Abstract
The rapid shift toward Industry 4.0 and data driven manufacturing has prompted universities to reshape chemical engineering programmes, yet the scope and coherence of "Digital Chemical Engineering" (DCE) within UK curricula remain unclear. This study qualitatively maps DCE provision across five IChemE accredited MEng degrees to identify which digital skills are taught, how they progress across programme stages, how skills are distributed between core and elective content or taught versus applied learning, and how well provision aligns with accrediting frameworks. The analysis is structured around eight domains: (D1) programming and computation; (D2) data literacy and statistics; (D3) process modelling and simulation; (D4) optimisation and process systems engineering; (D5) control, automation and instrumentation; (D6) AI, machine learning and digital twins; (D7) software engineering practices; and (D8) data governance, ethics and cybersecurity. Results show institution dependent digital skills coverage. Some programmes introduce a broad digital skill set from Year 1, while others concentrate digital content in later years or adopt a more progressive distribution. Across institutions, D7 is consistently underrepresented. Foundational skills in D1, D2 and D8 are typically embedded throughout programmes, whereas more advanced domains D3 to D6 are introduced at later stages. Domains D1 to D4 demonstrate a stronger balance between teaching and application, while D5 to D8 are predominantly taught, with application increasing in later years. Optional fourth year modules play a significant role in shaping graduate digital profiles. Overall, DCE provision broadly aligns with IChemE and AHEP4 guidance, where expectations for D1 to D4 are more explicitly articulated