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UCL Biochemical Engineering AMA

Hi there, I'm a current undergraduate student studying biochemical engineering at UCL.

I'm happy to answer any questions prospective students might have so ask away and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I'm just doing this because I would've appreciated it before applying - I haven't been asked to or anything.

If you just want to know whether it is good and would I recommend it, the answer is definitely yes I would :smile:

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I watched the webinars last summer for biochemical engineering/ synthetic biology at UCL and found them really interesting, I’m just not interested in living in London so I applied to do natural sciences instead. What modules would you recommend for someone interested in going into biochemical engineering or biotechnology? At the moment I’m thinking of doing biochemistry, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry but would some maths and computer science be helpful?
Original post by Hellllpppp
I watched the webinars last summer for biochemical engineering/ synthetic biology at UCL and found them really interesting, I’m just not interested in living in London so I applied to do natural sciences instead. What modules would you recommend for someone interested in going into biochemical engineering or biotechnology? At the moment I’m thinking of doing biochemistry, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry but would some maths and computer science be helpful?

Definitely if you want to get into bioengineering, synthetic biology, or biochemical engineering! Imo maths, physics, and computing is really essential! Although there are plenty of people who are in the field who come from a life sciences background, you should know that synthetic biology was essentially invented by engineers at US institutions like MIT.

That being said, do what interests you - you'll only end up getting super smart if you actually enjoy what you're learning! Also, don't be afraid to 'chop and change'. You could always switch degrees now (if you haven't started), during your degree, or switch subjects at postgraduate level!
Reply 3
Hi!
I want to know if I will be at a disadvantage if I haven't done physics A level? And also how much biology content is there in this degree? And is it really academically challenging, or would you say it's manageable?
Thank you
Original post by idk02
Hi!
I want to know if I will be at a disadvantage if I haven't done physics A level? And also how much biology content is there in this degree? And is it really academically challenging, or would you say it's manageable?
Thank you

The course is challenging and that is a very good thing! Any university degree which fails to stretch you isn't worth your time/money.

Biochemical engineering is a very diverse field which draws on knowledge from many other fields. Whether it's physics or something else, there will be elements of your studies which you find tough. However, there are so many smart people here at UCL willing to support you. If you approach your learning with curiosity and a positive attitude then you'll succeed. I didn't take physics at A level, and some of the physics-based modules have been among my favourites / highest scores.

In terms of biology content, biology is integrated into most of what we do as biochemical engineering students. If you mean specifically how many pure biology/biochemistry modules are there and of what kind, then I encourage you to look at the course breakdown linked below. It's worth noting that you may also end up doing more bio through your 'minor' (your elective modules) if you choose one of the bio-focussed paths.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/study/undergraduate/engineering-biochemical-meng
Original post by liquoricetsr
The course is challenging and that is a very good thing! Any university degree which fails to stretch you isn't worth your time/money.

Biochemical engineering is a very diverse field which draws on knowledge from many other fields. Whether it's physics or something else, there will be elements of your studies which you find tough. However, there are so many smart people here at UCL willing to support you. If you approach your learning with curiosity and a positive attitude then you'll succeed. I didn't take physics at A level, and some of the physics-based modules have been among my favourites / highest scores.

In terms of biology content, biology is integrated into most of what we do as biochemical engineering students. If you mean specifically how many pure biology/biochemistry modules are there and of what kind, then I encourage you to look at the course breakdown linked below. It's worth noting that you may also end up doing more bio through your 'minor' (your elective modules) if you choose one of the bio-focussed paths.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/study/undergraduate/engineering-biochemical-meng

May i know what alevels you took?
Original post by Anonymous
May i know what alevels you took?

Personally, I took mathematics, chemistry, and english literature.

However, the course accepts those who have taken mathematics and at least one science. As a result, we get students with a mixture of having taken / not taken physics, chem, biol, and further maths at A level / equivalent.

This might be controversial, but I would say that A level subjects don't really matter for university. As long as you are smart and willing to learn, you'll be fine with whatever. E.g. Our civil engineering department accepts students who have not taken mathematics, physics, or any other science and puts them through modules alongside students from other engineering disciplines who got A*/A's in STEM at A level.
(edited 3 years ago)
Thank you for the reply :smile: im taking maths chem and bio. Does this course focus on biofuel and renewable energy ?
Original post by Anonymous
Thank you for the reply :smile: im taking maths chem and bio. Does this course focus on biofuel and renewable energy ?

You will study both of those areas among many others, yes. We have people within the department who are experts on those topics and are actively researching in those areas if they are of specific interest to you and you wish to take them further. :smile:
Hi,
What does your typical day to day look like during this degree? How may people are in your lessons? And what's the boy to girl ratio for this course? Thank you
Original post by Anonymous
Hi,
What does your typical day to day look like during this degree? How may people are in your lessons? And what's the boy to girl ratio for this course? Thank you

The male:female ratio is about 50:50 ☺️

A typical day on the course consists of a couple of timetabled hours (these could be lectures, tutorials, or labs) and then some independent study. Your work will be varied covering a diverse range of topics from all the main areas of STEM. Assessed work is spread throughout the year so you will almost always have something coursework to do or a test to prepare for. There’s still time to have a social life and engage in clubs/societies though so don’t worry.
You can find out more about the undergraduate events committee who started the thread above in this article:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemical-engineering/news/2021/may/warm-welcome-2021-crook-committee
Hi! How much independent study do you have to do? Would you say this degree is 50/50 timetabled hours and independent study, or would you say you spend more hours studying individually than at the university doing lessons, lectures ect.?
Original post by liquoricetsr
Hi there, I'm a current undergraduate student studying biochemical engineering at UCL.

I'm happy to answer any questions prospective students might have so ask away and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I'm just doing this because I would've appreciated it before applying - I haven't been asked to or anything.

If you just want to know whether it is good and would I recommend it, the answer is definitely yes I would :smile:

Hi!
I would like to go into stem cell therapy or tissue engineering in the future. Would this course equip me with the skills to do so? I’d really appreciate your response :smile:
I'm not sure whether to take a maths A-level. If I need it I'll take it but I'm worried cos although I got an 8 at GCSE I just don't feel confident that I'll get an A at A-level, and I need 3 As to go to the unis I like best. Please could you tell me how different the biochemical engineering MSc is to the synthetic biology MRes at UCL? I want to use biology to find carbon capture solutions and make an environmentally friendly version of plastic.
I also meant to ask, if I did do maths and get the A, do you think the fact that I don't really like it would cause me problems? Also, do you think studying a master's at UCL gives a significant career advantage as opposed to going somewhere a little lower on the league table like York? Although I'm thinking of doing a general undergrad bio degree and specialising through an master's, any insight you have as an undergrad student would be greatly appreciated.
Original post by Anonymous
I also meant to ask, if I did do maths and get the A, do you think the fact that I don't really like it would cause me problems? Also, do you think studying a master's at UCL gives a significant career advantage as opposed to going somewhere a little lower on the league table like York? Although I'm thinking of doing a general undergrad bio degree and specialising through an master's, any insight you have as an undergrad student would be greatly appreciated.

If you don't like maths, you'll struggle with any engineering course–especially true of UCLs. I would always recommend going to the best undergrad you can. In this case, that's UCL. It may not matter for engineering but in the corporate world, there is a significant difference between how UCL is viewed and how York is viewed.
Hi! I recently got an offer for this course and I was wondering if you would recommend Imperial or UCL. I’m aware that Imperial has a slightly better reputation but would you recommend UCL above it as a student?
Original post by Anonymous
Hi! I recently got an offer for this course and I was wondering if you would recommend Imperial or UCL. I’m aware that Imperial has a slightly better reputation but would you recommend UCL above it as a student?

Went to UCL. It's a great school... Go to Imperial. Congratulations btw.
How would you compare between UCL biochemical engineering vs Imperial Bioengineering or Chemical Engineering? Particularly in career prospect and teaching resources (people and equipment). Thanks for advice.

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