Chemical Process Engineering

Process engineering often involves close collaboration between engineers and scientists from a variety of disciplines. The Chemical Process Engineering MSc at UCL is specifically designed to facilitate this collaboration and provides graduates from a variety of engineering and science disciplines with the advanced training necessary to enter the chemical or biochemical industries.

The programme covers core chemical engineering subjects alongside a wide range of options. Students choose either a research or an advanced design project. The advanced design project option is aimed at students who have not undertaken a design project during their undergraduate degree and eventually seek to become Chartered Engineers.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Disclaimer: modules are subject to availability. Due to timetable clashes, not all module combinations are possible.

Each student takes a total of seven modules, comprising a project (90 credits) and six optional modules (90 credits). 

Of these six modules, a minimum of four must be selected from 'Optional modules 1' (minimum 60 credits in total). Students may select a maximum of two from 'Optional modules 2' (maximum 30 credits in total). 

Optional modules 1 (15 credits each)

Students must select a minimum of four modules from the list below (minimum 60 credits). 

Those modules marked with an asterisk (*) are strongly recommended for students without a chemical engineering first degree. 

The module marked with a double asterisk (**) is strongly recommended for students with an accredited chemical engineering first degree. 

• Advanced Process Engineering
• Advanced Safety and Loss Prevention*
• Chemical Reaction Engineering*
• Electrochemical Engineering and Power Sources
• Energy Systems and Sustainability
• Fluid-Particle Systems
• Molecular Thermodynamics
• Nature Inspired Chemical Engineering
• Process Systems Modelling and Design** (students taking this module must have passed the equivalent of Process Dynamics and Control in their first degree)
• Process Dynamics & Control*
• Separation Processes*
• Transport Phenomena*

Optional modules 2 (15 credits each)

Students select a maximum of two modules from the list below (maximum 30 credits).

The modules Mastering Entrepreneurship and Project Management cannot be taken together. 

• Advanced Bioreactor Engineering
• Environmental Systems
• Mastering Entrepreneurship
• Project Management
• Water and Wastewater Treatment

Research project/design project

All MSc students undertake either a Research Project (90 credits) or an Advanced Design Project (90 credits) that culminates in a project report and oral examination. Students who have already passed a Design Project module in their first degree cannot select the Advanced Design Project module.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and individual and group activities. Invited lectures delivered by industrialists provide a professional and social context. Assessment is through written papers, coursework, a report on the research or design project and an oral examination.