The University of Cambridge is a great place to study Chemical Engineering

The Senate House

Chemical Engineering at Cambridge is world renowned The Department has an international reputation for excellence in both its teaching and its research. Cambridge is regularly ranked as the "best" chemical engineering course in the UK - it's been top of both The Times and The Guardian league tables every year since 2003. In the 2008 research assessment exercise (RAE), the Department came equal first, with 30% of staff being judged at 4* level ("world leading"), 55% at 3* level ("internationally excellent"), and 15% at 2* ("internationally recognised").

Strong links with industry The Department has very strong links with industry and graduates of the course are very much in demand. Virtually all students are able to get good jobs soon after graduation. The course is backed by a consortium of 12 industrial companies. They provide additional financial support, provide input on the course design, and assist with some of the teaching, e.g. by supporting the Design Project and by running workshops on professional skills.

Members of the Teaching Consortium

Chemical engineering students performing a fluid mechanics experiment

Advantages of the Cambridge course In the Cambridge course, students particularly benefit from spending their first year at University studying general science or general engineering, before starting "proper" chemical engineering. The course then concentrates on the fundamental science behind modern chemical and biochemical engineering. This means that its graduates are able to cope well with advances in science and technology when they occur. The course features a mixture of lectures, exercises, laboratory work and project work, and it is designed to teach students the transferable skills that are sought by employers.

The Department has excellent facilities The Department is located in the centre of Cambridge and has excellent facilities ranging from state-of-the-art research equipment to a communal tea-room. All recommended undergraduate textbooks are stocked by the Department and College libraries. There are plenty of PCs within the Department and Colleges for undergraduate use. There is a dedicated teaching laboratory and undergraduates will use the research laboratory facilities when they undertake research projects in their fourth year.

Students studying in the department library

An undergraduate supervision - these normally take place in groups of two or three

Students benefit from the Cambridge teaching system The Department has an excellent staff-to-student ratio, and the lectures are backed up by the Cambridge College supervision support system. This means that students receive plenty of individual attention with small group teaching sessions backing up the material taught in lectures. The Colleges also look after the general welfare of students; for instance, they provide reasonably priced accommodation and meals to all undergraduates.

The Department has a lively social scene The Department prides itself on being friendly. All undergraduates in each year know each other, and the student Chemical Engineering Society (CUCES) is very active in arranging events. These may be entirely of a social nature (dinners, pub crawls, ...) or may be career-enhancing events (interview skills, business games, ...) that are arranged in conjunction with major employers of chemical engineers.

A visit to the local brewery at Milton

The four-year course (leading to the BA and MEng degrees) satisfies the academic requirements for full IChemE membership leading to Chartered Engineer status