phd chem eng cambridge

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PhD in Chemical Engineering

University of cambridge, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Chemical Engineering

Course type

The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology offers PhDs in Chemical Engineering or Biotechnology.

Research within the Department covers a wide and exciting array of activities ranging from quite fundamental research in biology through to the traditional fields of chemical engineering.

After completing three years (nine terms) but no more than four years, a PhD student must submit a thesis of up to 65,000 words. The thesis will be orally examined by two examiners, one internal and one external to the University.

All first-year PhD (Probationary) students complete a literature review and compile their findings in a short report that is submitted three months after the start of their PhD.

Near the end of the first year, all students submit a first-year report and are assessed orally. Additionally, as part of the assessment, students will present their work to their examiners. If successful, the student will then be fully registered for the PhD.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK High II.i Honours Degree.

Advanced Chemical Engineering MSc

University of strathclyde, sustainable engineering (chemical processing) msc, advanced chemical & process engineering (distance learning) msc, chemical technology & management (distance learning) msc, phd/ mphil chemical & process engineering.

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To obtain a PhD degree you must complete three years full-time training (or five years part-time) and carry out an original piece of research which makes a significant contribution to learning in one of the many research areas in the Department. At the same time, the Department expects that students will leave with the wider skills necessary to be successful in either an academic or a non-academic career. Research students are therefore expected to obtain an effective training in research and to broaden their background knowledge, as well as to undertake a novel research project. In their first year, students take a minimum of two taught modules from a wide range of courses offered by the Department. Modules consist of lectures and practical work, and each module involves about 80 hours of work. You will also participate in a researcher development programme during your first year, and you are expected engage in personal development opportunities throughout the PhD in order to develop important transferable skills.

As a research student working in the Department of Engineering, you will work most closely with your Supervisor , who is responsible for guiding your research and training. You can expect at least eight one hour-long individual meetings with your supervisor every calendar year, although it may be much more frequent. You will also have daily contact with the research group you are working within. In addition, you will be assigned an Adviser , who will take an active interest in your progress and be available to provide additional support and advice when needed.

All doctoral research takes place in University of Cambridge facilities. However, the Department and its supervisors have strong links to other institutions both in the UK and around the world. After their first year, students may therefore apply for permission to undertake research in other institutions for extended periods of time. There may also be opportunities to teach small groups of engineering undergraduates to widen your experience and gain valuable expertise in explaining engineering concepts.

At the end of your first year, you will write a 15,000 progress report on your research to date, and discuss your work with two assessors. Passing this assessment is a requirement to continue with the PhD beyond the first year. After completing three years of research, you will submit a 60,000 word thesis on your research and have an oral examination. The final deadline for submission of the thesis is four years after the start date (or seven years for part-time students), but we advise students to aim to submit by either the end of their tenth term, or the end of their funding, whichever is soonest.

The PhD in Engineering can be tailored to suit your particular interests. Applicants must identify a supervisor that they wish to work with on their application form, and contact them directly to discuss their research interests in advance of submitting an application. You can browse current topics of research in the department and identify potential supervisors via the research pages of our website. You should state the name of the supervisor(s) that you wish to work with on your application form, and should also give at least an indication of the topic you wish to undertake research on, so that we can direct your application appropriately.

Further information, including entrance requirements and how to apply, can be found on the online  Course Directory . The Engineering Postgraduate Students website contains resources for current students and may also be of interest to applicants:  www.graduate.eng.cam.ac.uk .

 Academics accepting PhD Students for 2023/24 can be found via the following links;

Electrical Engineering -  https://ee.eng.cam.ac.uk/index.php/graduate-studies/

Mechanics, Materials and Design -  http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/academic-divisions/mechanics-materials-and-design/postgraduate-studies-research-students

Manufacture and Management -  https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/education/phd/topics/

Information Engineering:  http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/academic-divisions/information-engineering/postgraduate-studies

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Applying within funding deadlines

If you would like to be considered for Cambridge University financial support and scholarships, you must make sure your application is submitted by the December University funding deadline ( https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/pcchpdpch/fin... ).

To apply for an MPhil or PhD in Chemistry use the University of Cambridge online  Applicant Portal . To complete the submission you will need to have details of your referees, academic transcripts, CV, and an English language proficiency documentation (if required) ready to upload, this year you will also need to complete and upload a quick questionnaire to your application.  

The first task before completing your online application is to identify one or more prospective supervisors whose research area interests you.  If you do not indicate a prospective supervisor(s) your application will be severely delayed. To see who is accepting students please look at the tables on either the PhD or MPhil pages.

We encourage you to correspond with potential supervisors early and well in advance of submitting your application. The Postgraduate Admissions Open Day is a good opportunity to make connections by registering your interest with research groups in the department. Our experience is that most successful applications come from people who have researched what they want to study and with whom. Although success in the application process cannot be guaranteed, a well-researched, focused and thoroughly written application is the expectation.

Applications that are incomplete, lacking one or more academic references by the University deadline will not be considered.

Application Timeline

The Department will be conducting interviews by panels of at least two academic members of staff of shortlisted applicants. Most of these interviews will take place in January, but some groups (particularly Synthesis Research Interest Group) may schedule interviews in December. Successful applicants will be made offers and entered for the funding competition by mid-February. 

There are several categories of outcomes you could fall into following your application submission. Please make a note of the dates below before contacting admissions regarding the status of your application:

• Shortlisted scholarship eligible candidates interviewed for competition  – January.
• Entered into scholarship competition  – your offer will be processed at Departmental level and you will be informed that you have been entered into the scholarship competition by mid-February.  Candidates who require an offer for specific external funding should inform the graduate office of this before mid-February
• Interviewed but not entered into scholarship competition  – your application may be on hold until the outcome of the scholarship competition is known (this can be up to the end of June) in order to gauge available places. During this time, you may be offered a place if other funding becomes available – this should be discussed directly with your prospective supervisor .  If you are able to self-fund, please indicate this on your application. 
• Not interviewed for scholarship competition  - Your application will be considered with the gathered field for supervisor’s own funding. You will either receive a rejection or your application may be kept on hold until the outcome of the scholarship competition is known.

If you have not heard anything by April, please get in touch  [email protected]

Applying after funding deadlines

Applicants who do not wish to apply for funding may apply until 16 May 2024 for PhD and 31 January 2024 for MPhil. We suggest that you apply at least 14 days before these deadlines in order that we can process your applications in a timely fashion.

To avoid disappointment, it is strongly recommended that you contact your preferred supervisor in advance of submitting an application to see whether they are still willing to consider applications as places are limited and may already have been filled.

What constitutes a "good" application?

Before applying, please carefully review the information available on our website.

In your application:

• Supervisors - Familiarise yourself with the work conducted by or department/faculty/ and the research interests and projects of potential supervisors. This will help you identify the academic staff whose expertise aligns with your own research interests.
• Research Experience - demonstrate your familiarity with related academic work in the field and how your relevant experience and aptitude makes you suited to independent research.
• Research Interests - Identify and describe a novel research direction, considering why it is both interesting and relevant to pursue research in that particular area. Write clearly and concisely. Structure this section with headings such as introduction, proposed research etc. This is your chance to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject you want to research, and highlight your ideas for your PhD or MPhil.

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Before submitting

The word limit is 65,000 words (including appendices, footnotes, tables and equations, but excluding the bibliography). It must not contain more than 150 figures. See  Word limits and requirements of your Degree Committee . If you need to increase your word limit, you must apply for permission via your CamSIS self-service account. Requests for more than 72,000 words will not be considered under any circumstances.

Additional Materials

Additional materials* are defined as materials created by the candidate which are integral to the thesis and essential for examination, but cannot be easily included in the main body of the thesis. Examples may include 3D models, simulations, video or audio recordings, hi-resolution images, or computer programmes. Additional materials are defined as materials created by the candidate which are integral to the thesis and essential for examination, but cannot be easily included in the main body of the thesis. Examples may include 3D models, simulations, video or audio recordings, hi-resolution images, or computer programmes.

If you need to include additional materials , you need permission to do so BEFORE submitting your thesis for examination.

*Please note that additional materials cannot be used to circumvent the thesis maximum word limit

Format and presentation

Please see the information on the  Cambridge Students website.

Your submission deadline

Your PhD thesis should be submitted before the last day of your fourth year of study. You can find your submission deadline on your CamSIS self-service account. The earliest date you can submit is the first day of your ninth term. We strongly advise students to aim to submit within ten terms, or by the end of their funding date, whichever is soonest . This will allow you some contingency time in case of unexpected delays.

Extensions can only be granted in limited circumstances (ie where you have experienced unforeseen delays); see  Extending your submission date . Please ensure that you read and follow the guidance carefully if you need to apply for an extension. If you do not submit by your deadline, you will be removed from the register of graduate students, which will result in you losing access to resources. However, if this happens, you will still be able to submit your thesis at a later date .

Preparing to submit

Four weeks before you intend to submit your thesis, please complete the online  Intention to Submit Form . After consulting with your supervisor, the GSO will arrange for your examiners to be appointed and your title approved. At this point the GSO will add you to the Moodle site so that you can submit your thesis when it is complete.

If you wish to notify examiners of any disability or request adjustments on account of such disability for your viva voce examination (either for your first year assessment or final examination), you can do this via your Degree Committee by completing and submitting the  voluntary disclosure form .

Where and what to submit

You should submit an electronic pdf copy of your thesis via the Engineering Degree Committee thesis submission   Moodle site. Please name the file "PhD_ Your CRSid.pdf" so that it is identifiable.

Providing examiners have been appointed, your thesis will be forwarded to the examiners within two days of receipt by the GSO. For details of where to submit your thesis and what paperwork to include, see  Submitting your Thesis .

After submitting

The oral examination (viva).

We will email you when your thesis has been forwarded to your examiners. You should expect to wait at least 8 weeks for your  oral examination . In most cases the viva will be between you and two examiners, usually one internal and one external.

After your oral examination, you may be asked to make some corrections to your thesis. If your examiners do not provide you with a list of corrections, please contact the GSO and we will arrange for a list to be sent to you.  When the corrections are complete, you should show them to your internal examiner (and/or your external examiner in some cases).

After the examination

Your examiners' reports will be considered at a meeting of the Engineering Degree Committee . Following this meeting, the Degree Committee will send their decision to the Student Registry. You will usually receive an email from the Student Registry within about a week of the Degree Committee meeting, informing you of the outcome, along with copies of your examiners' reports. In some cases, your examination paperwork will also need to be considered by the Postgraduate Committee (see 'Other outcomes' below).

No corrections needed, or corrections completed and approved before paperwork considered by Degree Committee

If you were not required to make any corrections, or you have already completed your corrections and they have been approved by your examiners before your paperwork is considered by the Degree Committee, then following the meeting you will receive an email from the Student Registry informing you to submit the hardbound and electronic copies of your thesis . In some cases where corrections have been completed, you may first receive notification that corrections are required, and then another email within a day or two to confirm that those have been completed and you can submit your hardbound and e-thesis.

Corrections required

Examiners can recommend that you need to complete some corrections  to your thesis. These can be either minor, which you will be given three months to complete, or major, which you will be given six months to complete. These timings start from the date that your examination paperwork is approved by the Degree Committee, and you will receive an email from the Student Registry informing you of the relevant timeframes following that meeting.

You remain on the register of graduate students during this period (unless your corrections are approved sooner), however the working restrictions for graduate students do not apply during this time. You should still apply for leave to work away if you are completing your corrections away from Cambridge. After completing your corrections, you should send them to your internal examiner to approve, who will then confirm to the Degree Committee, via the GSO, when they have done so. Approval of corrections does not need to go through any further committee meetings. The GSO will notify the Student Registry, who will then send you an email about submitting the hardbound and electronic copies of your thesis .

Other outcomes

Although the most common outcome is that corrections are required before you can be awarded a PhD (or occasionally an outright pass), it is also possible that you may be asked to Revise and Resubmit your thesis for a new examination. Alternatively, you may be offered the award of a lower degree, or in rare cases, outright failure is a possible outcome. You can find the full list of potential outcomes in the Code of Practice . If the Degree Committee wishes to recommend one of these outcomes, your examination results will need to be considered at a meeting of the University's Postgraduate Committee before a decision is agreed and notified to you. If your examination results are to be considered at a Postgraduate Committee meeting, you will be informed by the Student Registry after the Degree Committee meeting, 

After degree approval

After your PhD, including any corrections required, has been approved by the Degree Committee, you will be notified that you need to submit the hardbound copy of your thesis, as well as an electronic copy. You can find information about this, as well as what to do if you need to restrict or embargo your thesis, on the Cambridge Students website.

You can then make arrangements to attend a congregation, or have your degree awarded in absentia .

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PhD in Engineering

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The University of Cambridge Department of Engineering is one of the leading centres of engineering in the world, renowned for both its teaching and its research. Since its foundation in 1875, it has grown to become the largest department in the University, and the largest integrated engineering department in the UK, with approximately 150 faculty, 260 contract research staff and research fellows, 900 postgraduate students, and 1,200 undergraduates.

By the end of the PhD, students are expected to have produced original work making a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of engineering. At the same time, the Department expects that students will leave with the wider skills necessary to be successful in either an academic or a non-academic career.

The Department of Engineering offers PhD studies in a wide variety of subjects.  The Department is broadly divided into six Research Divisions, the strategic aims of which are broadly described below:

Energy, Fluid Mechanics and Turbomachinery

Building on research in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics to develop a systems view of energy generation and utilisation, particularly in the ground and air transport, to mitigate environmental impact. This Division's research focus includes acoustics, aerodynamics, combustion, energy use and generation, fluid mechanics and turbomachinery.

Electrical Engineering

Pursuing fundamental electrical, electronic and photonic research at the material, device and system levels with a focus on creating integrated solutions in the fields of nanotechnology, sensing, energy generation, energy conversion, displays and communications. The research in this division covers all aspects of electrical engineering from the nano-scale to heavy-duty power applications.

Mechanics, Materials and Design

Extending fundamental and applied research in mechanics, materials, bio-mechanics and design, exploiting cross-disciplinary partnerships across the University; and building on existing strengths to develop excellence in bioengineering and healthcare systems research.

Civil Engineering

Advancing the mechanics of civil and structural engineering systems within the broader context of the design, construction and operation of sustainable infrastructure and the stewardship of Earth's resources and environment.

Manufacturing and Management

Developing a new understanding of manufacturing technology, operations, strategy and policy, in close partnership with industry, in order to improve industrial performance.

Information Engineering

Developing fundamental theory and applications relating to the generation, distribution, analysis and use of information in engineering and biological systems.

It is not necessary to have a Master's degree to gain entry to the PhD; applicants can apply on the basis of their undergraduate degree (subject to international students meeting the minimum criteria for postgraduate entry to the University). Students applying with a taught Master's degree from Cambridge are expected to have achieved a mark of at least 70% overall on their programme.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of engineering, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Michaelmas 2024

Funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• Engineering MPhil
• Construction Engineering MSt
• Nuclear Energy MPhil
• Connected Electronic and Photonic Systems MRes
• Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (part time) PhD

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Ph.D. CEP Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering Practice is a relatively new degree program built on existing strengths within the Department’s research activities, the unique resources of the David H. Koch School of Chemical Engineering Practice, and the world class resources of the Sloan School of Management. It is designed to prepare students for a fast launch into positions of leadership in industry and provides them with a foundation for completing an M.B.A. degree. It is a fixed-term degree program, requiring four calendar years; the first year is spent in course work and the Practice School, the middle two years are spent in research, and the final year is spent in the Sloan School of Management.

Ph.D. CEP Program Elements

The Ph.D. CEP program has 5 clearly-identifiable elements which will be completed by the student. There are aspects of the program which are designed to help the students integrate the material contained in the individual pieces of the program.

• Element 1 – Core Chemical Engineering Graduate Subjects
• Element 2 – The School of Chemical Engineering Practice (CEP)
• Element 3 – Research Project
• Element 4 – 1st Year of the MIT Sloan MBA
• Element 5 – Integrative Perspective Paper (Capstone Paper)

The degree requires that you complete:

• The core curriculum, as well as the departmental biology requirement
• Practice School requirements, including a one-semester industrial internship (culminating in an M.S.CEP degree)
• Written and oral qualifying examinations
• Thesis describing original research
• Coursework at the Sloan School of Management
• Capstone paper, combining technical experience with business training, appended to the thesis

For incoming, first-year graduate students, academic advisors are members of the Committee for Graduate Students. When you select a research topic and begin your thesis, the research supervisor becomes your academic advisor. In general, students choose research advisors at the end of their first Fall semester at MIT. Should you wish to choose a research advisor from a department other than Chemical Engineering, you will also need to choose a co-advisor from the Chemical Engineering faculty.

Prior to Registration Day (Fall and Spring semesters), your subject selection must first be approved by your advisor before the Graduate Officer can authorize registration on Registration Day. Advisor approval should also be obtained for any subsequent subject add/drop actions during the term (no additional authorization by the Graduate Officer is required).

Program Admission

Students interested in the Ph.D.CEP program should direct their applications to the Chemical Engineering Graduate Admissions Committee during the regular admission cycle. Applications for Ph.D.CEP will only be considered for September matriculation. Applications will be reviewed by both MIT Sloan and Chemical Engineering and they must receive approval of both for admission to the Ph.D.CEP program. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of applicants whose first language is not English. Unofficial (self-reported) GRE general exam scores are recommended for PhDCEP applicants.

An interview at MIT in late February will be part of the application process in most cases. Applicants will be interviewed over the phone.

The traditional Ph.D./Sc.D. program and the new Ph.D.CEP program are separate and distinct paths to the doctoral degree in the Chemical Engineering Department at MIT. The Ph.D.CEP program will be limited to 10 or fewer students per year. Because the focus and educational goals of the Ph.D.CEP are substantially different from those of the traditional Ph.D./Sc.D. program, the two programs are expected to appeal to two different populations of applicants. Applicants for graduate study should submit only one application, and indicate for which program they wish to be considered. Applications made to both programs are deemed inconsistent, and therefore discouraged. Applicants are expected to consider carefully the offerings of each program in relation to their own goals and aspirations, and to choose a program accordingly. Transfer between programs will not be permitted except as outlined earlier.

You can obtain the information that you will need to apply to MIT’s graduate programs from the MIT Graduate Admissions web site.

For more information about admission to the Ph.D.CEP program, please contact:

Melanie Charette Academic Administrator Student Office Department of Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Room 66-366 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 Email: [email protected]

For general information about the Ph.D.CEP Graduate Program, please contact:

Tuition & Financial Aid

Students accepted into the PhDCEP program will be supported via Chemical Engineering Department fellowships during the first calendar year; they will be awarded research or teaching assistantships during the entire period of participation in the thesis research project. During the final year of the program, PhDCEP students will pay tuition and living expense costs from their own resources, or from graduate student loans available through MIT and other third-party sources. It is important to note that the tuition costs for this final year will be somewhat larger than the standard MIT graduate tuition because enrollment in the MIT Sloan MBA program requires a premium tuition payment. Get more information from Student Financial Services >>

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Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, BA (Hons) and MEng

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Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Cambridge | #GoingToCambridge

The Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology course at Cambridge looks at the challenge of how processes can make products in a sustainable way.

Chemical Engineers make chemical products from raw materials. Biotechnologists use living systems and organisms to make products. On the course, you'll learn the scientific principles used by both.  

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Cambridge

The skills you'll learn are essential to the development of processes and products that are needed to address some of the problems facing humanity. These include:

• the need for sustainable food and water supplies as climate change occurs
• the provision of improved global healthcare solutions and therapeutics
• the energy transition away from fossil fuels

As well as learning scientific theory, you'll work on projects that teach you about the practical side of process and product design.

We aim to produce graduates who meet the needs of today's process and biotech industries. To do this, we provide you with:

• a thorough understanding of the subject
• technical competence
• transferable skills

You can graduate after 3 years with a BA degree, but most students stay on for the fourth year which leads to the BA and MEng degrees.

Teaching and facilities

We have a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. The Department regularly tops national league tables. We also benefit from strong links with industry.

Our purpose-built department building has the highest quality teaching and research facilities.

These include:

• laboratory space for practicals and research projects
• a Makerspace area with 3D printers and other mechanical and electronic workshop equipment
• a computer suite
• lecture theatres and classrooms
• a central social space for relaxing and networking

You'll be able to access library resources for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. These are at the West Hub, near to the department.

You'll also have access to:

• our impressive Cambridge University Library, one of the world’s oldest university libraries

Course costs

When you go to university, you’ll need to consider two main costs – your tuition fees and your living costs (sometimes referred to as maintenance costs).

Your living costs will include costs related to your studies that are not covered by your tuition fees. There are some general study costs that will apply for all students – you can find details of these costs here .

Other additional costs for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology are detailed below. If you have any queries about resources/materials, please contact the Department.

• University approved scientific calculator. Estimated cost £20.
• Lab coat. Estimated cost £15.
• Safety glasses. Estimated cost £5.

Becoming an accredited Chartered Engineer

The four-year course is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

This means that you can apply for Chartered Engineer status after you've graduated and have four years of relevant experience. You won't need to take any further exams.

Progression to the fourth year and accreditation are dependent on satisfactory performance in core components.

Your future career

There are many well-paid career opportunities within chemical engineering and biotechnology.

Some of our graduates go on to postgraduate study before entering employment.

Graduates may go on to work as:

• engineers in the process industries
• research scientists
• technical managers

The skills you learn on the course will also prepare you for careers outside of the subject. For example, previous graduates have gone into careers in finance and management consultancy.

You will mostly be taught through lectures. These lectures are supported by projects, laboratory classes, supervisions and coursework.

In a typical week students attend 10 lectures and have 2 or 3 supervisions.

In the first two years of the course, you will do a significant amount of laboratory work. The amount of project work increases each year.

You'll be assessed by a combination of written examinations and coursework.

You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams.

Year 1 (Part IA)

You will study:

• Fundamental scientific topics such as cell biology, materials science and engineering principles
• Introductory chemical engineering and biotechnology principles. For example, sustainability, process calculations, fluid mechanics, and chemical and biochemical product design
• Chemistry from Part IA of Natural Sciences
• Mathematics from Part IA of Natural Sciences

You will also:

• complete an engineering design and manufacturing workshop
• do the chemistry practical laboratory class from Part IA of Natural Sciences

Year 2 (Part IB)

In the second year, you will study:

• fundamental principles like biotechnology, process thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat and mass transfer
• introductory applications. For example, reaction engineering, separations and solids processing
• supporting topics like engineering mathematics, data science, and safety principles

You will also take:

• laboratory classes in chemical engineering and biotechnology
• assessed exercises
• classes in computing skills, including process simulation

Year 3 (Part II)

In the first term, you will study further applications. These include:

• advanced biotechnology
• equilibrium thermodynamics
• reaction engineering
• separation technology
• process dynamics and control

In the second and third terms, you study process design and undertake a design project.

You will work in a team to design a plant making a particular chemical or biological product.

As part of the project, you will consider all aspects of engineering design, including:

• specification of equipment
• control procedures
• safety and environmental impact
• economic assessment

If you successfully complete the third year, you’ll get a BA degree.

Year 4 (Part III)

Progression to fourth year depends on satisfactory performance in your previous exams.

If you successfully complete the fourth year, you’ll get the MEng qualification, as well as the BA degree.

You will study some compulsory topics. Currently, these are:

• energy technology
• sustainability
• advanced design

You will also develop your research skills and undertake a research project. This might involve experimental, theoretical and/or computational work.

Some projects support ongoing Department research. But others are ‘blue sky’ investigations leading to new research programmes.

You also choose further topics from a list of optional papers. The options change every year to reflect the research interests of academic staff.

Past examples include:

• pharmaceutical engineering
• adsorption and nanoporous materials
• computational fluid dynamics
• interface engineering
• optical microscopy
• bionanotechnology
• biosensors and bioelectronics
• healthcare biotechnology

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

Changing course

It’s really important to think carefully about which course you want to study before you apply. 

In rare cases, it may be possible to change course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.

You might also have to:

• take part in an interview
• complete an admissions test
• produce some written work
• achieve a particular grade in your current studies
• do some catch-up work
• start your new course from the beginning 

For more information visit the Department website .

You can also apply to change to:

• Management Studies at the Judge Business School
• Manufacturing Engineering at the Institute for Manufacturing

You can't apply to these courses until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you have completed 1 year or more of your original Cambridge course.

You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.

Minimum offer level

A level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level Other qualifications : Check which other qualifications we accept .

Subject requirements

To apply to any of our Colleges for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, you will need A levels/IB Higher Levels (or the equivalent) in:   

• Mathematics   
• Chemistry   
• A third science/mathematics subject  

Please note, ‘science/mathematics subjects’ refers to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics.  

Colleges will usually require an A*/7 in Mathematics or Further Mathematics, and Chemistry. If you’re applying to Churchill College, you will be required to achieve an A* in Chemistry or Physics (if taken).

These subject requirements are provisional for 2025 entry. Please check back in April 2024 for confirmed details.

If you’re studying IB Higher Level Mathematics, we ask for Analysis and Approaches for this course. If this isn’t an option at your school, please contact the College you wish to apply to for advice.  

If you’re studying a science not listed above as your third subject, please contact the College you wish to apply to for advice.    

What Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology students have studied

Most Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology students (who had studied A levels and started at Cambridge in 2017-19) achieved at least A*A*A* (88% of entrants). 

All had studied:

• Mathematics

Most also took Further Mathematics (86%) and/or Physics (91%). 

The majority of students who studied IB achieved at least 43 points overall.

Check our advice on choosing your high school subjects . You should also check if there are any required subjects for your course when you apply.

Admissions test

All applicants for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology for 2025 entry are required to take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) at an authorised assessment centre. You must register in advance for this test.

Please see the admissions test page for more information.

Submitted work

You won't usually be asked to submit examples of written work. You may be asked to do some reading prior to your interview, but if this is required the College will provide full details in your interview invitation.

Offers above the minimum requirement

The minimum offer level and subject requirements outline the minimum you'll usually need to achieve to get an offer from Cambridge.

In some cases, you'll get a higher or more challenging offer. Colleges set higher offer requirements for a range of reasons. If you'd like to find out more about why we do this,  check the information about offers above the minimum requirement  on the entry requirements page.

Some Colleges usually make offers above the minimum offer level. Find out more on our qualifications page .

All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges. Please contact the relevant  College admissions office  if you have any queries.

Discover your department or faculty

• Visit the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology website - The Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology website has more information about this course, facilities, people and research.

Explore our Colleges

• Find out how Colleges work - A College is where you’ll live, eat and socialise. It’s also where you’ll have teaching in a small group, known as supervisions.
• How to choose a Cambridge College that's right for you - If you think you know which course you’d like to study, it’s time to choose a College.

Visit us on open day

• Book an open day - Get a feel for the city and the University.
• Find an event - We offer a range of events where you can find out more about Cambridge, Colleges, and your course. Many of our events have hybrid options so you can join us virtually.

Find out how to apply

• Find out how to apply and how our admissions processes work - Our admissions process is slightly different to other universities. We’ve put together a handy guide to tell you everything you need to know about applying to study at Cambridge.
• Improve your application - Supercurricular activities are a great way to engage with your chosen subject outside of school or college.
• Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology -
• Email: [email protected] - Phone: 01223 748999

Discover Uni data

Contextual information.

Discover Uni allows you to compare information about individual courses at different higher education institutions.  This can be a useful method of considering your options and what course may suit you best.

However, please note that superficially similar courses often have very different structures and objectives, and that the teaching, support and learning environment that best suits you can only be determined by identifying your own interests, needs, expectations and goals, and comparing them with detailed institution- and course-specific information.

We recommend that you look thoroughly at the course and University information contained on these webpages and consider coming to visit us on an Open Day , rather than relying solely on statistical comparison.

You may find the following notes helpful when considering information presented by Discover Uni.

• Discover Uni relies on superficially similar courses being coded in the same way. Whilst this works on one level, it may lead to some anomalies. For example, Music courses and Music Technology courses can have exactly the same code despite being very different programmes with quite distinct educational and career outcomes. Any course which combines several disciplines (as many courses at Cambridge do) tends to be compared nationally with courses in just one of those disciplines, and in such cases the Discover Uni comparison may not be an accurate or fair reflection of the reality of either. For example, you may find that when considering a degree which embraces a range of disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry and geology (for instance, Natural Sciences at Cambridge), the comparison provided is with courses at other institutions that primarily focus on just one (or a smaller combination) of those subjects.You may therefore find that not all elements of the Cambridge degree are represented in the Discover Uni data.
• Some contextual data linked from other surveys, such as the National Student Survey (NSS) or the Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE), may not be available or may be aggregated across several courses or several years due to small sample sizes.  When using the data to inform your course choice, it is important to ensure you understand how it has been processed prior to its presentation. Discover Uni offers some explanatory information about how the contextual data is collated, and how it may be used, which you can view here: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/about-our-data/ .
• Discover Uni draws on national data to provide average salaries and employment/continuation data.  Whilst starting salaries can be a useful measure, they do not give any sense of career trajectory or take account of the voluntary/low paid work that many graduates undertake initially in order to gain valuable experience necessary/advantageous for later career progression. Discover Uni is currently piloting use of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to demonstrate possible career progression; it is important to note that this is experimental and its use may be modified as it embeds.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other important factors that are relevant to the choices that you are making, but we hope that this will be a useful starting point to help you delve deeper than the face value of the Discover Uni data.

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Wesley Michaels (PhD ‘22) | Alumni Spotlight

Wesley Michaels

Ph.D. ‘22 Chemical Engineering Academic advisor: Professor   Jian Qin

What have you been up to since Stanford?

I’ve been working at Mitra Chem, a battery materials company in Mountain View co-founded by Prof. Will Chueh of Stanford’s Materials Science and Engineering Department. We are working to manufacture iron-rich cathodes, servicing the increasing demand for clean energy storage in the United States. I started at Mitra doing data science, focusing on accelerating lifetime testing of batteries. Lately, I’ve been the technical lead on a collaboration to produce and scale a next-generation cathode chemistry called lithium iron manganese phosphate. Outside work I try to take in all the Bay Area has to offer and to pet my dog who, it turns out, is extremely cute.

What’s your fondest memory about your time at Stanford?

The Chemical Engineering community broadly was one of the defining aspects of my time at Stanford. The individualized nature of graduate research can be isolating, and during those times the warm, welcoming ChemE community was the perfect antidote. Joining ski trips, happy hours, intramural sports, and more helped me to feel at home and to make lifelong friends in our department. I got involved in tutoring and volunteering programs through the encouragement of my peers, as well, and I thoroughly enjoyed working to strengthen our department’s community through the Graduate Student Action Committee. Our Chemical Engineering department had a special culture that I still cherish today.

Can you share any advice with our current students or postdocs?

Your time in academia is primarily about your training as a scholar, not just about the research you produce. As such, my advice would be that the direction you take your research ought not to be motivated only by the scientific results, but also by what you want to learn and grow into. What role would you like to have after you finish your program? What skills do you enjoy using? What kinds of challenges do you want to contribute to solving? There are many such questions to ask about what work you want to do, just as there are numerous decision points in any research project: What system are we studying? What questions are we asking about this system? How do we go about answering them? These questions about personal goals and scientific direction ought to be considered together. There are often constraints on these decisions, many outside our direct control. Nonetheless, I think prioritizing your personal preferences will increase the chances that you spend your time on ideas you find compelling, in a way you hopefully find fulfilling and enjoyable.

This article is part of the Department of Chemical Engineering Alumni Spotlight series designed to highlight the impact and trajectory of the work of our alumni. Stanford University does not endorse any non-Stanford entities, programs, products, or services listed in the article.

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