Advanced Chemical Engineering MSc

This Masters degree will extend your existing knowledge to provide you with advanced chemical engineering and process technology skills for an exciting and challenging career in these process industries. You’ll develop advanced knowledge in key areas such as reaction engineering, product development, process modelling and simulation, and pharmaceutical formulation or energy technology.

The course has been designed to provide greater depth in aspects of advanced chemical engineering and a range of up-to-date process technologies. These will enable you to design, operate and manage processes and associated manufacturing plants, and to provide leadership in innovation, research and development and technology transfer.

This course is suitable for chemical engineering graduates. If you have an undergraduate degree in a relevant engineering or science discipline such as chemistry, you might be interested in our Chemical Process Engineering MSc.

Course highlights

• Advance your knowledge and skills in areas such as reaction engineering, multi-scale modelling, batch process engineering, and product design and development.

• Conduct an extensive, independent research project using some of our cutting-edge facilities.

• Our courses are shaped by our world-leading research in areas such as sustainable systems and processes.

Specialist facilities

We have world-class facilities for carrying out research in manufacturing (including crystallisation), processing and characterising particulate systems for a wide range of technological materials, as well as facilities for nanotechnology and colloid science and technology.

We also have high-performance computing facilities and state-of-the-art computer software, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD), for modelling and simulation of a wide range of processes. This will provide a strong background knowledge in industrial process and equipment design and optimisation.

Find out more about our facilities.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr Tariq Mahmud, is an Associate Professor whose research interests include chemical process modelling and simulation, the synthesis of particulate product materials, and carbon capture and advanced H2 production processes. Dr Mahmud has led a number of projects in these areas funded by the UK research councils and industries including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, National Nuclear Laboratories, P&G and Syngenta.

The wider programme team has a broad and extensive experience across a range of chemical and process engineering disciplines.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), which satisfies the requirements for Further Learning to Master's Level if you have an IChemE accredited bachelor's degree (or with the academic equivalent assessed through the IChemE Individual Case Procedure). This provides the fast-track route to professional Chartered Engineer (CEng) status and ensures the quality of the education provided.

You’ll study compulsory modules on cutting-edge topics such as recent advances in chemical engineering, reaction engineering, multi-scale modelling (including CFD), batch process engineering, and product design and development.

You’ll complement this with a choice of optional modules, allowing you to gain specialist knowledge in a topic that suits your career plans or personal interests. Optional module topics include pharmaceutical formulation, nuclear operations, fuel processing and materials structures and characterisation.

Project work

Every student undertakes a research project that runs throughout the year. This project allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.

Throughout the research project, you’ll produce an independent study, reflecting the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired. This will enable you to gain experience of planning, executing and reporting a research work of the type you will undertake in an industrial or academic environment. You’ll also have access to some of the outstanding facilities in School of Chemical and Process Engineering.

You’ll choose your topic – normally related to one of our world-class research areas – and work closely with your supervisor to apply what you’ve learned to a real-life problem. A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and may include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the Advanced Chemical Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you could study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Advanced Chemical Engineering MSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, practicals, tutorials and seminars. Independent study is also an important element of the course, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including problem sheets, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessments.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in chemical engineering. Applicants must have strong marks across a breadth of relevant modules, including mathematics and physical sciences.

Applicants with a high 2.2 will be considered on an individual basis where they can demonstrate competence in specific modules and/or with relevant professional industrial experience.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Engineering (6 weeks) and Language for Science: Engineering (10 weeks). 

We are now offering online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals.  To find out more, read Online Academic English pre-sessional (10 weeks) and Online Academic English pre-sessional (6 weeks).

Read about differences between our online and on-campus summer pre-sessionals.

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

29 July 2022 – International applicants

9 September 2022 – UK applicants

Apply

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

The UK Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) operates a scheme called the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). If you are an international (non-EU/EEA or Swiss citizen) applicant and require a student visa to study in the UK then you will need an ATAS certificate to study this course at the University of Leeds.

To apply for an ATAS certificate online, you will need your programme details and the relevant Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) code and descriptor. For this course, the CAH code is: CAH10-01-09 and the descriptor is Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering. Your supervisor will be Dr Tariq Mahmud.

More information and details on how to apply for your ATAS certificate can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academic-technology-approval-scheme.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £11,500 (total)
• International: £25,750 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a job.

The University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2021 report.

There is a wide range of career opportunities in the chemical and allied industries in process engineering, process design and research and development as well as in finance and management. Our graduates have secured positions at companies such as:

• ASM Technologies

• BOC

• P&G

• National Nuclear Industry

• Hollister-Stier Laboratories

• Pfizer

• National Centre of Science and Technology Evaluation

• Worley Parsons

Read profiles of our alumni to find out more about where some of our graduates are working.

Further study

Many of our graduates have secured positions on PhD programmes in the UK and internationally. We offer a wide range of PhD programmes, offering many opportunities for students graduating from this MSc course.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You’ll have access to the wide range of careers resources and support from your Careers Service. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations, book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops and webinars.

Our annual STEM Careers Fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

There are also plenty of exciting ways you can volunteer during your time at Leeds. Find out more at the Leeds University Union website.