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Postgraduate Study

The programme is a full-time course occupying 11 months and is structured as follows:

Students come into College residence in late September/early October. During the first two terms, students take a total of ten taught modules, the choice of which includes a combination of core chemical engineering modules and elective modules based on engineering and business/management-related subjects. From March to August, students undertake a full-time research project, the results of which are submitted as a dissertation.

The objectives of the programme are to:

  • provide students with advanced technical skills in chemical engineering
  • enable students to solve problems within an engineering type of environment
  • provide students with business and management skills
  • provide training in research

Learning Outcomes

Successful students should gain:

  1. Advanced knowledge of fundamental areas of chemical engineering.
  2. An understanding of how discoveries and other ideas can be exploited effectively, including new company spin-outs, reorganisation of existing company structures, technology licensing, etc., by undertaking a series of business-based modules to include topics such as financing and marketing.
  3. The capacity to work individually and in a team, under time constraints, to produce workable solutions to engineering problems. Key skills learned will be time management, interaction with colleagues, obtaining technical and financial information, defining optimal outcomes, and communicating results.
  4. The ability to define, organise, and undertake a research project within a specified period of time and to report it in writing and by seminar in an acceptable manner. The project might involve business-related as well as chemical engineering research and may involve industrial collaboration. This will introduce the student to the practical problems of undertaking research.

Continuing

This course cannot be counted as one year of a PhD research degree, although continuing students wishing to apply for a PhD are expected to obtain a good Pass for the MPhil ACE course.


Open Days

The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options:

  • Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about applying for postgraduate study.

  • Postgraduate Virtual Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information.

For more information about upcoming events visit our events pages.

Apply Now

Key Information


11 months full-time

Study Mode : Taught

Master of Philosophy

Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Course - related enquiries

Application - related enquiries

Course on Department Website

Dates and deadlines:

Michaelmas 2025

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
May 29, 2025
Course Starts
Oct. 1, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Course Funding Deadline
Dec. 3, 2024
Gates Cambridge US round only
Oct. 16, 2024

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.