Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the design and operation of processes that transform raw materials into useful products through chemical, physical, or biological means. It sits at the heart of the pharmaceutical, energy, food processing, petrochemical, and materials industries, and its graduates are responsible for the systems that produce everything from medicines and fuels to plastics, fertilisers, and specialty chemicals. The discipline draws on chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering principles to design reactors, separation systems, heat exchangers, and control systems that work reliably and efficiently at industrial scale.
At Teesside University, this four-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year for students who need additional preparation before beginning the main degree, along with a sandwich year and work placement opportunities. The foundation year introduces the principles of design, modelling, and simulation in engineering, using techniques including sketching, formal engineering drawing, and mathematical modelling software to develop the foundational skills that the main degree builds on. The core programme then covers reaction engineering, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, process design, and control, developing the technical range that industrial chemical engineering demands.
The sandwich year and placements give you professional experience in real chemical or process engineering environments before you graduate.
Graduates of Chemical Engineering with Foundation Year work in chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, energy, food and drink manufacturing, oil and gas, polymers, and environmental engineering. The chartered engineering route through the Institution of Chemical Engineers is the standard professional development pathway. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in process engineering, environmental engineering, or a related specialism, and others move into project management and consulting roles.
The combination of chemical knowledge and engineering skill produces graduates who are in sustained demand across process-intensive industries.