UK Education    University

This page is intended to give a view for people not familiar with the UK educational system, and therefore is a very simple view.  It is intended to allow comparisons with other countries.
This is based upon the typical education of a UK chemical engineer.  Each University department will have a slightly different pattern.  Some only offer one degree. Some offer several specialist ones.
Entry to UK universities is managed by UCAS the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.  Students apply for up to 6 different university courses.  They usually visit the university for interview.  Each university department then makes a conditional offer (typically BBB in Maths, Chemistry and another Science, for Chemical Engineering) before A levels (or equivalent) are taken.  The student can firmly accept one offer, and if he or she meets this requirement, then takes up the place.  Departments may choose to accept students who have not completely met the offer, and may also offer places when the A level results are known.
See a brief guide to UK Higher Education and how the Bachelors and Masters degrees meet the Bologna declaration in documents from the Quality Assurance Agency.

See previous page for information on schooling.
 

Year	Comment	Content
0	Entry in Scottish Universities. Entry in other UK Universities for students with certain qualifications	Foundation year, maths and science
1	Normal entry for UK students, who have A level or equivalent in Chemistry, Maths and another.	More chemistry, maths and basic chemical engineering: mass & energy balances, unit operations, fluid mechanics, heat transfer etc.
2	At the end of this year, higher graded students can opt to take the extended and enhanced MEng degree	More detailed and advanced chemical engineering subjects and some more maths.  Process control.
3	Final Year for BEng students	Major Design project, safety and environment, management, and advanced topics.  Possibly some options or specializations.
4	Final Year for MEng students	Major Research project, specialist options
5+	Postgraduate studies	Taught courses (MSc) or research (PhD)

Notes:

• Biotechnology and/or biochemical engineering  is given as a single course in some degrees, or is an extensive option or even a specialist degree in some departments.
• Fuel and Energy are studied in all degrees.  Some have a sufficient degree of specialization for the degree to be accredited by the Institute of Energy as well as the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
• One department offers an accredited degree (MEng) which combines chemical engineering and chemistry.  Some other departments plan to offer such a degree from 2001.
• The MEng is now recognized as the full academic qualification for Chartered Engineer status (though this is not awarded until the graduate has several years of professional practice).  BEng graduates will have to show additional educational achievement as well as professional training and practice.
• Universities do not give the final qualification of Chartered Engineer, which is awarded by the Engineering Institutions after further training and professional practice.

Backward to Schools in the UK
Forward to Postgraduate Studies in the UK
Link to Chartered Engineer Status in the UK

this page by Martin Pitt email m.j.pitt@sheffield.ac.uk  March 2002