Sharp intake of students

London - UK universities appear set for a record number of chemical engineering applications. Based on figures from UCAS, provisional applications are up by almost one-fifth on last year’s final figure, with more than 8,500 received. Applications to study chemical engineering have risen twice as much as the overall UK application increase across all courses.

David Brown, chief executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), said: “More applications should lead to a higher calibre of student and consequently an even better standard of chemical and process engineering further down the line.”

In 2002, applications to study the subject had dropped to little more than 5,000 with an intake of just 940 students that year. Since then, applications and intake figures have risen steadily with last year’s intake of 1,640 marking a 75% intake rise in just six years.

IChemE’s whynotchemeng campaign has been promoting careers in chemical engineering since its launch in 2002.