Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineers are problem solvers who will make for a better, safer and cleaner tomorrow

• About Chemical Engineering
• Why Study Chemical Engineering
• Program Structure & Course Information
• Graduate Attributes
• Enrolment Information
• Enrolment Guides for Chemical Engineering
• Calendar

Chemical engineering is involved with the systematic design, development and operation of process systems for the extraction, transformation and recovery of materials. Combining knowledge of chemistry and mathematics with engineering principles and economic considerations, chemical engineering often involves the translation of laboratory-scale research to large-scale commercial production. Chemical engineering sustains and improves a range of industries as diverse as food processing, petrochemicals, ceramics, petroleum refining, primary metals, plastics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, glass and speciality chemicals.

Chemical Engineers design and improve processes which produce the vast array of products desired by modern society and to ensure that this is done safely, economically and with minimal adverse impact upon the environment. These skills help create an affordable supply of antibiotics, liquid fuels, biomedical applications, high-strength composites and synthetic fibres and fabrics.

The first two years of the Chemical Engineering academic program are spent mostly in building a scientific and engineering foundation, with chemical engineering topics dominating the third and fourth years. Areas studied during the academic program include: separation sciences (including distillation), reactor design, process control and optimisation, design, safety and environmental impact, materials engineering and biochemical engineering.