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Cambridge Chemical Engineering Students and Applicants

Hi,

I'm planning on applying for Chemical Engineering via Natural Sciences for entry in 2009. I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on Chemical Engineering vs. Chemistry (obviously I would do NatSci first).

I know both courses are respected by the IChemE and RSC respectively, but if any current students could shed some light on the differences/similarities between the courses, and job prospects it would be very helpful.

I know that if I got a place, I'd probably be able to carry on with NatSci after the first year, but it would be nice to know what to apply for first!

Many thanks in advance.

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Reply 1

josepharthur

Would you like spending 3 years working with pipes? Then choose chemical engineering.

Reply 2

MC REN

If you do Natsci then ChemEng your second year will basically involve no chemistry at all, just engineering and bending beams and stuff (and like some economics and stuff). Then third year is probably back to some sort of actual chemistry.

Job prospects are probably better for ChemEng but a Chemistry degree is still pretty good. It depends what you're interested in really, but after a year of natsci you'll probably have a pretty good idea of whether you want to actually study Chemistry or still transfer

Reply 3

Dynasty

Thanks

I was thinking that the first year would be very helpful - one of the great things about Cambridge is the flexibility, but from what I've seen, Chemical Engineers earn a tidy sum, and scientists who stay in science/academia don't seem to earn much at all, industry or finance seem the places to be lol

Reply 4

MC REN

Yer that is pretty much true, you can of course go into industry/commerical research (and banking as well) with a Chemistry degree.

Reply 5

josepharthur

Dynasty

Thanks

Yes but scientists do the fun part. Think about the chemist as the play writer, and the chemical engineer as the light manager.

Reply 6

MC REN

trance addict

"scientists dream of doing great things, engineers do them"

:wink:

Yer building bridges is a lot more amazing than say creating black holes.

Reply 7

Duran Duran

Name one scientist who has created a black hole !

Reply 8

MANU90

I made one the other week. It decayed really fast but still managed to swallow my pet budgie in the process :frown:

Reply 9

EasyTiger

Im going to be applying for Chem Eng, via Natural Sciences..

Im looking at the colleges and what they want in terms of TSA/Test at interview or whatever.

My question is, should I be looking at what they are for engineering or for natural sciences, seeing as it is an engineering course, but I would be studying first year NatSci..

Anyone have an answer?

Ive emailed admissions, but was wondering if anybody knew of the cuff

Thanks

Reply 10

Scary Monster

If they don't specify for Chem Eng then you need to look at the NatSci requirements.

Reply 11

EasyTiger

That's what I thought seems strange really though, NatSci requirements for an engineering course. But anyway..

Reply 12

Scary Monster

That's because you are applying to do a NatSci course first off, not an engineering course.

If you want to do and engineering course through and through then you need to apply for the via engineering route.

Basically, you get assessed for the course you're going to be doing first - the actual chem eng intake often differs significantly from the people offers were origninally made to who said they intended to do engineering. People who thought they did decide to stay with NatSci/Engineering and not change tripos and people on the other courses decide to change tripos onto Chem Eng.

Reply 13

EasyTiger

Ahh I see, thanks!

Reply 14

Involved

Hi, I'm currently thinking of applying for Chemical Engineering (via NatSci) at Jesus. Does anybody know if its a good college for this course?
Also, does the interview include questions on Biology? because I haven't taken it as an AS or A level and I might get blown out of the water if they start asking questions on it.

Any answer will be much appreciated.

Reply 15

Scary Monster

Because Chem Eng is small subject it's more department based than most so college really doesn't make any difference in the slightest.

Interview wise, you're unlikely to get much if anything on biology as such if you're not doing it in 6th form and you've shown no intention to do any bio options in 1st year.

That said, biotechnology and bioprocessing is becoming more part of chem eng so you're not going to be able to avoid it entirely for ever.

Reply 16

MetallicaFan91

Can any 1 shed any light on this entrance test? Is it mainly maths and chemistry stuff?

Reply 17

Scary Monster

What entrance test?

The admissions process is subtly different at each college.......

Reply 18

escondido

Hi, do you think it's feasible for a bio natsci to switch over to ChemEng in the second year? The website says it is, but would you be doomed to pitiful failure with only quantitative bio maths as opposed to maths a? I'm doing the standard chem, cells and physiology as my others.

Reply 19

Scary Monster

Best thing to do is to talk to the DoS for your college, or the admissions guy for Chem Eng.

I know there were a couple of bio natscis in my year, but I don't know what maths option they did in first year. If you're really keen though, I'd have thought there was a good chance of you being able to catch up enough by doing some extra work over the summer.