Chemical Engineering with Foundation Year

Chemical engineering is the discipline that translates the discoveries of chemistry and biology into processes and products that work at scale. Where a chemist might study a reaction in a flask, a chemical engineer asks how to run that reaction safely and efficiently in a vessel thousands of times larger, with reliable yield, manageable cost, and minimal environmental impact. It is a discipline that underpins the production of pharmaceuticals, food and drink, fuels, plastics, fertilisers, and an ever-growing range of materials and commodities that modern life depends on.

At the University of Southampton, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a supported route into chemical engineering for students whose prior qualifications require additional preparation before they begin the degree proper. The programme has a strong sustainability focus, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the transition to cleaner, more efficient industrial processes. You will study thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, mass and heat transfer, reactor design, and process engineering, developing both the theoretical understanding and the practical problem-solving skills that define the profession.

Southampton's location and industry connections place you well within reach of sectors where chemical engineering expertise is in demand.

Graduates work across a wide range of industries including energy and renewables, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, food manufacturing, water treatment, materials production, and process consulting. The engineering knowledge developed in this degree is transferable across these sectors, and graduates are consistently in demand in a job market that produces relatively few qualified chemical engineers compared to other disciplines. Postgraduate study, including taught Master's programmes and research degrees, is available for those who wish to specialise further or move into technical research.