LM115 - Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
Course Details Course Code: LM115 Level: Honours Bachelor Degree Length: 4 Years CAO Minimum Points Entry 2011: 400 Course Leader: Prof. Ake Rasmuson Phone: 00 353 61 234617 Email: ake.rasmuson@ul.ie Share	The Student Experience		Course Description

About You

Are you a person who:

• Is interested in pursuing a career that can really make a practical contribution to helping people and society, e.g. The production of new drugs to fight disease, developing realistic ways for sustainable energy generation, providing efficient technologies for combating climate change?
• Enjoys the challenges of solving applied problems and applying your analytical skills to finding innovative solutions?
• Has a flair for science and technology and wishes to put these talents to good use?

If so, this may be the programme for you. The new B.E. (Hons.) Chemical & Biochemical Engineering provides an interesting, intellectually challenging, and educationally rigorous degree programme that leads to a professionally recognised qualification and good employment prospects in any of a variety of stable, sustainable, well-paid careers.

Why Study Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at UL?

This new programme is the only course of its kind in the Mid-West and Western regions of the country. Process engineering is the central area of expertise underpinning many important, sustainable industries and businesses within both the Irish and global economies. Such enterprises include: biopharmaceuticals, fuels, chemicals, and drug manufacture, energy production, food and beverage processing, environmental waste remediation, and electronic component manufacture.

The Irish pharmaceutical, chemical and biochemical industries have been primarily responsible for the recent consistent increases in the national export performance, proving these sectors to be stable and resilient, even in harsh economic conditions.

In all of these areas, the chemical/biochemical engineer is of key importance both in the design and operation of the processing systems, and in the development and manufacture of novel products.

The University of Limerick will seek similar, full professional accreditation for the new B.E. (Hons.) Chemical & Biochemical Engineering from professional bodies including the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), thus ensuring international professional recognition for holders of this qualification.

Course Structure

This four year honours degree programme comprises formal lectures/study, practical laboratories, workshops, training on industry-standard process engineering software, project work, as well as a substantial Cooperative Education period working in an industrial placement.

Years 1 and 2 provide a comprehensive grounding in all of the subjects required for a career as a professional chemical/biochemical engineer. As well as rigorous training in mathematics, process engineering, computation methods, chemistry, biochemistry, and physics, closely allied subjects are also studied, including bioprocess engineering, engineering materials and process design methods.

Beginning in year 2 and continuing throughout year 3, you will gain knowledge in fluid mechanics and heat transfer, reaction engineering and mass transfer separation. The programme also offers some advanced-level modules in the areas of pharmaceutical manufacture, formulation and sustainable methods for energy and fuel production. In year 3 you will take part in Cooperative Education placement - a training period where you will work as a chemical/biochemical engineer on one or more project-related tasks within a company, enterprise or institution.

In year 4 you will undertake a design project, in which you will work as part of a team to carry out the comprehensive design of a sustainable process for the large-scale production of a chemical or biochemical-based product. This project will give you an opportunity to develop and hone your skills in other important areas of professional engineering practice.

To find out more, go to www.ces.ul.ie

Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with at least grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher level subjects (including Mathematics, Irish or another language, and English).

In addition, applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate, or an approved equivalent: Grade C3 in Higher level Mathematics and a grade D3 in a Higher or Ordinary level paper in any one of the following: Applied Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Physics with Chemistry, Design & Communication Graphics, Engineering, Technology, Agricultural Science, Biology.

Applicants are most welcome from mature students and transferees with NCEA (or other) Certificates and Diplomas. Suitably qualified students may be offered exemptions from years 1 and/or 2.

A Special Mathematics Examination will be offered at UL following the Leaving Certificate results for those students who did not achieve the Mathematics requirement.

Career Prospects

Graduates may enter careers as professional engineers with any company, enterprise or institution involved with the practical application, development, research, manufacture of products, or provision of services that involve chemical or biochemical reactions and processes.

• Pharmaceutical/drug manufacture
• Mineral extraction
• Petro and Agro-chemicals
• Food/Beverage production
• Biorefineries
• Environmental engineering
• Biochemicals/biologics manufacture
• Sustainable fuels/energy production
• Porcessing of fine and heavy chemicals
• Chemical energy conversion systems

Want to find out more about possible careers with this degree? Click Here