BSc in Chemical Engineering
Groningen, Netherlands
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 19,300 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Dutch, EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA students
** for Non-EU|for EU/EEA EUR 2,530
Introduction
Can biobased plastics be produced on a large scale? Can we convert CO2 into useful chemical products? How can you ensure that factories operate in a clean, safe, and efficient way?
Chemical engineers work on the production of chemicals at an industrial scale. The Bachelor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Groningen will prepare you for this profession. You will learn to deal with chemical processes on a large scale, develop new chemical products, and design improved catalysts for the targeted reactions. At the same time, you will learn to evaluate and improve the safety and sustainability of chemical processes. Along the way, you will be also stimulated to develop your critical thinking skills and your problem-solving attitude.
The fascinating thing about Chemical Engineering is that you will be involved in the development of new products but you will also think about the production process and about the catalyst that is needed to promote the reaction. A Chemical Engineer is concerned with the entire development of a new product or process, from A to Z. This means you will learn much more than just how chemical reactions work. Chemical Engineers at the University of Groningen, for example, have developed a new process for the production of biodiesels as well as new polymeric products for the oil industry and for high-tech applications.
Choose Groningen and you can't go wrong!
Groningen is the only University where you can study both Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. If you find it hard to choose between a Bachelor's degree program in chemistry or in chemical engineering, Groningen is the place to be. The first year of both programs is identical so you don't have to make a definite choice until your second year. It's very likely that you don't yet know which specialization to choose, so you won't have to decide until the second year.
Why study this program in Groningen?
- The Chemical Engineering program in Groningen is unique due to its close connection with the Chemistry program. The first year of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry is common and you can switch between the two in the entire first year.
- Our research is among the finest in the world. The University's materials research institute ranks in the top-10 worldwide.
- Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in Groningen are the home of 2016 Nobel Prize winner Ben Feringa, who has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on a light-driven rotary molecular motor.
Curriculum
The first part of Year 1 is designed to give you a broad introduction to the three Chemistry specializations and the Chemical Engineering program. You will follow classes such as Inorganic Chemistry, Spectroscopy, Physical Chemistry, and Product Technology, alongside laboratory practicals.
Further on in the Chemical Engineering program, you will do course units like Single-Phase Reactors, Macromolecular Chemistry, and Separation Process. You will complete your Bachelor's degree program with a research project in Year 3.
Year 1
- Biochemistry
- Biochemistry Practical
- Calculus for Chemistry
- General Chemistry
- Inorganic chemistry
- Introduction to Process and product technology
- Molecules: Structure, Reaction, and Function
- Organic chemistry 1
- Physical chemistry 1
- Practical Synthesis and Analysis
- Spectroscopy
- Sustainability Symposium
Year 2
- CESEPA Chemical Engineering & Society
- Computational Methods in Science and Technology
- Industrial Organic Chemistry and Catalysis
- Industrial Organic Chemistry and Catalysis Practical
- Linear Algebra for Chemical Engineering
- Macromolecular Chemistry
- Physical Transport Phenomena 1
- Practical Macromolecular Chemistry
- Product Technology
- Separation Processes
- Single-Phase Reactors
- Technical Thermodynamics
Year 3
- Bachelor's Research Project
- Chemical Process Development and Design
- Electives: Electrochemical Technology/Medicinal Chemistry/Physical Properties of Materials 1/Structural Probes for Solid Materials
- General Process Equipment
- Multiphase Reactors
- Physical Transport Phenomena 2
- Process Control and Dynamics
- Process Design
- Special Process Equipment
Study abroad
- Study abroad is optional
- Maximum of 30 EC
Exchange: All our science and engineering programs offer study abroad possibilities at a number of partner institutions. Our partners include top-100 universities in Europe (for example in Germany, the UK, and Sweden) and in the USA, China, South-East Asia, and South America. Our exchange program has a typical duration of one semester and counts toward your final degree.
Admissions
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Job prospects
After the three-year Bachelor's program, you will be able to continue your study with our attractive Master's degree program, but you will also have the option to look immediately for a job. As a graduate of the bachelor chemical engineer, you are qualified for a range of attractive positions, mainly in the business sector: for example, Chemical Engineers can find employment in advisory, control, R&D, and management positions.
You may be involved in setting up a new factory, optimizing existing processes, or developing new products and materials.
Job examples
- Academic researcher
- Chemical engineer
- Energy engineer
- Product development scientist
- Technical and research positions in laboratories or factories
- Positions in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries