Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering involves developing more sustainable ways of manufacturing the products we use every day while addressing the global challenges of climate change, energy, sustainability, and human health.

Chemical engineers design processes to transform raw materials into products such as chemicals, fuels, foods and pharmaceuticals at an industrial scale safely, sustainably and cost-effectively. Chemical engineers also contribute enormously to wider society, for example, by manufacturing new drugs at affordable costs and by tackling environmental problems such as pollution and global warming.

You will develop a wide understanding of chemical and process engineering and learn how chemical engineers play a critical role in making key decisions including:
- selecting the best reaction pathway to the desired product in order to minimize formation of unwanted by-products

- determining how to purify the product

- designing the best control system to ensure the process is safe

- developing the most cost-effective process

- how to deal with unreacted raw materials

- optimising the process to maximise yield and recycle energy to maximise efficiency.

Our interdisciplinary approach means that you study the fundamentals of each engineering discipline before specialising in your third year. You can therefore keep your options open while gaining a wide range of perspectives and skills - something that makes Aberdeen graduates better equipped to collaborate, innovate and lead in the workplace.

Our location in Aberdeen, the energy capital of Europe, and our strong industry links means that you will have the opportunity to engage with both the local upstream oil and gas industry and with the latest developments in the energy transition through the School of Engineering’s work in energy from biomass, energy conversion and storage, biorefinery and the production of chemicals from biomass.

If you are interested in chemical reactions and understanding how the physical properties of matter can be harnessed to create world-changing technologies, then you should consider Chemical Engineering at Aberdeen.

Chemical Engineering at Aberdeen is ranked 3rd in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2023.