Course details
At Homerton
At Homerton we usually admit between two and four new Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology students each year. All lectures and laboratories are organised by the department. Lectures are concentrated into the mornings, leaving the afternoons free for laboratory classes, project meetings, small group teaching, presentations and seminars. Students learning in the same College are likely to be in a supervision group together so they can work and prepare teaching sessions together.
Hear from our students
"I’ve had a fantastic experience studying chemical engineering at Homerton: in particular the strong sense of community in the college and the hard work that goes into making the college an enjoyable place to learn. The staff are so friendly and supportive and there are lots of events and opportunities to take part in outside of an academic environment. Despite Chemical Engineering being a smaller subject, I’ve found sharing my experiences with the students in other years invaluable, and have enjoying studying at a higher level so much that next year I’ll be pursuing a PhD. The course has been very varied and interesting and I’ve had the opportunity to do lots of high quality lab work." - Thomas Slater
This course focuses on the industrial processes that convert raw materials into valuable products such as food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, detergents, drinking water, fuel and electricity. These products are relevant to almost every aspect of our everyday lives. They are made by processes that change the chemical, biochemical or physical state of substances. Through your study you will come to understand how such transformations happen at both the molecular scale and the industrial scale. You will also explore how transformations can be achieved economically, safely, and in an environmentally-friendly manner.
The course provides a thorough grounding in chemical engineering and biotechnology, while also providing training in personal and transferable skills. The aim is to produce graduates that meet the needs of today’s process industries and who have the ability to understand scientific advances when they occur. At the Department of Chemical Engineering we have excellent facilities that will support all of your teaching and research activities. For instance, we have an extensive network of computers equipped with modern applications used by practising engineers. These include Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools, process simulators and design packages. You will be taught primarily through lectures supported by projects, laboratory classes, supervisions and coursework. Each week you will typically attend 11 lectures and have two supervisions. You will also undertake fortnightly projects.
For more details on the course structure please see here. You are also welcome to email the department at outreach@ceb.cam.ac.uk.
We are looking for students who have the academic ability and potential to succeed on the course, as well as the necessary interest in and motivation for the subject.
In order to explore Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology in more detail we would recommend the introductory reading for prospective applicants and offer holders listed here. You may also be interested in exploring the below resources:
https://www.icheme.org/education/whynotchemeng/resources/
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/super-curricular_suggestions.pdf
https://nrich.maths.org/secondary
https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/students-teachers/nuffield-research-placements
https://camguides.lib.cam.ac.uk/undergraduates.html
https://www.youtube.com/c/CEBCambridge
You can also explore your chosen subject through the Homerton Resources page.
You can find the offer holder reading lists here.
Admission Assessment: All applicants for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology must sit the Engineering and Science Admissions Assessment (ESAT) as part of the application to the University. Applicants must be pre-registered for this test. Please see check admission assessments for further details.
Written Work: No written work is required for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
Our graduates are very much in demand in many industries because consumers are demanding both more sophisticated products and more sustainable processes. Graduates might work as field engineers, be part of research teams, or occupy senior management positions. Those that work for multinational companies may have the opportunity to travel all over the world. Chemical engineers can also easily secure jobs outside the discipline because of their broad range of skills. About 50% of our graduates go into the chemical, process and food industries, 20% go into finance and management, and 15% go into further education and research.
