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Chemical Engineering

Welcome to the Chemical Engineering subject page at King’s. This provides an overview of Chemical Engineering at King’s, the Cambridge course, the Director of Studies at King’s, and information on how to apply for an undergraduate place.

Chemical Engineering at King's

King’s first Fellow in Chemical Engineering was also the first head of the Chemical Engineering Department, founded with a bequest from Shell in 1948. He was Terence Fox, famous in the Chemical Engineering world for stating that, ‘God’s greatest mistake at the creation was to frame the Navier Stokes equations in such a complex form.’ King's second Fellow in Chemical Engineering is the current Director of Studies, Geoff Moggridge. Thus the subject has a short, yet distinguished, history in the College.

Chemical Engineering graduates go on to successful jobs in a broad range of fields, and a large number pursue careers in the chemical and related industries. Cindy Crawford and the President of Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards, both studied Chemical Engineering (the latter is a graduate of the Department) – so really you can go on to do anything!

The Chemical Engineering Tripos (Tripos = course)

The Cambridge Chemical Engineering Tripos starts with a year studying Engineering or Natural Sciences. Students move to the Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Department in their second year, and study an intensive two year course which brings them up to B.A. level and fulfills most of the Institute of Chemical Engineering’s requirements to register for Chartered Engineer status. An optional fourth year (taken by almost all students), includes a wide choice of modules and a research project, bringing students up to M.Eng. level, and completes the IChemE’s educational requirements. Full details of the Tripos and its options are available on the Department’s website.

Chemical Engineering Fellow

Geoff Moggridge

Geoff Moggridge is the Fellow and Director of Studies in Chemical Engineering at King's. His research is concerned with structured materials, with a particular interest in environmental issues.

Applying to study Chemical Engineering

For Chemical Engineering via Engineering the following subjects are essential:  Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Further Mathematics at AS or A2 (or equivalent), or Biology will also be helpful. See further information.

For Chemical Engineering via Natural Sciences the following subjects are essential: Mathematics and Chemistry. One more subject out of Physics, Further Mathematics and Biology is desirable. See further information.

Applications are welcome from suitably qualified students from anywhere in the UK, Europe or elsewhere in the world. Women are underrepresented in university Chemical Engineering courses. We therefore actively encourage applications from women to study Chemical Engineering at King's.

For our most common offers in a range of examination systems see the entrance requirements page.

The application process is explained on the how to apply page, which we advise applicants to read thoroughly. If invited for interview, applicants for Chemical Engineering are interviewed both for Engineering or Natural Sciences and for Chemical Engineering. They also sit a written test whilst in Cambridge for interviews for which no specific preparation is required.

Typically two to four students are accepted each year to read Chemical Engineering at King’s, although there are no quotas.

Resources and events

Further information

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