laboratory facilities across the Faculty and the University are also available for those opting for technology-based projects, such as the process engineering facility, a control and robotics facility and signal processing labs.
The work related to the MSc dissertation can often be carried out in parallel with, and in support of, ongoing research. In the past, several graduates have carried on their MSc research to a PhD programme.
Engineers and scientists are increasingly expected to have skills in information systems engineering and decision-support systems alongside their main technical and/or scientific expertise.
Graduates of this programme will be well prepared to help technology-intensive organisations make important decisions in view of vast amounts of information by adopting, combining, implementing and executing the right technologies.
The programme aims to provide a highly vocational education which is intellectually rigorous and up-to-date. It also aims to provide the students with the necessary skills required for a successful career in the process industries.
This is achieved through a balanced curriculum with a core of process systems engineering modules supplemented by a flexible element by way of elective modules that permit students to pursue an element of specialisation relevant to their backgrounds, interests and/or career aspirations.
An integrated approach is taken so as to provide a coherent view that explores the interrelationships between the various components of the programme. The programme draws on the stimulus of the Faculty’s research activities.
The programme provides the students with the basis for developing their own approach to learning and personal development.
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
The programme aims to strengthen cognitive skills of the students, particularly in the aspects of problem definition, knowledge and information acquiring, synthesis, and creativity, as collectively demonstrable through the successful completion of the research dissertation. The key learning outcomes include the abilities to:
Professional practical skills
The programme primarily aims to develop skills for applying appropriate methods to analyse, develop, and assess process systems and technologies. The key learning outcomes include the abilities to:
Key / transferable skills
The programme aims to strengthen a range of transferable skills which are relevant to the needs of existing and future professionals in knowledge intensive industries irrespective of their sector of operation. The key learning outcomes include the further development of the skills in the following areas:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
This programme explores technology across a wide scope of engineering disciplines and will train you in general and specialist process systems engineering – crucial aspects for finance, industrial management and computer-integrated manufacturing.
There is a wide selection of modules on offer within the programme. All taught modules are delivered by qualified experts in the topics and academic members of University staff, assisted by specialist external lecturers.
Our programme combines high-quality education with substantial intellectual challenges, making you aware of current technologies and trends while providing a rigorous training in the fundamentals of the subject.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programme combines advanced material in two popular and complementary topics: systems engineering and environmental engineering. The key learning outcome is a balanced combination of systems and environmental skills and prepares students in a competitive market where both topics appear attractive.
The programme will provide training in general and specialist process and environmental systems engineering subjects, and prepare the students for the systems challenges they will face in industry or academia upon graduation.
The programme disseminates technology with a wide scope among engineering disciplines, with a wide selection of modules on offer. All taught modules are delivered by qualified experts in the topics and academic members of the university staff, assisted by specialist external lecturers.
The programme provides high-quality education with substantial intellectual challenges, commensurate with the financial rewards and job satisfaction when venturing into the real world. A key component is to make the student aware of current technologies and trends, whilst providing a rigorous training in the fundamentals of the subject.
Knowledge and understanding
The programme aims to develop the knowledge and understanding in both process and environmental systems engineering. The key learning outcomes include:
Intellectual / cognitive skills
The programme aims to strengthen cognitive skills of the students, particularly in the aspects of problem definition, knowledge and information acquiring, synthesis, and creativity, as collectively demonstrable through the successful completion of the research dissertation.
The key learning outcomes include the abilities to:
Professional practical skills
The programme primarily aims to develop skills for applying appropriate methods to analyse, develop, and assess process and environmental systems and technologies. The key learning outcomes include the abilities to:
Key / transferable skills
The programme aims to strengthen a range of transferable skills which are relevant to the needs of existing and future professionals in knowledge intensive industries irrespective of their sector of operation. The key learning outcomes include the further development of the skills in the following areas:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Biotechnology is defined as the industrial exploitation of living organisms or the exploitation of components derived from these organisms. Its practical applications include age-old techniques such as brewing and fermentation, which are still important today. In recent decades, gene modification has revolutionized the biotechnology industry, spawning countless new products and improving established processes.
More and more types of fermentation are being used, and most new medicines are products of biotechnology. Modern biotechnology has become an applied area of science with a multidisciplinary approach embracing recombinant DNA technology, cellular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, as well as process design, engineering, modelling and control.
Biotechnology is a broad, multidisciplinary area of science. A Master of Science in Biotechnology is an expert in one (group of) discipline(s) and has to have sufficient knowledge and skills in other disciplines to cooperate with experts from the other disciplines. Therefore, students specialise during the Master programme and learn how to solve complex biotechnological problems in a multidisciplinary team.
On the programme of Biotechnology page you can find the general outline of the programme and more detailed information about courses, theses and internships.
Within the master's programme you can choose one of the following Specialisations to meet your personal interests.
The first job after graduation, obtained by Msc biotechnologist, is often localised at a research institute or an university in- or outside The Netherlands. It usually concerns a research project or, more detailed, a PhD project: more than 50% of the graduated biotechnologist becomes PhD. Although most graduates choose for a career in science about 1/3 also starts in functions as engineer or technical expert. Read more about career perspectives and opportunities after finishing the programme.
Related programmes:
Renewable energy engineering is in high demand globally as we find alternate methods of energy harvesting to meet our future energy needs and future proof our reliance on hydrocarbons as much as it is possible to do. Considerable innovation and improvements are continuous within this field as it is by no means at a stage where society can rely on it to fuel all needs. The sector is interdisciplinary and this programme provides you with a wide range of very useful skills and knowledge to problem solve and progress current renewables and work towards innovation whether that is in a renewables company or as a start up.
You study electrical and electronic engineering pertinent to smart grid, sensing energy use, developing energy harvesting techniques, and renewable energy exchange, plus ability to harvest energy from all of our natural resources including wind, solar, hydro, marine, geothermal, biomass and other newly developing areas.Renewables is definitely an employable sector as governments are now challenged by finite resources coming from traditional areas, climate change and societal concerns about how we harvest energy in the future and our ability to survive climatic issues, population increase and manage work and life.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
• Online option available
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
Other engineering disciplines you may be interested in:
Chemical Engineering is key in addressing global challenges relating to sustainable supply of clean energy, food and water, through the production of chemicals, functionalised products and fuels. The MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering provides technical and management training that employers increasingly demand from chemical engineers. The programme offers a general Chemical Engineering option, which covers core chemical engineering subjects and a range of specialised optional modules; and a Biorefining option (formerly the Biofuels Process Engineering MSc), which provides advanced understanding of the production of bioenergy and biofuels while strengthening the knowledge on chemical engineering discipline.
The course is suitable for engineering and applied science graduates who wish to embark on successful careers as chemical engineering professionals.
Our general Chemical Engineering route equips you with diversified skills in advanced engineering, which includes theoretical and practical elements in operation, design, and control of a wide range of chemical processes. The Biorefining route (formerly the Biofuels Process Engineering MSc) equips you with fundamental understanding of chemical engineering and solid skills to address the challenges of the rapidly growing and dynamic bioenergy sector. This option covers the sustainable production of heat, power and fuels from biomass within the biorefining framework. Both routes include training in management applied to the energy sector which enables engineers to effectively fulfil a wider role in a business organisation.
Chemical engineering is a continuously evolving discipline linked to a variety of industries. Chemical engineers lead the design of large-scale facilities in the chemical, petrochemical, and industrial biotechnology sectors.
A distinguished feature of this course is that it is not directed exclusively at chemical engineering graduates. This MSc will provide you with the training and knowledge skill set that employers actively seek in a desirable engineering graduate. We recognise the importance of an interdisciplinary approach; as such the core and optional modules and course contents have been carefully developed to meet the engineering skill shortage currently faced within industry. In particular, no other university in the UK offers a MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering with a dedicated option in Biorefining. You will develop the professional profile required by the growing biobased sector (more than 480,000 jobs and annual turnover of about €50 million only in the European Union), with a high level of skills' transferability across the chemical and energy sectors.
Cranfield is an exclusively postgraduate university with distinctive expertise in technology and management. There are also numerous benefits associated with undertaking a postgraduate programme of study in here. These include:
The taught programme is delivered from October to February and is comprised of eight modules. The modules are delivered over one week of intensive delivery with the later part of the module being free from structured teaching to allow time for more independent learning and reflection. Students on the part-time programme will complete all of the modules based on a flexible schedule that will be agreed with the Course Director.
Group project
The Group Project, undertaken between February and April, enables you to put the skills and knowledge developed during the course modules into practice in an applied context, while gaining transferable skills in project management, teamwork and independent research. Projects are often supported by industry and potential future employers value this experience. The group project is normally multidisciplinary and shared across the Energy MSc programme, giving the added benefit of working with students with other backgrounds.
Each group is given an industrially relevant problem to solve. During the project you will develop a range of skills including learning how to establish team member roles and responsibilities, project management, and delivering technical presentations. At the end of the project, all groups submit a written report and deliver a poster presentation to industry partners. This presentation provides the opportunity to develop presentation skills and effectively handle questions about complex issues in a professional manner.
Part-time students are encouraged to participate in a Group Project as it provides a wealth of learning opportunities. However, an option of an individual dissertation is available if agreed with the Course Director.
Individual project
The individual research project allows students to investigate deeper into an area of specific interest. It is very common for industrial partners to put forward real world problems or areas of development as potential research project topics. The individual research project component takes place between May and September.
If agreed with the Course Director, part-time students have the opportunity to undertake projects in collaboration with their place of work, which would be supported by academic supervision.
Individual research projects undertaken may involve feasibility assessments, reviews, practical evaluations, designs, simulations, and experimental investigations.
Taught Modules 40%, Group Project 20%, Individual Research Project 40%
Industry driven research makes our graduates some of the most desirable in the world for recruitment by companies competing in a range of industries, including chemicals, petrochemicals, biochemicals, conventional energy and bioenergy, food, materials, consultancy and management.
Those wishing to continue their education via PhD or MBA studies in the chemical or energy sectors will be greatly facilitated by the interdisciplinary, project-oriented profile that they will have acquired through this course.
The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering programme is primarily aimed at applying chemical engineering principles to develop technical products and to design, control and improve industrial processes. Students also learn to take environmental and safety issues into account during all phases of the process.
Two guiding principles of sustainable development – the rational exploitation of resources and energy, and the application of the best available technology – are emphasised, as is the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
As a chemical engineering student, you will learn to think in a process-oriented manner and grasp the complexity of physico-chemical systems. Even more than other specialists, you will be asked to solve problems of a very diverse nature. Insights into processes at the nano and micro scale are fundamental for the development of new products and/or (mega-scale) technologies.
While students should have a foundational knowledge of chemistry, the underlying chemistry of the elements and components, their properties and mutual reactions are not the main focal points of the programme.
With a focus on process, product and environmental planet engineering, the programme does not only guarantee a solid chemical engineering background, it also focuses on process and product intensification, energy efficient processing routes, biochemical processes and product-based thinking rather than on the classical process approach.
The programme itself consists of an important core curriculum that covers the foundations of chemical engineering. The core curriculum builds on the basic knowledge obtained during the Bachelor’s. In this part of the programme, you will concentrate on both the classical and the emerging trends in chemical engineering.
Students also take up 9 credits from ‘Current trends in chemical engineering’-courses. These courses are signature courses for the Master’s programme and build on the research expertise present within the department. These courses encompass microbial process technology, process intensification, exergy analysis of chemical processes and product design.
The curriculum consists of a broad generic core, which is then strengthened and honed during the second year, when students select one of the three specialisations: product, process and environmental engineering.
This choice provides you with the opportunity to specialise to a certain extent. Since the emerging areas covered in the programme are considered to be the major challenges within the chemical and related industries, graduating in Leuven as a chemical engineer will give you a serious advantage over your European colleagues since you will be able to integrate new technologies within existing production processes.
During their Master’s studies, students are encouraged to take non-technical courses (general interest courses), organized for instance by other faculties (economics, social sciences, psychology…) in order to broaden their scope beyond mere technical courses.
An important aspect of the Master’s programme is the Master’s thesis. Assigning Master’s thesis topics to students is based on a procedure in which students select 5 preferred topics from a long list.
The Master’s programme highly values interactions with the chemical industry which is one of the most important pillars of the Flemish economy. As such, some courses are taught by guest professors from the industry.
One or two semesters of the programme can be completed abroad in the context of the ERASMUS+ programme. Additionally, you can apply for an industrial internship abroad through the departmental internship coordinator. These internships take place between the third Bachelor’s year and the first Master’s year, or between the two Master’s years.
The department also offers a new exchange programme with the University of Delaware (United States) and with the Ecole Polytechique in Montréal (Canada).
The faculty’s exchange programmes are complemented by the BEST network (Board of European Students of Technology). This student organisation offers the opportunity to follow short courses, usually organised in the summer months. The faculty also participates in various leading international networks.
You can find more information on this topic on the website of the Faculty website.
The chemical sector represents one of the most important economic sectors in Belgium. It provides about 90,000 direct and more than 150,000 indirect jobs. With a 53 billion euro turnover and a 35% share of the total Belgian export, the chemical sector is an indispensable part of the contemporary Belgian economy.
As a chemical engineer you will predominantly work in industrial branches involved in (the production of) bulk and specialty chemicals, oil and natural gas (petrochemical companies and refineries), non-ferrometallurgics, energy, waste treatment, food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. The following professional activities lie before you:
Apart from the traditional career options, your insight into complex processes will also be much appreciated in jobs in the financial and governmental sector, where chemical engineers are often employed to supervise industrial activities, to deliver permissions, and to compose regulations with respect to safety and environmental issues.
As self-employed persons, chemical engineers work in engineering offices or as consultants. Due to their often very dynamic personality, chemical engineers can also be successful as entrepreneurs.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Membrane Technology at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
Swansea University is a world-leader in the area of membrane technologies for water treatment.
Pressure is increasing on our limited water resources. With more people requiring clean water, effective solutions need to come from reusing water in the most efficient way. The Centre for Water Advanced Technologies and Environmental Research (CWATER) is an internationally leading centre of excellence for the development of advanced technologies in water treatment.
The Centre benefits from world-leading expertise in the area of membrane technologies for water treatment.
The Centre for Water Advanced Technologies and Environmental Research (CWATER) research areas, broadly speaking, fit into one of three categories:
- Drinking water treatment: improved methods of portable water treatment, with a view to meeting tightening regulations at cheaper capital and operating costs.
- Waste-water treatment: technologies for the efficient removal of environmentally harmful materials and thus reduced emissions per output of discharge.
- Process-water treatment: methods for the treatment of process streams enabling the recycling of water and valuable chemical intermediates.
The MSc by Research in Membrane Technology has a wide range of subject choices including:
Modelling membrane processes
Membrane and process characterisation
Hazardous substances
Bioprocessing
Development of new membranes
Ozonation and Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs)
Pilot scale studies
Our new home at the innovative Bay Campus provides some of the best university facilities in the UK, in an outstanding location.
One of the major strengths of Membrane Technology at Swansea University is the close and extensive involvement with local, national and international engineering companies. The companies include:
Acordis
Astra Zeneca
Avecia
BP Chemicals
Bulmers
Dow Corning
GlaxoSmithKline
Nestle
Murco
Phillips 66
Unilever
Valero
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.
World-leading research
The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality. This has increased from 73% in the 2008 RAE.
Research pioneered at the College of Engineering harnesses the expertise of academic staff within the department. This ground-breaking multidisciplinary research informs our world-class teaching with several of our staff leaders in their fields.
Highlights of the Engineering results according to the General Engineering Unit of Assessment:
Research Environment at Swansea ranked 2nd in the UK
Research Impact ranked 10th in the UK
Research Power (3*/4* Equivalent staff) ranked 10th in the UK
