Answering Questions from 1st Year Students (APSC 100)

If you are currently completing your first year of Applied Science at UBC, you already meet all the prerequisites to enter Chemical Engineering or Chemical and Biological Engineering. However, admission is competitive, and your first-year grades are an important factor. Students who select Chemical Engineering or Chemical and Biological Engineering as their first choice during their discipline selection at the end of first year are given priority.

We have two streams or programs: “Chemical Engineering” and “Chemical & Biological Engineering”. The emphasis of both programs is to prepare you to be an effective engineer in the development, design, operation, and management of all sorts of industrial processes that produce much of what society needs, from food to energy to medicine. Chemical Engineering builds on a foundation of chemistry to train you in these skill sets, while Chemical and Biological Engineering provide similar training but focuses slightly less on chemistry while including a deeper look into biology. Either program will equip you with the skills necessary to succeed in the development, design, management, and operation of industrial and other processes. (Note: The necessary chemistry or biological principles to succeed through the programs are taught through second year.  However, the emphasis of the programs is not chemistry or biology, but the engineering principles that build from those. As with all engineering programs, physics and mathematics are also involved). 

At the end of your first year, you can select “Chemical Engineering” or “Chemical and Biological Engineering” as your area of specialization. However, at the end of second year you will have the option to remain in your chosen discipline or transfer to the other.  

To find out if Chemical Engineering or Chemical & Biological Engineering is right for you really comes down to making an informed choice. Take advantage of all our open houses, meet & greets, and other events this coming year to explore our department, tour our labs and design spaces, and talk to professors and students. You can even come to the many open lectures our department offers, often featuring distinguished speakers from around the world. All our upcoming events are posted on the CHBE website and our social media pages.  Making this investment of time and reflection will be well worth it as you choose the path that will shape the next stage of your studies and career.

In general, if you are passionate about developing innovative processes and solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges – from creating renewable fuels, medicines, and advanced materials to ensuring clean water, sustainable food systems, and a healthier environment – then Chemical and Biological Engineering could be an excellent fit. It is a discipline that combines creativity, problem-solving, and science to make real-world impact.

The average first-year grade to get into Chemical Engineering or Chemical and Biological Engineering has been trending up for the last several years.  It is currently 74%, but we are expecting to be over 76% for next year.

Yes, Chemical Engineering and Chemical & Biological Engineering have long been considered among the most demanding programs in engineering. The training is intensive, but well worth the effort. Our students graduate with a unique set of skills, including systems thinking and process-oriented mindset that are in high demand across many industries.

The Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE) programs cover a remarkably broad and exciting range of topics. Students begin by mastering the foundations of engineering, such as material and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reaction fundamentals. They then progress to the design and control of complex systems that shape our world. You will learn to model processes using advanced computational tools and industrial software, applying them to real-world challenges such as creating sustainable fuels, designing new materials, manufacturing pharmaceuticals, and developing technologies that restore and protect the environment.

What makes CHBE particularly fascinating is how it bridges physics across both the macro and micro scales to deepen our understanding of how the universe behaves. At the macro level, you will explore the physics of energy and motion, such as how heat and fluids move and work through large industrial reactors to produce materials such as fuels, fertilizers, or medicines (i.e., this is very similar to the physics that you will learn in other engineering disciplines to explore, for example, into how thrust propels a rocket into space). At the micro level, you will explore the physics of how molecular interactions and chemical reactions drive those same large-scale transformation in the production of fuels, fertilizers, and medicine, or how the combustion of rocket fuel generates the thrust that lifts a rocket skyward. (As a side note, physics at the molecular level is what we call chemistry). This complete, cross-scale perspective of how physics governs the behavior of our world is what uniquely defines chemical and biological engineers.

At UBC, the CHBE programs offer this comprehensive, physics-grounded perspective unlike any other discipline. Graduates emerge with the skills to think across scales and industries, making them invaluable in fields from energy and biotechnology to sustainability, materials science, and beyond.

Academically, CHBE has consistently produced some of the top-performing students in all of Applied Science. Since 2020, CHBE students have earned the distinction of being the highest-ranking academic students in all of Applied Science every other year, an achievement unmatched by any other department. In 2025, a CHBE graduate was among the top three UBC undergraduate students of all of UBC (https://chbe.ubc.ca/news/2025/nomi-danzig-shares-her-experience-in-chemical-and-biological-engineering/).  This success reflects the exceptional learning environment cultivated within CHBE over many years.

Today, CHBE stands out for several reasons:

• Excellence in Teaching: CHBE has the highest concentration of faculty recipients of UBC’s prestigious Killam Teaching Prize, the university’s top recognition for teaching excellence.
• Industry Expertise: The department actively recruits professors with decades of international industrial experience, ensuring that students benefit from both academic rigor and real-world insight.
• State-of-the-Art Facilities: CHBE houses some of the most modern teaching facilities in Canada, including the new Digital Design Studio, opening this December, where students will use VR, 3D printing, and AI to reimagine the future of our profession.
• Strong Industry Engagement: Through field trips, industry nights, sponsored projects, the Industrial Scholar Stream, and the CHBE Industry Advisory Council, students gain invaluable exposure to industry experts and professional practice.

Above all, as our students will attest, it is the dedication and flexibility of our faculty and staff that truly set CHBE apart. We are deeply committed to supporting our students in their learning, development, well-being, and aspirations, both inside and outside the classroom.

We certainly welcome first year APSC students to come and chat with our students to learn more about the learning environment at CHBE. We are extremely proud of the open, engaging, caring, and inclusive culture that we have grown in our department.

Yes, in your fourth year you will have the opportunity to take a range of elective courses (12 credits in total). These electives allow you to specialize in a specific area of chemical and biological engineering. As a department, we continue to expand and develop these specializations. Current options include Clean Energy, Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, Machine Learning (i.e., Advanced Computational Methods), Environmental, Fundamentals, and Entrepreneurship, with other areas in development.

As an analogy, these areas of specialization have been designed to transform a chemical or biological engineer from a “general doctor” to a “specialist”. The analogy is apt: chemical engineers are to processes what doctors are to humans. They possess the broad expertise needed to understand an entire plant or system and the diagnostic skill to identify and resolve its “illnesses” and improve its performance. Because of this comprehensive perspective, chemical engineers often guide high-level decisions and ensure the overall performance of a process. However, other engineering disciplines play essential, supportive roles, much like pharmacists who prepare the medicine prescribed by doctors. For example, a mechanical engineer might generate the mechanical details of a reactor design that can withstand certain pressures and temperatures, a civil engineer might size its foundations, and a control engineer might write the code to regulate its operation.

Chemical and Biological Engineering graduates are process experts, that is the core of their training. [If you would like a full explanation of what we mean by a “process,” please visit our website and, from the navigation menu, click on “Future CHBE Students.” You will be directed to a page with a 6-minute video that explains this in depth.]. Here is the link, Future Students | UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering

Processes are all around us: the car assembly line is a process, food packaging is a process, and even a financial transaction requires a process. Because of their expertise, Chemical and Biological Engineers are employed across many different industries and fields, applying their process knowledge in diverse contexts – you are correct, it is arguably the most versatile engineering discipline available.  Through the undergraduate program, our students are given the opportunity to explore many of these related industries and fields through project work with industry (i.e., CAPSTONE projects), field trips, clubs, industry nights, seminars, co-op work experiences, and more. How much exposure a student gets really depends on how involved they get in all these opportunities.

Many engineering departments at UBC offer excellent training labs for undergraduate students. Chemical and Biological Engineering is fortunate to have some of the newest and best-equipped facilities, including the Digital Design Studio and new Biological Engineering lab, both scheduled to open in December.

At CHBE, our labs are specifically designed to connect what you learn in the classroom with real-world applications. The CHBE labs are considered among the best learning facilities in Canada. Students take a lab course in every semester of the program. You will spend approximately 2 to 4 hours every other week in the lab during your second year, 4 hours every other week during your third, and 6 to 8 hours every other week during your fourth years. All labs are team-based.

Yes, it has a lot to do with computers.

The Chemical and Biological Engineering program trains engineers to become experts in designing processes for the manufacturing of diverse products, including fuels, food, energy, medicines, and even the silicon wafers used in making computer chips. Students learn to analyze and select the process steps required for production, such as equipment selection and sizing, control strategies and programming, and overall system layouts.

Most of this design work is carried out using sophisticated software. In practice, the entire process, complete with equipment and control systems, is developed digitally before it is built. In addition to using simulation and design software, our students are also trained in numerical methods (using computer programming to solve complicated differential equations) and data analytics, to learn how to analyze the massive datasets that come from industrial processes.  In this way, Chemical and Biological Engineering is very much about leveraging computers as essential tools for modern engineering design and optimization.  This is becoming more central to the discipline as we continue to integrate AI into the design process.

The answer to this question really depends on the context of what you mean by “flaws”.  All fourteen engineering departments at UBC are outstanding in their ability to prepare you for a successful career in engineering. They all have professors and staff dedicated to your training and success. It really comes down to you taking advantage of the events and opportunities to explore each department, talk to professors and students, and find that engineering discipline that aligns with your interest and professional goals. Through this process, you should hopefully be able to find the engineering program that has the least “flaws” from your perspective.  Making this investment of time and reflection will be well worth it as you choose the path that will shape the next stage of your studies and career.

There are a number of world-renowned research groups based in CHBE. Our professors conduct research in a number of exciting fields including biotechnology, environmental engineering, energy and materials, process engineering, and engineering education. CHBE is also the home of some world class research institutes, including the Bioproducts Institute and the Clean Energy Center. Both groups’ efforts and interests center on sustainability, one around materials and the other around energy.  These groups present their work to students throughout the year, providing opportunities to gain insight into cutting-edge research and to grow their curiosity and interest in different fields.

If you are interested in joining a research group as an undergraduate student, we encourage you to apply to the Research Scholar stream of Chemical and Biological Engineering.  It is the only engineering undergraduate stream guaranteeing a summer research internship at the end of second year. Applications open in January.

In addition, co-op positions with CHBE research groups are also common, or alternatively, the undergraduate thesis courses provide opportunities for students to develop skills and experience in research while working under the guidance of a research faculty.

The CHBE program places a strong emphasis on sustainability, integrating the concepts into many courses, and also offering a wide range of courses focused in this area (e.g., CHBE 370, 373, 452, 472, 473, 477, 483, 485, 486, 488). The program trains engineers to become experts in designing processes for the manufacturing of diverse products, including fuels, chemicals, energy, and medicine. Students learn to make these processes efficient, cost-effective, safe, and environmentally responsible.

In fourth year, students apply their gained knowledge, including their newly gained expertise in sustainability, through Capstone projects, where they design and develop novel processes for the production of real-world products. Over the years, many student teams have focused on sustainable solutions, such as developing processes for biofuels. In fact, this year, one Capstone group is pioneering a new approach to produce sustainable bio-jet fuel, with an aim to be carbon neutral.

The CHBE program integrates industry partners at multiple points throughout the undergraduate curriculum. These contact points are carefully designed to connect students’ classroom learning with real-world industry applications. Opportunities include:

• Field trips (including overnight visits) to diverse industrial sites across BC and Alberta
• Capstone projects, where students work on industry-sponsored challenges and receive direct mentoring
• Industry Nights, where over 50 company representatives from across the region engage with students
• In-house technical presentations, such as the Distinguished Speaker Series, featuring experts invited from across North America.

The other point of contact with industry is the co-op program. Most of our students participate in the co-op program, spending time and working in a wide range of industrial sites and opportunities.

If you are interested in more direct interaction with industry experts right from second year, we encourage you to apply to the Industrial Scholar stream of Chemical and Biological Engineering.  It is the only engineering undergraduate stream guaranteeing industry interactions through second year and an interview for an industrial summer internship at the end of second year. Applications will open in January.

Let us answer that question by first providing some background information that should clarify why CHBE students complete co-op terms in such a wide range of industries and companies as we are summarizing here.

Chemical and Biological Engineers are process experts, that is the core of their training. [If you would like a full explanation of what we mean by a “process,” please visit our website and, from the navigation menu, click on “Future CHBE Students.” You will be directed to a page with a 6-minute video that explains this in depth.]. Here is the link, Future Students | UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering

Processes are all around us, and examples include: car assembly lines, food packaging, and even financial transactions. Because of their expertise, Chemical and Biological Engineers are employed across many different industries, applying their process knowledge in diverse contexts.

For a partial list of industries and companies where our recent graduates are working, refer to the slides from the APSC 100 presentation by our department, in particular see slide 10.  Chemical and biological engineers build successful careers in companies such as Tesla, Microsoft, Fortis BC, Arcteryx, Fluor, and Deloitte, just to mention a few.  It is these same companies that typically hire CHBE co-op students.  The actual full list of companies hiring CHBE co-op students includes many dozens of names from across Canada.

The answer to your question is provided in detail in a short video on the CHBE website. Please visit our website and, from the navigation menu, click on “Future CHBE Students.” You will be directed to a page containing a 6-minute video that explores the answer to your question in depth. Here is the link,  Future Students | UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering

Alternatively and in addition, we went ahead an wrote a short article just to answer this question.  You can find the article as follows: visit our website, from the navigation menu, click on “Future CHBE Students”, then click “Future CHBE Undergraduate Students” and you will be routed to the page containing the article (it is half-way down under “Chemical and Biological Engineering Explained”). Here is the link, Future Undergraduate | UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering

No, graduating with an undergraduate degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering prepares students to begin a successful career in industry. Graduate school is typically pursued by those who are more interested in research or R&D as a career path.

No, most CHBE graduates do not work in rural areas.  Just looking at the data for the past two years, the employment locations of our recent graduate are 76% in large urban areas. In fact, approximately 61% of these jobs are in the Vancouver region.

Chemical and Biological Engineering has always focused on the development, design, operation, and management of processes. What has changed over time is how those processes are designed and the spread of processes involved. Today, sustainability and environmental responsibility are central to the creation of new systems.

The range of processes that Chemical and Biological Engineers work on has also expanded significantly. Once centered primarily on resource-based industries such as oil and gas or pulp and paper, the field now encompasses diverse applications, from food production and medicine manufacturing to innovative technologies aimed at healing our planet, such as Direct Air Capture, which removes carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and much more.  Unfortunately, this wide expansion of the discipline is not widely advertised.

 [If you would like a full explanation of what we mean by a “process” or how this discipline has changed over the decades please visit our website and, from the navigation menu, click on “Future CHBE Students.” You will be directed to a page with a 6-minute video that explains this in depth.]. Here is link,  Future Students | UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering

Chemical and Biological Engineering has always focused on the development, design, operation, and management of processes. However, what is less widely known is that machine learning has been applied in the chemical and biological industries for decades. Early forms of smart software (i.e., the foundations of today’s artificial intelligence) have long been used to control and optimize operations in power plants, refineries, water treatment facilities, and more.

As these models, now broadly referred to as AI, grow more powerful, they are enabling Chemical and Biological Engineers to reimagine how future processes are designed and controlled, and how existing ones are optimized, at levels of precision and speed that were once unimaginable.

Chemical and Biological Engineering graduates are process experts, that is the core of their training. [If you would like a full explanation of what we mean by a “process,” please visit our website and, from the navigation menu, click on “Future CHBE Students.” You will be directed to a page with a 6-minute video that explains this in depth.]. Here is the link, ,  Future Students | UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering

Processes are all around us, and examples include: car assembly lines, food packaging, and even financial transactions. Because of their expertise, Chemical and Biological Engineers are employed across many different industries, applying their process knowledge in diverse contexts. However, in general, chemical and biological engineers work on one of research, development, design, operation or management of processes.

For a partial list of industries and companies where our recent graduates are working, please refer to the slides from the APSC 100 presentation by our department, in particular see slide 10.  In there you will find that chemical and biological engineers build successful careers in companies such as Tesla, Microsoft, Fortis BC, Arcteryx, Fluor, and Deloitte, just to mention a few.

In terms of the different industries that Chemical and Biological Engineers can work in, our recent graduates have found employment in the high-tech, manufacturing, resources, energy, biotechnology, consulting, and finance sectors.

The range of projects Chemical Engineers can work on is incredibly broad. Here are some high-level examples:

• Design manufacturing processes – determine process steps, design equipment, lay out facilities, develop and program control strategies, and ensure safe and efficient operation.
• Lead the construction and startup of new plants – oversee project execution, ensure safety compliance, and coordinate multidisciplinary teams.
• Commission new manufacturing facilities – test and validate systems to bring processes online smoothly and safely.
• Optimize existing processes – improve yield, efficiency, energy use, or environmental performance.
• Troubleshoot process issues – identify root causes of operational problems and implement long-term solutions.
• Conduct research and development – design novel processes or materials in laboratory and pilot plant settings.
• Evaluate environmental performance – reduce emissions, minimize waste, and improve sustainability metrics.
• Engineer new products – develop materials, chemicals, fuels, or bioproducts for emerging markets.
• Integrate digital technologies – apply data analytics, process modeling, or automation to improve operations.
• Contribute to energy transition projects – work on carbon capture, hydrogen production, biofuels, or renewable energy systems.

UBC’s Chemical and Biological Engineering graduates play an active role in founding and growing many local start-ups. In fact, CHBE has been recognized as the engineering department within Applied Science that produces the largest number of start-ups. Many of our professors are serial entrepreneurs themselves, often creating new ventures and inviting recent graduates to join them in building and scaling these companies.

This entrepreneurial spirit is particularly important today, as humanity faces the urgent challenges of climate change. Processes for producing food, energy, consumer goods, and medicine must be reimagined, not only to meet growing global demands but also to address sustainability and resilience. This fundamental shift in how we design and operate production systems has created fertile ground for innovation, placing Chemical and Biological Engineers at the center of a growing ecosystem of start-ups around the world.

Chemical and Biological Engineers are at the heart of the transition to sustainable energy. They contribute to the research and development of new processes for producing green hydrogen, biofuels, and renewable power storage solutions, among many other innovations.  In fact, UBC’s Clean Energy Center and its main labs are housed at the CHBE building.

In the field of sustainable materials, Chemical and Biological Engineers are also leading the change. At CHBE, the Bioproducts Institute, a world-renowned research center, explores novel ways of producing materials from renewable resources, primarily biomass. Examples include developing high-end clothing fabrics from wood, creating nanocarbon fibers from lignin, or making new replacement eye corneas from cellulose.

Students are welcome to visit the Clean Energy Center or the Bioproducts Institute at CHBE and see firsthand how these discoveries are shaping the future of sustainable energy and materials. Email info@chbe.ubc.ca to make an appointment for a visit.

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has consistently maintained strong employment outcomes for its graduates, and these numbers are expected to remain robust and continue growing. This growth is driven by pressing societal needs.

As humanity faces the urgent challenges of climate change, the processes used to produce everything from food and energy to consumer goods and medicine must be reimagined and rebuilt, not only to meet rising global demands but also to prioritize sustainability and resilience. These fundamental changes place Chemical and Biological Engineers at the center of this transition, driving a growing demand for their expertise.

Randstad is Canada’s largest HR company, and it publishes a Salary Guide for professionals across Canada. This guide is updated annually and is based on a comprehensive dataset collected nationwide. It is widely recognized as one of the most reliable sources of professional salary information in Canada. According to the most recent version of this guide, Chemical Engineers are the highest-paid engineers across the country, in all regions, including the Vancouver Area.

For a salary comparison among the largest engineering disciplines, see the figure on page 8 of the slides from the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department’s presentation for APSC 100.  Again, chemical engineers make a significantly higher salary relative to the other engineering disciplines.

Yes, within chemical and biological engineering, there are many career opportunities that have little to no field work. Many of these roles focus on research and development, or design engineering. Large engineering consulting companies such as Fluor, Hatch, and Jacobs hire significant numbers of chemical and biological engineers to do mostly office work. In addition, many start-ups in the region are frequently hiring our graduates in Chemical and Biological Engineering. Most of these start-ups offer opportunities in office or laboratory settings. Start-ups are major CHBE employers in the Lower Mainland of BC; some examples are: Saltworks, Ekona, Svante, Carbon Engineering, NanoOne, Anodyne, Anaconda Systems, Mangrove Lithium, Ballard, StemCells Technologies, and Biotwin.

Yes, chemical engineers work in space agencies.

Space agencies employ all sorts of engineers, including chemical engineers. Space travel requires a wide range of processes to ensure mission success, such as keeping spacecraft air breathable, properly handling and generating waste, and recycling water. Many of these tasks rely on chemical or biological processes. In addition, the formulation and production of rocket fuels are chemical engineering activities.

In general, there are no drawbacks to any engineering discipline. What truly matters is finding the one that fits you best. The key challenge is discovering which field aligns most closely with your interests and long-term goals. That is why it is so important to spend time this year exploring the different branches of engineering and reflecting on what inspires you most. This thoughtful investment of time and curiosity will be well worth it as you choose the path that will shape the next stage of your studies and your future career.

If you are passionate about developing innovative processes and solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges, from creating renewable fuels, medicines, and advanced materials to ensuring clean water, sustainable food systems, and a healthier environment, then Chemical and Biological Engineering could be an excellent fit. It is a discipline that combines creativity, problem-solving, and science to make real-world impact.

The emphasis of both programs is to prepare you to be an effective engineer in the development, design, operation, and management of all sorts of industrial processes. These are the processes that produce much of what society needs, from materials, to food, to energy and to medicine. Chemical Engineering emphasizes industrial processes more generally, while Biological Engineering emphasizes biochemical process examples. Either program will equip you with the skills necessary to succeed in the development, design, management, and operation of industrial processes.

The Chemical and Biological Engineering program trains engineers to become experts in the development, design, operation, and management of processes for manufacturing a wide range of products and goods, including chemicals, minerals, advanced materials, medicines, and everyday consumer goods. Students learn to analyze and select the process steps required for production, including equipment selection and sizing, control strategies and programming, and overall system design.

Mining Engineering is the branch of engineering focused on the development, design, operation, and management of processes for extracting and processing minerals from the Earth. It covers every stage of a mining operation, from exploration to site closure and reclamation. Many chemical engineers establish their careers in the mining industry.

Manufacturing Engineering (MANU) is the branch of engineering focused on the development, design, operation, and management of processes that produce mechanical or electronic components, assemblies, and systems—such as those used in the automotive or consumer products industries. These are also areas where chemical engineers often work.

In short, Manufacturing Engineering and Mining Engineering can be viewed as more specialized fields within the broader umbrella of process engineering and design. They offer a narrower but more focused scope of expertise relative to the expertise of chemical and biological engineering.

The short answer is that biological engineering is broader in scope, with biomedical engineering often considered a specialized branch of biological engineering.

Biological engineering, also known as bioengineering or biochemical engineering, is a rapidly advancing field that discovers and develops technologies based on the principles of biology biochemistry, and chemical biology. This engineering discipline integrates knowledge from molecular biology, genetics, medicine, and chemical engineering to develop new approaches that enhance how we use biology in the world.

Biological engineers might work on projects such as creating sustainable agricultural practices, developing new medicines or vaccines, engineering microorganisms for biofuel production, developing diagnostics based on gene signatures of a disease, or producing biocompatible materials for various applications. In many ways, biomedical engineering is a subfield of bioengineering, although it has evolved into a distinct discipline. Biomedical engineers apply bioengineering principles and design concepts specifically to medicine and health care. People working in this field aim to improve human health by developing technologies and devices that can diagnose, treat and monitor medical conditions. Biomedical engineers work on projects such as designing prosthetics, developing medical imaging systems, creating wearable health monitors, and improving surgical tools. Their work is usually directly related to clinical settings and patient care, areas where you can also find many bioengineers

Chemistry is the study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is the discipline that deals with the identification of the substances of which matter is composed; the investigation of their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change; and the use of these properties to form new substances and / or find useful applications.

Chemical engineering is the application of specific scientific and engineering principles in the development of process solutions involving chemicals and materials. It is the discipline that makes many scientific breakthroughs a commercial and societal reality. For example, a chemist may discover a pathway to make sustainable fuels from the extraction of excess CO₂ from air, but it is the chemical engineer that develops the process, for that pathway, required to make the large quantities of that sustainable fuel needed by society.

In general, chemist work is bound to laboratories and small scales, where chemical engineers typically work at very large scales, with large equipment, pilot plants and large production facilities.

The Chemical and Biological Engineering program trains engineers to become skilled in the development, design, operation, and management of processes for manufacturing a wide range of products and goods, including chemicals, minerals, advanced materials, medicines, and everyday consumer goods. Students learn to analyze and select the process steps required for production, including equipment selection and sizing, control strategies and programming, and overall system design.

Materials Engineering, on the other hand, focuses on understanding, designing, and improving materials themselves, ranging from metals, ceramics, polymers, and semiconductors to advanced composites, biomaterials, and nanomaterials. Materials engineers study how atomic and molecular structures determine a material’s properties, such as strength, flexibility, conductivity, and corrosion resistance, and how to manipulate those structures to achieve desired performance in real-world applications.

In essence, materials engineers focus on creating and enhancing materials, while chemical engineers design and operate the large-scale processes that produce those materials for industrial and societal use.

Environmental Engineering focuses specifically on protecting and improving the environment through areas such as water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, and sustainable design. It grew out of the broader field of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Environmental Engineering uses the same underlying principles of material and energy balances, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and reaction engineering as chemical engineering, but with an emphasis on environmental processes.

Chemical and Biological Engineering is a broader discipline that spans energy systems, materials, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and environmental technologies. In fact, many environmental solutions – such as carbon capture, waste treatment, and renewable fuels – rely heavily on chemical and biological engineering fundamentals.

While Environmental Engineering is more specialized, Chemical and Biological Engineers receive the broader foundation that allows them to work across environmental applications and beyond. In other words, Chemical and Biological Engineers can move into environmental areas, whereas Environmental Engineers are more specifically trained for environmental challenges.

Yes. They work in labs, and do hands-on work and / or calculations.

Chemical and Biological Engineering has always focused on the development, design, operation, and management of processes. Whether you end up working at a design engineering firm or a production facility, most of your responsibilities will involve calculations, modeling, and reporting. However, if you pursue a role as a research or development engineer, you will likely also engage in hands-on work in the lab or pilot plant, such as building and modifying prototypes.  

The vast majority of Chemical and Biological Engineers work in offices and process plants.

Yes, within the CHBE departments we have professors that are experts in the area of cellular engineering and genetic engineering.  If that is your field of interest, you should select the Chemical and Biological Engineering option rather than the Chemical Engineering option. 

And yes, biological engineers work in the formulation and production of pharmaceuticals.  In fact, the biological engineering discipline integrates knowledge from molecular biology, genetics, medicine, and chemical engineering to develop new approaches that enhance how we use biology in the world.

Biological engineers might work on projects such as creating sustainable agricultural practices, developing new medicines or vaccines, engineering microorganisms for biofuel production, developing diagnostics based on gene signatures of a disease, or producing biocompatible materials for various applications.

There are certain course requirements to get into med school that very few engineering departments provide as part of their curriculum. Chemical and biological engineering is one of them. In fact, several past graduates from the CHBE program have gone directly into med school, on average 1 to 2 per year.