Transition from BSc Chemistry to MSc Chemical Engineering?

Hi, I'm a first year bachelor student studying Chemistry at Cardiff.

Recently I've been exploring various career prospects of chemistry and found that Chemical Engineering offers a very promising career and such that I'm thinking to pursue Chemical Engineering after my BSc in Chemistry at Cardiff.

I'm aware that some of the Universities (UCL, Birmingham, Southampton) allow students with chemistry backgrounds enter to their MSc Chemical Engineering course given they have achieved certain requirements such as a high 2:1 honour or having studied a relevant taught Masters in related disciplines.

However I was confused about how the sheer gap between Chemistry and Chemical Engineering would be bridged for such approach within such short period of time. To my understanding, Chemical Engineering is far more Physical and Mathematical than it is Chemical, topics including Transport Phenomena, Fluid Dynamics, Engineering Mathematics etc are generally not covered at all in a BSc Chemistry course.

I haven't touched on Physics since GCSEs and Maths since A levels but I'm more than happy to revisit these subject and tackle them methodically.

Any valuable insights will be very much appreciated.

Reply 1

CardiffUni Rep 2

Official Rep

Original post by sonnychengsc

Hi, I'm a first year bachelor student studying Chemistry at Cardiff.
Recently I've been exploring various career prospects of chemistry and found that Chemical Engineering offers a very promising career and such that I'm thinking to pursue Chemical Engineering after my BSc in Chemistry at Cardiff.
I'm aware that some of the Universities (UCL, Birmingham, Southampton) allow students with chemistry backgrounds enter to their MSc Chemical Engineering course given they have achieved certain requirements such as a high 2:1 honour or having studied a relevant taught Masters in related disciplines.
However I was confused about how the sheer gap between Chemistry and Chemical Engineering would be bridged for such approach within such short period of time. To my understanding, Chemical Engineering is far more Physical and Mathematical than it is Chemical, topics including Transport Phenomena, Fluid Dynamics, Engineering Mathematics etc are generally not covered at all in a BSc Chemistry course.
I haven't touched on Physics since GCSEs and Maths since A levels but I'm more than happy to revisit these subject and tackle them methodically.
Any valuable insights will be very much appreciated.

In general, it is possible - I know people with chemistry degrees who's gone to do PhDs in chemical engineering without further education into engineering - although the details of the technical difference between the two, I wouldn't be able to tell you (as I'm not a chemist myself!)

Hopefully someone on TSR will be able to clarify the gap between the two, but in general, going to your personal tutor and having a discussion about this would be my first port of call! They'd be very informed about the difference in both education and career wise - how you can start developing your career towards chemical engineering.

~ Fatiha, Cardiff University Student Rep

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by sonnychengsc

I think you're assuming that the masters courses that accept a chemistry background are a full conversion course providing the same depth and breadth as an undergrad chemical engineering degree - invariably that won't be the case (as you note, there's simply too much material not covered- chemical engineering degrees are realistically only about 10% chemistry). I expect they would accept chemistry grads as such because they can do well in the academic areas (possibly with a narrower range of options) and research in the area.

As for working in the chemical engineering sector as a chemistry grad (with or without a chemical engineering masters separately) - I wouldn't assume this is necessarily possible, and I would expect you certainly wouldn't be doing more of the "engineering" side which is where I think your assumptions of career outcomes are derived from. Realistically if you want to pursue the engineering side of chemical engineering and not be involved in e.g. some R&D side that then later engineers develop as a full industrial process, you might need to realistically do a full degree in chemical engineering...?

It might be worth seeing what information the IChemE has about this and/or if you can attend any events run by them and ask some of the chemical engineers there what their thoughts are.

Reply 3

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by sonnychengsc

Hi, I'm a first year bachelor student studying Chemistry at Cardiff.
Recently I've been exploring various career prospects of chemistry and found that Chemical Engineering offers a very promising career and such that I'm thinking to pursue Chemical Engineering after my BSc in Chemistry at Cardiff.
I'm aware that some of the Universities (UCL, Birmingham, Southampton) allow students with chemistry backgrounds enter to their MSc Chemical Engineering course given they have achieved certain requirements such as a high 2:1 honour or having studied a relevant taught Masters in related disciplines.
However I was confused about how the sheer gap between Chemistry and Chemical Engineering would be bridged for such approach within such short period of time. To my understanding, Chemical Engineering is far more Physical and Mathematical than it is Chemical, topics including Transport Phenomena, Fluid Dynamics, Engineering Mathematics etc are generally not covered at all in a BSc Chemistry course.
I haven't touched on Physics since GCSEs and Maths since A levels but I'm more than happy to revisit these subject and tackle them methodically.
Any valuable insights will be very much appreciated.

One year masters courses don’t make you a deeply knowledgeable engineer (neither does a BEng or MEng), you will be introduced to the core areas of engineering and should have a foundation you can build from but you have an appreciation of the key areas (for engineering any masters or bachelor’s level are really the starting point, there is far too much room & detail that the learning curve continues in whatever role you do after graduating.

No you won’t be as knowledgeable as a full MEng / BEng graduate but you will have enough to showcase if you’re a decent student a company can mould.

Id note engineering is also a profession with continuous learning your whole career.

That said if you’re a first year, why not just restart an MEng in chemical engineering next year rather than go via a masters conversion.