Chemical Engineering with Industrial Placement

Chemical engineering is the discipline concerned with the design, operation and optimisation of industrial processes that transform raw materials into useful products through chemical, biological and physical change. It sits at the interface of chemistry, physics, biology and engineering, applying the principles of mass and energy transfer, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics to the design of reactors, separation units, heat exchangers and process control systems. Chemical engineers work across industries from pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and plastics to food processing, water treatment, energy production and advanced materials.

At the University of Hull, this five-year programme, which includes an industrial placement year, benefits from the university's proximity to some of the UK's major chemical and process industries in the Humber region, as Hull's own description notes. The placement year is a substantial element: a full year working in an industrial chemical engineering environment, applying your academic knowledge to real process problems and developing the professional practice and workplace relationships that are difficult to develop in a university setting alone. You will study the core engineering sciences of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer and reaction engineering, alongside process design, control, safety and sustainability, developing both the analytical foundations and the design skills that practising chemical engineers use throughout their careers.

Hull's connections with regional industry provide direct pathways to placement opportunities and, for many students, early career connections with potential employers.

Graduates go on to careers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, energy, water and environmental sectors, working in process design, production management, quality, regulation, research and development. Chartership with the Institution of Chemical Engineers is the professional standard for the discipline. Further study at masters level is also an option for those seeking specialist expertise or academic careers.