University College London (UCL)
Biochemical Engineering MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 39,800 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international students: full time £39,800 | UK students: full time £20,500. Additional fees may apply
The MSc in Biochemical Engineering is designed to give students a solid foundation in the principles and applications of biochemical processes. The program covers key topics such as bioprocess engineering, cell manufacturing, and downstream processing. It combines core scientific knowledge with practical skills, enabling students to understand how to design, optimize, and operate bioprocesses used in industries like pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and healthcare. Students also explore topics related to process development, scale-up, and safety, preparing them for roles in research, industry, or further academic study.
The course structure includes taught modules, practical lab work, and a research project. The modules focus on areas like bioreactor design, genetic engineering, and product purification techniques. Students gain hands-on experience through laboratory work and learn how to apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems. The research project provides an opportunity to work closely with industry professionals or academic supervisors, tackling current challenges in biochemical engineering. This combination of coursework and practical experience aims to build a comprehensive skill set for a wide range of careers in the biochemistry and biotech fields.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and individual and group activities. Guest lectures delivered by industrialists provide a professional and social context. Our custom-designed “Pilot Plant Week”, exercises and additional activities are also embedded into the programme to develop a hands-on understanding of the challenges of integrating a series of bioprocess operations, and to build your communication and teamwork skills.
This programme is assessed via unseen written examinations, coursework, individual and group project reports, individual and group oral presentations, and the research or design project.
You can expect 10-14 hours of contact time a week on this programme, although the exact number of contact hours and composition varies throughout the term depending on the module choices of the student.
This is a full-time course, which means students should expect a working schedule of approximately 35 hours a week divided between contact hours, self-directed learning, and preparing for assessments.
Modules
Full-time
MSc Biochemical Engineering for Scientists (accredited by the IChemE at B-Standard)
The MSc Biochemical Engineering (for Scientists) route is designed to equip science graduates with the essential process of engineering knowledge and biochemical engineering insight in terms one and two that builds upon their relevant earlier learning. These new skills are further developed and applied in practical and group work sessions including major design and enterprise projects in the summer term.
MSc Biochemical Engineering for Engineers (accredited by the IChemE at F-Standard)
This route is designed to take first-degree chemical and process engineering graduates and equip them with underpinning bioscience knowledge and advanced biochemical engineering insight in terms one and two. These skills are further developed and applied in practical and group work sessions including major research and enterprise projects in the summer term.
MSc Biochemical Engineering, Advanced Biochemical Engineering (accredited by the IChemE at F-Standard)
Within this route, the Advanced Biochemical Engineering Pathway is designed to take first-degree biochemical engineering graduates and provide Master's level modules encompassing the latest advances in the sector. In terms one and two, your skills are further developed and applied in practical and group work sessions including a major research project in the summer term.
Compulsory modules
- Vaccine Bioprocessing
- Industrial Synthetic Biology
- Bio-microfluidics and Microsystems Engineering
- Sustainable Industrial Bioprocesses and Biorefineries
- Bioprocess Systems Engineering
- Biochemical Engineering Laboratory
Optional modules
- Environmental Systems
- Water and Wastewater Treatment
- Process Dynamics and Control
- Commercialisation of Research Ideas
- Bioprocess Validation and Quality Control
- Energy Systems and Sustainability
- Bioprocess Research Project
- Bioprocess Design Dissertation
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Biochemical Engineering.
What this course will give you
This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities:
- An internationally-accredited postgraduate degree from a top-ranked university. UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (ranked 9th in the latest QS World University Rankings 2025), providing you with a prestigious qualification that is highly regarded by employers worldwide.
- Gain access to state-of-the-art biochemical engineering facilities.
- UCL was one of the founding biochemical engineering labs, and set up the first UK department of biochemical engineering.
- Be part of a vibrant biochemical engineering network. UCL Biochemical Engineering coordinates bioprocess research and training collaborations with more than a dozen UCL departments, a similar number of national and international university partners and over 40 national and international companies.
- Benefit from our close ties with industry through participation in the department's MBI Training Programme. Here, you'll sit alongside industrial delegates, to gain deeper insights into the industrial application of taught material, while building a strong network of contacts for your career.
The foundation of your career
The department places great emphasis on its ability to assist its graduates in taking up exciting careers in the biotech space. Over 1,000 students have graduated from UCL with qualifications in biochemical engineering at Master's or doctoral levels, and many have gone on to distinguished and senior positions in industry and research.
Employability
Rapid advancements in the life sciences have led to a growing need for highly trained graduates who understand both the biological and engineering aspects relevant to modern industrial bioprocesses.
UCL biochemical engineers are in particularly high demand for their breadth of expertise, numerical ability and problem-solving skills. Graduates from this MSc programme have gone on to work for employers such as Pfizer, Lonza Biologics plc, Nestle and KPMG.
Networking
You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your Master’s.
- Connect with accomplished professionals through our alumni network, to take advantage of mentorship, collaboration and even job opportunities.
- Interact socially with your peers and UCL staff through The Beakers Society, our postgraduate society.
- If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, connect with like-minded innovators and successful entrepreneurs through UCL’s innovation hubs and startup incubators.
- Engage with professionals in discussions and collaborations at themed networking events, from hackathons to research speed dating.
- Study together with industrial delegates as part of the department's MBI Training Programme.
Accreditation
Our MSc is accredited by the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).
The routes "for Engineers" and Advanced Biochemical Engineering are accredited by the IChemE as meeting the further learning requirements, in full, for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng, MIChemE).
The route for Scientists is accredited by the IChemE as meeting the learning requirements, in full, for registration as an Incorporated Chemical Engineer (AMIChemE).