Chemical Engineering with Foundation Year BEng (Hons)

University of Surrey

Foundation courses

A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if:

You don’t have the grades for a full degree course

You have non-traditional qualifications or experience

You’re starting university after some time away from education

You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study.

Life as a foundation year student

During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course.

As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support.

Why choose this course

Our BEng and MEng courses have been developed in consultation with industry. They’ll equip you with the technical skills and problem-solving mindset required to tackle real-world engineering problems, preparing you for a fulfilling career in the chemical and process industries.

On this course, you’ll get the chance to experience the complete chemical engineering process: our £1.7 million chemical engineering facility includes a fully operational pilot process plant, which you’ll use during your course and operate as part of a team in your third year. You can also take part in our award-winning Professional Training placements programme, which prepares students for roles in industry.

We are ranked Top 20 in the UK for chemical and process engineering in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 and the Complete University Guide 2023.

Another key reason to choose Surrey is our award-winning Professional Training placements, which prepares students for roles in industry.

What you will study

Designed to align with current industry issues, our courses combine traditional chemical engineering topics with multidisciplinary design, biochemical engineering and sustainability.

You’ll be taught by prize-winning academics and you’ll develop a strong base of knowledge that’s relevant across the chemical and process industries. You’ll directly apply this to design your own process as a group in your third year.

You can apply to study for either a BEng or MEng. The MEng builds on the BEng with a masters year and is the direct route to becoming a chartered engineer. Students on our MEng may take part in a multidisciplinary project working with other engineering students across the University.

Depending on your progress, you may have the option to switch to a BEng or MEng during your studies.