Chemical engineers are universal engineers, creatively and innovatively solving global energy, water and environmental issues while transforming raw materials into products that society depends on. 

Fusing the physical and chemical sciences with mathematics, process engineering, design and economics, a degree in Chemical Engineering opens doors to diverse opportunities, like clean-energy generation, nanotechnology and new material generation. 

At UBC, you’ll learn how to design, build, and operate the manufacturing and industrial processes that are used to create the products and services that are essential to everyday life. From energy, food and fertilizers to pharmaceuticals, plastics and paper, to the products of tomorrow, chemical engineers create innovative ways of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere to cool our planet, new methods of growing food indoors, novel approaches for making fabrics and textiles from forest waste and more. Our students excel thanks to instruction from world-class researchers, hands-on experience in learning labs, industrial site visits, and connecting with practising engineers and industry partners. We foster a learning environment of inclusiveness, teamwork and creative thinking. 

Play a role in research; engineer safer, greener product formulations and processes; and help discover and develop new ways to minimize society’s environmental footprint, while maximizing value in the real world.

Vancouver Campus

Learn more at You UBC's program page or visit us at chbe.ubc.ca.

Learn more about Chemical Engineering

Why Study This Program

Chemical Engineering graduates are in demand in a wide variety of different fields. These can include process control, chemical and electrochemical processing in resource-focused fields (such as oil & gas, mining, pulp & paper), carbon dioxide capture and storage, clean energy, renewable energy, food processing, sustainability, and pollution prevention and reduction in industrial processes. Chemical engineers can integrate environmental sustainability into processes leading to the development of zero-emission fuels, biodegradable materials to replace plastics, drought-resistant crops, and vertical farms. The design, development, construction, and operation of these processes are central to the field of chemical engineering. 

The Chemical and Biological Engineering building houses extensive custom research labs. The Clean Energy Research Centre is also a part of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department.  

The department collaborates with research in many multidisciplinary Research Centres at UBC including:

Courses & Specializations

Students will first complete a foundational first year of engineering  and then take specialized courses beginning in second year, once they are placed into their engineering discipline. Here is a sample of the courses Chemical Engineering students take in each year of study: 

Year 2 
CHBE 201Integrated Technical Communication
CHBE 241Material and Energy Balances
CHBE 264Chemical and Biological Engineering Laboratory
MATH 256Differential Equations

 

Year 3 
CHBE 376Computer Flowsheeting
CHBE 366Chemical Engineering Laboratory
APSC 278Engineering Materials
CHBE 356Process Dynamics and Control

 

Year 4 
CHBE 454Chemical Process and Product Design
CHBE 474Process Control Engineering
CHBE 459Chemical and Biological Engineering Economics
CHBE 456Heterogenous Catalysis and Advanced Reactor Design

 

For a more in-depth look at the curriculum, please consult the Academic Calendar and course descriptions. 

An engineering student at the Design and Innovation day exhibit

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