Event Summary

This webinar is hosted by Jon Cheek, the Founder and Director of UniTasterDays. Guidance is provided for students to help them make good choices when considering university. The guest speakers for this event are Dr Samantha Gooneratne, a Principal Lecturer at Teesside University and Adam Jones, the Student Recruitment Manager at Swansea University.

An introduction to chemical engineering at university
Chemical engineering at university involves many topics, and is about using chemical and physical properties to design, modify and generate processes, explains Samantha. She looks at how you become a chemical engineer: by going to university and learning employability skills to make you a professional, and learning scientific knowledge such as thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Samantha highlights why it is important for you as a chemical engineer to make processes that are safe, reliable, economical and sustainable and this is taught to students through course-related materials. Samantha goes on to talk about teaching which is research-led, and is supported by different industries to help you gain valuable experience through placements. Finally, she looks at the course structure and different modules you can study.

Application tips and careers
Adam explains why it is important to see if your chosen chemical engineering course is accredited by the appropriate professional bodies. He talks about what a chartered engineer is and the level of education and experience you need to become one.

The job market for chemical engineering graduates is diverse and Adam looks at the different sectors you can go into after university. He goes on to speak about the positive impact you can make on the environment with your career and the expected salary range for chemical engineers.

Whilst at university it is useful to gain some experience, Adam talks about the benefits of completing a year in industry. This will help you to develop your engineering skills useful for your CV and future job applications. Finally, he touches on the application process, entry requirements and your personal statement.

Session summary from Rubaya Zaman, an English Literature Graduate from the University of Birmingham.