Molecular Engineering

About the Department

The department of Chemical Engineering offers four full-time MSc courses and our highly international community comprises around 110 talented master’s students each year. These degrees allow students to explore advanced topics in chemical engineering and give them a unique opportunity to be involved in state-of-the-art research.

Throughout the MSc degree students will be supervised by one or more members of the department's distinguished, interdisciplinary research staff, some of whom are based in alternative departments or our partnership institute in Tokyo, Japan.

Program Overview

The one-year MRes in Molecular Engineering is designed to create a new generation of 'multilingual', transdisciplinary scientists and engineers. It combines taught modules and a research project with industry to prepare STEM graduates or professionals to work in multi-disciplinary teams, both in academia and industry. Multidisciplinary employees are in high demand as organizations seek to enhance their workforce with skilled scientists and engineers who can work effectively and collaboratively to tackle the challenges they face.

Why study molecular engineering?

Recent progress in our understanding of molecular science now allows us to make, measure, and model materials with unprecedented accuracy. This presents a great opportunity to engineer better materials and molecular systems in response to the challenges faced by society. Rapid innovation in both industry and universities now relies more than ever on this combination of engineering excellence with molecular-level science.

This course is the first and only Master's in Molecular Engineering in the UK. It was developed by the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, in collaboration with our industrial partners. The student cohort typically comprises graduates with chemical engineering or chemistry degrees, as well as students with backgrounds in materials science and engineering, physics, bioengineering, and other STEM subjects. The course will also appeal to those with post-degree experience who are looking to upskill in modern research methodologies and accelerated innovation strategies.

Educational Opportunities

You will be equipped with a grounding in the science and engineering aspects of designing, making, manufacturing, modeling, characterizing, and measuring the performance of molecules and materials – from the atomic scale to the systems level. You will gain valuable experience working on cross-disciplinary research. 

Career opportunities

This course will provide you with fundamental and applied skills for a multi-disciplinary Ph.D. or career in industry. Graduates are also well-placed to pursue other STEM-related opportunities, for example in policy, science communication, consultancy, and technology translation.