Chemical engineering
I am doing a levels in chemistry, geography and economics. Can I do a degree in chemical engineering with these subjects or do I need maths? I hear some universities offer a foundation year?
Original post
by SamUni?I am doing a levels in chemistry, geography and economics. Can I do a degree in chemical engineering with these subjects or do I need maths? I hear some universities offer a foundation year?
Hiya! (:
not a chem eng degree myself - but i do share some modules with the chemical eng people, i know for my course i did require higher maths (scottish a-level equivilant), i was slightly off the grade requirement for this and was able to do a top-up module in the summer before starting my course, with the condition being to pass the module
that sort of thing could maybe be an option - generally depends from uni to uni and the course what the maths requirement is, best getting in contact with the unis directly, explaining to them your current grades, any reason you didnt take maths if it was something outwith your control and asking about the options they have avaible (: - would also say to them if you qualify for any widening acess as that might open up some more options!
In my course, for first year the maths module i did expanded on the maths from my higher so would expect them to need maths to that level or some sort of equivalent experience, the chemical eng people did a slightly different maths module to mine but im guessing would be similar case of needing the maths to expand on.
hope this helps, best of luck!💜
Emily
Year 3, Chemistry
Official University Of Strathclyde Rep
Reply 2
10
Original post
by SamUni?I am doing a levels in chemistry, geography and economics. Can I do a degree in chemical engineering with these subjects or do I need maths? I hear some universities offer a foundation year?
Hey! I study chemical engineering and I can hoenstly tell you the maths is 75% maths, 20% physics and 5% chemistry. I think you will really struggle if you don't genuinely enjoy maths. As far as I am aware you can't study chemeng without either A-level maths or doing a foundation year (which is also incredibly difficult as someone that did a foundation year at the University of Manchester), however the maths get incredibly complex, and the people that struggle the most in my year are people who don't really enjoy maths and did the degree for the 'money'. Also as someone in my third year now it is incredibly incredibly hard currently, however I did want to do this degree out of pure love for maths and physics, and wouldn't know what else to choose. I'm sure a few years down the line it will be worth it once the job markets slightly recovered, and people of your age are looking at grad jobs after completing degree (I know it isn't something you need to worry about now, and don't think about that aspect too much but it is a factor of consideration). Please don't let this put you off however I can see why it might, just my honest opinion!
Reply 3
2
Hi!
For my A-Levels I did
- Law
- Politics
- Geography
And it was after I did them that I realized I didn’t want to go into humanities in uni, so I decided to do a foundation year in sciences instead to aim for a science based degree after.
With my foundation year I applied to university for ChemEng and have a conditional offer at the University of Sheffield and at the University of Bradford, with Sheffield being my firm and Bradford being my insurance.
So yes, even with your A-Levels it is possible to do ChemEng after a foundation year.
However I will say if you want to get into a good University for it the requirements for the foundation year will be high. Sheffield has asked me for 75% in my Maths and Physics modules and a 75% overall.
The foundation year for STEM subjects also isn’t easy at all. All of a sudden I found myself deep in all 4 STEM Subjects (Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology) with them expecting you to already know the information.
Getting high is incredibly hard and most students end up doing a stem course afterwards that they didn’t originally want to do because they didn’t get high enough for the course they wanted to do. You’ll only be able to get what you need if you’re truly committed so keep that in mind if you do a foundation year.
Good luck!
For my A-Levels I did
- Law
- Politics
- Geography
And it was after I did them that I realized I didn’t want to go into humanities in uni, so I decided to do a foundation year in sciences instead to aim for a science based degree after.
With my foundation year I applied to university for ChemEng and have a conditional offer at the University of Sheffield and at the University of Bradford, with Sheffield being my firm and Bradford being my insurance.
So yes, even with your A-Levels it is possible to do ChemEng after a foundation year.
However I will say if you want to get into a good University for it the requirements for the foundation year will be high. Sheffield has asked me for 75% in my Maths and Physics modules and a 75% overall.
The foundation year for STEM subjects also isn’t easy at all. All of a sudden I found myself deep in all 4 STEM Subjects (Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology) with them expecting you to already know the information.
Getting high is incredibly hard and most students end up doing a stem course afterwards that they didn’t originally want to do because they didn’t get high enough for the course they wanted to do. You’ll only be able to get what you need if you’re truly committed so keep that in mind if you do a foundation year.
Good luck!
Reply 4
Original post
by SamUni?I am doing a levels in chemistry, geography and economics. Can I do a degree in chemical engineering with these subjects or do I need maths? I hear some universities offer a foundation year?
Hi there,
That’s a really good question. The short answer is: A-Level Maths is not always compulsory, it depends on the university. While many universities require A-Level Maths for Chemical Engineering, some institutions, including LSBU, focus on your overall academic profile and core requirements instead.
At LSBU, the key requirement is usually GCSE Maths (grade 4/C or above), and since you are already studying A-Level Chemistry, that’s a very strong and highly relevant subject for Chemical Engineering. Chemistry is one of the main foundations of the course, as chemical engineering is built around chemical processes, reactions, thermodynamics, and materials science. Your Geography and Economics also demonstrate analytical thinking, data interpretation, and problem-solving skills, which are valuable in engineering.
Importantly, a Foundation Year is not necessary at LSBU if you meet the appropriate entry requirements, which are typically 120 UCAS points. If your A-level grades meet that tariff and you have GCSE Maths, you can apply directly to the full degree programme. The Foundation Year is simply an alternative pathway for students who may not meet the standard entry criteria or who want additional preparation in maths and physics before starting the main course.
If you’re unsure about how your subject combination fits, I’d strongly recommend attending the upcoming Open Day on 21st March. It’s the perfect chance to speak directly with course leaders, ask about your specific A-levels, and understand clearly whether you’d enter directly or consider a foundation route. You’ll also be able to tour the engineering labs and see the facilities you’d be using.
LSBU Open Day.
So no, A-Level Maths does not automatically block you, especially at LSBU. With Chemistry and the right UCAS points, you could absolutely progress straight onto the degree.
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