UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORDSchool of Engineering, Design & TechnologyProgramme/course title: MEng in Chemical Engineering

Awarding and teaching institution: / University of Bradford
Final award: / MEng (honours) [Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level M]
Programme title: / MEng in Chemical Engineering
Programme approved / accredited by: / IChemE (in Progress)
Duration: / 4 yrs full time (MEng), 5 years full time sandwich (MEng)
UCAS code: / H8X0, H8C0
Subject benchmark statement: / Engineering
Date produced: / 14 June 2010
Last updated : / 14 June 2010

Introduction

Engineering is fundamental to the economic and social prosperity of the UK. It is the profession responsible for the creation of all material objects and systems necessary for modern life from concept to customer to decommissioning.IChemE (the Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK)has recently identified (Technical Roadmap for 21st century chemical engineering)six broad areas of critical globalimportance where chemical engineers will haveenormous influence. These are (i) health, safety, environment, (ii) sustainable technology, (iii) energy, (iv) food and drink, (v) water and (vi) biosystems.

The modern society relies on the work of Chemical Engineers who develop and design the processes that make the useful products for the society by efficient use and management of resources including oil & gas, water and energy while controlling health and safety procedures and protecting the environment. Your studies at Bradford will be a foundation for life aimed at developing a deep understanding of fundamental and advanced technical principles, analytical tools, and competence in their application together with a wide range of management, personal and professional skills. The course will provide you with essential tools based on the concept of sustainability and low carbon footprint for changing raw materials into useful products in a safe and cost effective way. As a qualified Chemical Engineer you will understand how to alter the chemical, biochemical or physical state of a substance, to create everything from health care products (face creams, shampoo, perfume, drugs) to food (dairy products, cereals, agro-chemicals) and water (desalination for freshwater) to energy (petroleum to nuclear fuels). An excellent way to develop these skills is to undertake an industrial placement as an integral part of your degree studies.

The MEng programme sets out (i) to give technical depth across the discipline and in relevant specialist applications of technology, (ii) to provide breadth to encourage innovators and (iii) facilitate exposure to other engineering disciplines such as advanced materials engineering, food and pharmaceutical engineering. Upon graduation you will have the capacity for meaningful interdisciplinary interaction, leadership roles, and professional growth.The School places emphasis on both teaching and research. We have particular research strengths in polymers, coating, applied rheology and materials engineering (including the creation of complex components from powders, composites, and polymers). We draw our research strengths from the combined expertise in the IRC in Polymer Science and Technology, the CIC in Polymer Engineering and the Engineering Materials Research Unit and inform our undergraduate programmes.

The distinctive feature of the course at Bradford will be traditional chemical engineering (oil, gas and petrochemical) with a particular focus in advanced materials engineering (based on our excellent research). At MEng level you will have further choice of specialisation in Food & Pharmaceutical Engineering or Desalination and or Sustainable Energy Systems. Also during the later years of your MEng studies you can expect to interact with the School’s research activity. We aim to produce MEng graduates who are imaginative, innovative, versatile and competitive, who will be able to progress rapidly to professional positions of responsibility with minimal additional training, and who can provide technical, managerial and entrepreneurial leadership in specialist/interdisciplinary projects.We are currently in the process of applying for IChemE accreditation. The accreditation will ensure that the BEng degree meets the highest international standards.

Upon graduation you will be able to work as: (a) Projects Engineer (b) Design Engineer (c) Operations Engineer or (d) Research and Development Engineer (R&D)in Chemical/Petroleum/Food and Pharmaceutical Industries. You will have the capacity/potential/opportunity for professional growth to continue the path to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. The ability of an engineer to think clearly and logically is widely appreciated by many other professions and your studies may well be a stepping stone to many alternative careers other than Engineering – a real foundation for life and for a lifetime of learning.

Programme Aims

The programme is intended to:

  • To help graduates to develop the engineering, design, management and personal skills required to become professional Chemical Engineers and in doing so, also equip them for careers in other professions.
  • To provide the educational requirements (in compliance with UK-SPEC) when combined with a period of further learning to permit progression to Chartered Membership of the IChemE and registration with ECUK as a chartered engineer.

Programme Learning Outcomes

When you have completed the programme you will be able to make confident decisions on:

  • selecting the appropriate reaction pathway to make the chemical/petroleum/ pharmaceutical products
  • selecting the method of purifying the desired product
  • selecting the appropriate and advanced materials for equipment design
  • controlling the process and ensuring it is safe
  • choosing alternative but sustainable cost effective process
  • managing any environmentally damaging by-products formed
  • selecting eco/clean technology to reduce the amounts of unwanted by-products formed
  • how to deal with unreacted raw materials to reduce carbon footprint
  • how to recycle energy and water within the process to reduce carbon footprint
  • selecting the method for sustainable energy and freshwater production
  • how to plan, manage and carry out research on an open ended engineering problem

which are essential tools for making useful products.

On successful completion of this course, you will develop the following:

LO1: Knowledge and Understanding of:

  • The fundamental concepts, principles and theories underpinning Chemical Engineering with core knowledge in: engineering analysis, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics; mass & heat transfer; chemical reactions; advanced materials; advanced process control; nano & powder technology, safety, health & environment, global water and energy issues
  • The principles and practice of chemical/petroleum/pharmaceutical process design
  • Business and management practices that are relevant to engineering and engineers
  • Detailed knowledge and systematic understanding of key concepts, principles and theories required for successful innovation.
  • The approaches to optimising the solution of multi-disciplinary problems in an industrial or research environment

LO2: Intellectual Abilities

  • Apply engineering principles to the critical analysis of problems in order to create innovative process and product design solutions.
  • Evaluate process, product and equipment designs and make improvement
  • Provide managerial and entrepreneurial leadership in specialist/interdisciplinary industrial or research projects.
  • Learn research methods and apply these to find solutions of open ended engineering problems
  • Write research/technical report

LO3: Practical Skills

  • Use software packages in the analysis, modelling and simulation, and design of engineering systems
  • Use numerical methods for modelling and analysing engineering problems
  • Selection and application of principles and data collection & manipulation methods to support problem solving
  • Use of advanced skills of critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation to support design
  • Demonstrate ability to balance sometimes conflicting, ambiguous and/or incomplete aspects encountered in creative problem solving.
  • Demonstrate ability to design; specify, plan, undertake and report an investigation and associated methodologies via exposure to research activities.

LO4: General Transferable Skills

  • Work in groups in laboratories and in final year design project in order to meet shared objectives
  • Interact with technicians and professionals in industry or in a research environment
  • Communicate with a variety of audience using a range of techniques
  • Use problem solving strategies to develop innovative solutions
  • Reflect on the need for further personal and professional development to improve your own performance.

You will be taught by a multidisciplinary (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) team of staff with excellent research portfolio in respective disciplines. In a number of taught modules you will be learning and working with Civil, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering students to build up the multidisciplinary team work capability which is a common feature in all engineering jobs around the globe. Within an integrated multidisciplinary team, you will be able to fulfil aspirations in learning, scholarship, research, enterprise, and career and personal development consistent with principles of sustainable development and equality of opportunity and meeting evolving regional, national, and international challenges.

Curriculum

Stage 1

Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study period
ENG1096M / Introduction to Chemical Engineering / C / 10 / 1 / 1
ENG1074L / Engineering Analysis / C / 10+ / 1 / 1&2
ENG1003M / Materials Technology / C / 10 / 1 / 1
CT-1508M / Essentials of Chemical Structure, Bonding and Reactivity / C / 10 / 1 / 1
CT- 1509M / Introduction to Chemical Thermodynamics / C / 10 / 1 / 1
ENG-1053M / Cell and Microbiology for Engineers / C / 10 / 1 / 1
ENG1074L / Engineering Analysis / C / 10+ / 1 / 1&2
ENG1032M / Fluid Mechanics 1 / C / 10 / 1 / 2
CT-1007D / Laboratory Practice and Professional Skills 2 / C / 20 / 1 / 2
ENGXXXM / Introduction to CAD and Flow Sheeting / C / 10 / 1 / 2
ENG1059M / Health and Safety Management / C / 10 / 1 / 2

Stage 2

Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study period
ENG2087M / Further Engineering Analysis / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2034M / Thermodynamics / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2038M / Fluid Mechanics 2 / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2052M / Technology Operations Management / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2093M / Chemical Engineering Practice - 1 (Lab + CAPE) / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2026M / Structure and Solid Modelling / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2095M / Separation Processes Engineering / C / 10 / 2 / 1
ENG2016M / Introductory Control / C / 10 / 2 / 2
ENG2028M / Computer Modelling Techniques / C / 10 / 2 / 2
ENG2091M / Process Design / C / 10 / 2 / 2
ENG2030M / Engineering Statistics / C / 10 / 2 / 2
ENG2092M / Petroleum Product Engineering-1 / C / 10 / 2 / 2

Stage 3

Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study period
ENG3100M / Chemical Eng Practice - 2 (lab+CAPE) / C / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG3099Q / Design Project (Chemical Engineering)*1 / C / 10 / 3 / 1&2
ENG3098Q / Design Project (Petroleum Engineering)*2 / C / 10 / 3 / 1&2
ENG3097Q / Design Project (Pharmaceutical Engineering)*3 / C / 10 / 3 / 1&2
ENG3076M / Materials Failure Analysis / O / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG4060M / Transport Process Modelling / C / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG3101M / Reaction Engineering / C / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG3096M / Petroleum Product Engineeing-2 / C / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG3027M / Biomaterials / O / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG3048M / Six Sigma for Business Excellence / O / 10 / 3 / 1
ENG3099Q / Design Project (Chemical Engineering)*1 / C / 30 / 3 / 1&2
ENG3098Q / Design Project (Petroleum Engineering)*2 / C / 30 / 3 / 1&2
ENG3097Q / Design Project (Pharmaceutical Engineering)*3 / C / 30 / 3 / 1&2
ENG3019M / Advanced Control / C / 10 / 3 / 2
ENG3084M / Robotics Systems / O / 10 / 3 / 2
ENG3018M / Real Time Computing and Instrumentation / O / 10 / 3 / 2
ENG3049M / Reliability Engineering / O / 10 / 3 / 2

Note: Either *1 or *2 or *3 to be selected. 10 Credit option in Semester 1, 20 Credit option in Semester 2.

Stage 4

Module Code / Module Title / Type / Credits / Level / Study period
ENG4107Q / Advanced Industrial Research Project / C / 60 / M / 1
ENG4106Q / Advanced Research Project* / C / 40 / M / 1
ENG4057D / Materials Engineering* / C / 20 / M / 1
ENG4058D / Materials Characterisation / C / 20 / M / 2
ENG4059M / Materials Processing / C / 10 / M / 2
ENG4072M / Risk Management / O / 10 / M / 2
ENG4064M / Sustainable Energy / O / 10 / M / 2
ENG4025M / Finite Element Methods / O / 10 / M / 2
LIF4009M / Separation Science / O / 10 / M / 2
ENG4105D / Food and Pharmaceutical Process Engineering / O / 20 / M / 2
ENG4XXD / Desalination Technology / O / 20 / M / 2

Note: * These modules are not available if Advanced Industrial Research Project is taken. 30 credit option in Semester 2.

The curriculum may change, subject to the University's course approval, monitoring and review procedures.

Course Route

Different routes for the degree programme are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Routes for the Degree Programme

Teaching and Assessment Strategies

The teaching and learning strategy takes into consideration the learning outcomes, progression through the levels of study, the nature of the subject and the student intake, and the need for you to take greater responsibility for your own learning as you progress through the course. The strategies and methods implemented are:

  • The teaching and learning methods implemented to engage you in developing your knowledge and understanding of the course include formal lectures (including those from Visiting Lecturers), case studies, tutorial exercises, practical demonstrations, directed learning and individual work. The method of assessment is by written examination and both analytical and experimental coursework.
  • The methods implemented in developing your intellectual skills include engaging with you during tutorial exercises, case studies, practical demonstration and supervised project work. The methods of assessment of intellectual skills are implicit in the written examinations, analytical and experimental coursework and more particularly in your Stage 3Design Project and Final Year Research Project work.
  • The methods implemented in developing your practical skills include demonstrations and practicals linked with the taught modules. You will also design and operate equipment and/or procedures and use control and measuring instruments under supervision during your design project work. The methods of assessment of practical skills include feedback on laboratory work linked with some of the taught modules.
  • The methods implemented in developing the students’ transferable skills are implicit in the programme. The University of Bradford is well known for attracting students from a wide variety of background, experiences and countries. This and the learning facilities available to all students provide the conditions for students to develop and manage their learning. The University of Bradford modus operandi, Making Knowledge Work, is imbedded in the philosophy of this course, particularly in the area of Engineering, Design and Technology, which is well equipped with practical and computational facilities. The methods of assessment of transferable skills are built in the structure of the examinations, case studies, laboratory demonstrations,Design project and Research Project work.

Assessment Regulations

This Programme conforms to the standard University Assessment Regulations which are available at the following link:

Admission Requirements

The University welcomes applications from all potential students regardless of their previous academic experience; offers are made following detailed consideration of each individual application. Most important in the decision to offer a place is our assessment of a candidate’s potential to benefit from their studies and of their ability to succeed on this particular programme. Entrance requirements for each programme will vary but consideration of your application will be based on a combination of your formal academic qualifications and other relevant experience.

If you have prior certificated learning or professional experience which may be equivalent to parts of this programme, the University has procedures to evaluate this learning in order to provide you with exemptions from specified modules contained within the curriculum. Please talk to us if you do not fit the standard pattern of entry qualifications.

The University of Bradford has always welcomed applications from disabled students, and these will be considered on the same academic grounds as are applied to all applicants. If you have some form of disability you may wish to contact the programme leader before you apply.

A typical offer to someone seeking entry through the UCAS scheme would be (UCAS points 300)with (Mathematics and Chemistry studied at A level).However, applications are welcome from mature students (those over 21 years of age on entry) and candidates with non-standard qualifications or who, lacking academic qualifications, have significant relevant experience. On completion of a UCAS form you will be invited to the School for an Open Day when you will have the opportunity to meet staff, view the facilities and discuss “the Bradford experience” with current students. Further entry requirements are as below:

  • Must have Chemistry & Mathematics at GCSE or Equivalent
  • General Studies will not be accepted
  • Must have Chemistry & Mathematics (AS level for Foundation, A level for direct Entry)
  • BTEC (Chemical/Process Engineering) with Mathematics for entry to stage 1
  • HND (Chemical/Process Engineering) with Mathematics for direct entry to stage 2

The School actively promotes educational opportunities for ethnic minority, mature and alternatively qualified students, as well as for school-leavers and traditionally qualified students.

English Language Requirements

All students must satisfy the English language requirements for admission as described in If your native language is not English, you will have to pass a test in English approved by the University before you can be admitted. The following qualifications are acceptable as satisfying this requirement. Both are available internationally.

  • The International English Language Testing Service Test (IELTS) administered by the British Council is the test which is preferred by the University. You will need to achieve an Overall Band of at least 6, with at least 5 in each of the four sub-tests. Testing facilities are available at most British Council overseas offices. When you take your test, you should ask for a copy of your Test Report Form to be sent to the University.
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, USA. You will need to score at least 550 (220 on the computer-based test). If you take this test, you should enter the University's code 0828, on your answer sheet.

Should you not be able to offer these grades then you should contact the admissions Tutor for further advice.

Learning Resources

The JB Priestley Library on the city campus and our specialist libraries in the School of Health and the School of Management provide a wide range of printed and electronic resources to support your studies. We offer quiet study space if you want to work on your own, and group study areas for the times when you need to discuss work with fellow students. Subject librarians for each School provide training sessions and individual guidance in finding the information you need for your assignment, and will help you organise your references properly.

Student PC clusters can be found in all our libraries and elsewhere on the campus. Many of these are open 24/7. You can also use the University's wireless network to access the internet from your own laptop. Most of our online journals are available on the internet (both on and off campus), and you can also access your University email account, personal information and course-related materials this way.

Staff are on hand during the daytime to help you if you get stuck, and there is a 24/7 IT helpline available.

Student Support and Guidance

Course Team

Support for you personally and in your course of study, will be provided both by the University and the Course Team. You will be allocated a personal tutor who is someone with whom you will be able to talk about any academic or personal concerns. The School will ensure that there is someone available with whom you feel comfortable to help and support you. You will be provided with a comprehensive series of handbooks that you can consult on a range of learning issues and your course tutors will be available to consult on subject specific queries.