MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering (with International Study) Integrated Master's degree at the University of Birmingham
MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering (with International Study) at University of Birmingham. Chemical Engineering (with International Study) at the University of Birmingham gives you a built-in year abroad, studying at an international university during your third year before returning to Edgbaston to complete your MEng.
About this course
Chemical Engineering (International Study) MEng, This undergraduate degree course provides an opportunity to study at an international university in your third year. Learn more. From the provider’s course page.
MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering (with International Study) is an Integrated Master's degree (MEng (Hons)) at the University of Birmingham, based in Edgbaston campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Chemical, process and energy engineering graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 94% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £35,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Engineering, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 55; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 82% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Reaction, Equilibria and ThermodynamicsCompulsory20 credits
- Chemistry and MaterialsCompulsory20 credits
- Introduction to Transport PhenomenaCompulsory20 credits
- Discover: Labs and Data AnalysisCompulsory20 credits
- Modelling Concepts and Tools (MCT)Compulsory20 credits
- Process Design and AnalysisCompulsory20 credits
Year 2 5 modules
- Computing for Chemical EngineersCompulsory10 credits
- Reactors, Catalysis and ThermodynamicsCompulsory20 credits
- Sustainable Process EngineeringCompulsory20 credits
- Mass, Heat and Momentum TransportCompulsory20 credits
- Process Integration and Unit OperationsCompulsory20 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The course is built around core theory in chemical engineering, the mathematics, thermodynamics and process fundamentals that underpin the discipline, alongside research & methods work that introduces you to how engineering knowledge is generated and tested. Applied practice runs throughout, translating that theory into design and process problems, and you'll have access to specialist options such as areas that let you tilt the degree towards particular interests as you progress. The international study year abroad in year three effectively becomes one of your specialist experiences, exposing you to different teaching approaches and possibly different regulatory or industrial contexts. Back at Birmingham, the degree builds towards an independent project, where you take ownership of a substantial piece of engineering work from framing the problem through to reporting your findings. Professional skills, communication, teamwork, project management and the kind of workplace-readiness employers expect from chartered-track engineers, are developed alongside the technical content rather than treated as an afterthought.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who's genuinely curious about how materials, chemicals and energy are processed at scale, and who doesn't mind getting into the mathematics and physical science that sits behind that curiosity. If you like the idea of spending part of your degree living and studying in another country, adapting to a new institution, possibly a new language environment, and a different way of teaching engineering, the international study year will appeal more than a standard three-year course would. You should be comfortable with a demanding, four-year commitment: it suits students who are already thinking ahead to chartered engineer status or further technical specialism, since the Master's-level award is aimed at that trajectory. Typical entrants arrive with A-levels or equivalent, most commonly in the 144–159 UCAS tariff range, so you're likely to be joining a cohort of similarly well-prepared school leavers, though the university treats this as a picture of who has enrolled rather than a strict cut-off. Independent-mindedness matters too: fitting into an unfamiliar university system abroad, then returning to complete an independent project, asks for someone who can adapt and take initiative rather than simply follow a fixed timetable.
Careers & job market
Nationally, Engineering graduates report strong continuation into work or further study, 90% are in one or the other 15 months after graduating, with 80% of those in work describing it as highly skilled. These are national Graduate Outcomes figures across Engineering courses generally, not specific promises tied to this University of Birmingham course, but they give a sense of the sector graduates typically move into. National earnings data (also not course-specific) show graduates in comparable fields starting on £29,000–£35,000 fifteen months after graduating, moving to a £26,775–£37,800 range after three years, and £33,150–£46,800 after five years, figures that reflect spread and progression across the graduate population rather than a guaranteed outcome for any individual. Having an international study year on your CV, alongside the accredited MEng qualification, may be relevant when applying to employers or further study routes with global operations, though the university itself does not publish course-specific salary or destination data here. Continuation figures across the university show 88% of students still enrolled or having completed their course after the first year, a general marker of how many students stay the course once they begin.
University & format
The University of Birmingham is a public, Russell Group university based on its Edgbaston campus, founded in 1900 and home to a large student body of over 30,000. It's and holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. This MEng (Hons) is a full-time, four-year Integrated Master's taught in English, combining standard on-campus study at Edgbaston with the third-year international placement built into the course. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, degrees are nationally recognised, and Russell Group membership situates the course within a research-intensive institutional environment.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 91% |
| Other | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 4% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code H801). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Birmingham →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Engineering graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £35,000 | £32,000 – £39,000 | 55 |
| 3 years after | £34,500 | £30,000 – £40,500 | 195 |
| 5 years after | £45,500 | £37,000 – £55,000 | 210 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 55; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in engineering · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Engineering nationally
National figures for Engineering graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 55; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Engineering courses at the same study level.
Compared with 2,256 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 50% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 12% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 110; response rate: 67%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering (with International Study) worth it?
Generally yes. On its graduates’ median earnings, MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering (with International Study) is worth about +£175,840 more over the first ten years of work than going straight to a job, a solid return once you net out the fees.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 11.2. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Engineering graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Engineering graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Engineering & manufacturing firms
- Automotive & aerospace
- Energy & utilities
- Defence & consultancies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Engineering graduates.
Engineering Surveyor (Machine Control)BAM UK & IrelandEngineering Operations Project ManagerFdo Consulting LimitedEngineering ManagerVerto PeopleEngineering ManagerRobert WaltersEngineering ManagerPremier Technical RecruitmentEngineering ManagerRedline Group LtdIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £35,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 84% · in work or study 95% · continued 82%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Birmingham
Engineering and technology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Edgbaston campus
1,313 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Engineering right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Birmingham from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Birmingham; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Birmingham’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Birmingham and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
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Common questions
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