Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

University of Cambridge

United Kingdom, Cambridge

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University of Cambridge

United Kingdom , Cambridge

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

H810

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesOctober-2024

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 37,293 / year

Next Intake October-2024

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

About

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Cambridge

Our course concentrates on the scientific principles that underpin the discipline. These principles are essential to develop processes and products that address some of the problems currently facing humanity. These include the energy transition away from fossil fuels, the need for sustainable food and water supplies as climate change occurs, and the provision of improved global healthcare solutions and therapeutics.

The aim of our course is to produce graduates who meet the needs of today's process and biotech industries by providing a thorough understanding of the subject, technical competence and transferable skills. The underlying theory is complemented by projects that teach process and product design for chemical engineering and biotechnology.

We have strong links with industry. The course is supported by a consortium of seven industrial companies which provide input on content and assist with teaching. These links also mean that there are opportunities for vacation placements with some of the world's top companies.

Teaching and facilities

Our Department enjoys a reputation for excellence in its teaching and research, regularly topping national league tables. The Department's purpose-built building features the highest quality teaching and research facilities.

Qualifications and accreditation

It's possible to graduate with a BA degree after three years. However, virtually all students stay for the fourth year leading to the BA and MEng degrees (progression to the fourth year is dependent on satisfactory performance). Accreditation by the Institution of Chemical Engineers is pending for 2023 entry. This accreditation allows graduates to apply for Chartered Engineer status once they have four years of relevant experience, without taking further exams.

Course Outline

You are taught primarily through lectures, which are supported by projects, laboratory classes, supervisions and coursework.

In a typical week students attend 10 lectures and have two supervisions. In the first two years there is significant laboratory work, while the amount of project work increases each year.

Assessment is by a combination of written examinations and coursework. In the light of the course's new structure for 2023 entry, please visit the Department website for more details.

Year 1 (Part IA)

You study:

Compulsory papers in chemical engineering, introducing the discipline, sustainability and product design.
Cell biology as the fundamental science behind biotechnology.
Chemistry from Part IA of the Natural Sciences Tripos.
Mathematics from Part IA of the Natural Sciences Tripos.

You also undertake workshop activity for chemical engineering and biotechnology, and do the Chemistry practical laboratory class of Part IA of the Natural Sciences Tripos.

Year 2 (Part IB)

You study:

Compulsory papers in chemical engineering such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, separation technology and reaction engineering.
Compulsory paper in biotechnology which includes gene editing, cell production at scale, bioprocessing and biological characterisation techniques.

You also take laboratory classes relating to chemical engineering and biotechnology, undertake assessed exercises, and have classes in computing skills.

Year 3 (Part II)

You study:

Compulsory papers in chemical engineering that deepen knowledge of earlier topics.
Compulsory papers in chemical engineering that relate to process design.
Compulsory paper in biotechnology – including applications of biotechnology for agriculture, healthcare and energy.

You also undertake assessed exercises.

You undertake a full-time group project in the third term to design a plant making a particular chemical or biological product. You consider all aspects of engineering design (including specification of equipment and control procedures), safety, environmental impact and economic assessment. This design project brings together much of the taught subject matter whilst giving students the opportunity to work in a team on an open-ended problem.

Year 4 (Part III)

You study some compulsory topics; these are currently energy technology, sustainability and advanced design.

You choose further topics from a list of optional papers, which changes every year to reflect the research interests of academic staff. Past examples include pharmaceutical engineering, adsorption and nanoporous materials, fluid mechanics and the environment, interface engineering, optical microscopy, biophysics, bionanotechnology, biosensors and bioelectronics, and healthcare biotechnology.

In addition, students undertake a research project. This might involve experimental, theoretical and/or computational work. Some projects support ongoing Department research, while others are â€کblue sky' investigations leading to new research programmes. Successful projects sometimes lead to students becoming authors of publications in scientific literature.

For further information, see the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology website.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Jordan

The Certificate of General Secondary Education is not considered on its own to be suitable preparation for a competitive application to the University of Cambridge. We strongly recommend that you undertake further study if you wish to apply for an undergraduate degree.

Examples of qualifications that would be considered suitable for admission to Cambridge include:

A Levels
International Baccalaureate (IB)
five or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses
possibly the first year of an undergraduate degree at a university outside the UK

Please contact the College you wish to apply to for further advice and guidance.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 37,293 / year

How to Apply

The application process

The Cambridge application process is slightly different to other universities. You still need to apply through UCAS, however, at Cambridge the process starts earlier to give us time to collect and consider all of the application information. The steps below and the following pages will guide you through the process.

1. Choose a Course

You’re going to be studying to a very high level for several years so make sure you choose a course you’re personally interested in and will really enjoy studying! Check, also, that you meet the entrance requirements of the course you want to study.

2. Check assessment requirements

Most applicants need to take a written admission assessment as part of the application process. Some applicants will also be asked to submit examples of their written work.

Please check the type of assessment required for your course as early as possible as some assessments require you to be registered before the UCAS application deadline (15 or 30 September).

3. Decide on your College

Where would you like to live when you’re here? In your UCAS application, you can apply directly to one of our 29 Colleges or make an open application.

4. Submit your application

You need to submit your UCAS application by 15 October – our institution code is CAM C05. Please note:

Earlier or later deadlines may apply for Mature Students, Foundation Year and Organ Scholarship applicants.
There's an additional application form if you're applying for the Graduate Course in Medicine.
You can’t apply to both the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford in the same year.
Some applicants will be required to submit an academic transcript.

After you’ve submitted your UCAS application, you will need to fill in an additional Cambridge-specific application form, which we’ll send you a link to by email.

5. Interviews

Everyone with a good chance of being offered a place is invited to attend an interview. If you decide to apply, you can find videos and full information on what to expect and how to prepare, in our interviews section.

6. Decisions

We’ll advise you of our decision before the end of January.

External consultants

We’re aware of private companies and individuals who offer, at a charge, information and advice on our admissions process, assessments and interviews. We DO NOT support or encourage any of these commercial enterprises. None of these companies/individuals has access to any information that’s not already available free of charge to all schools, colleges and individual students from College admissions offices, the Cambridge Admissions Office or Cambridge Students’ Union; and we’re unable to verify the accuracy of information these companies/individuals may provide. Please contact the admissions office at any College or the Cambridge Admissions Office for more information.