Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

Others such as fertilizers, drinking water, cooking oils, packaged foods, medicines and vaccines all have to be produced in large amounts, and here chemical engineers come in. The chips that run our handphones are designed by electronic engineers, but chemical engineers make them in large quantities.

Increasingly, chemical engineers deal with living things such as bacteria and plants to produce renewable products. As large-scale chemical processing involves potential adverse social and environmental impact, chemical engineers also protect people and Earth by clever designs and responsible operations.

Working together with people from all walks of life, chemical engineers help to keep the world going and better. Like all engineers, we design and build equipments, then make them work safely and economically. These are mostly business-to-business activities, often outside public eyes. We specialize on activities that involve chemical and biochemical changes on a large scale. For example, we purify crude oil into petrol, kerosene and diesel that transport everyone around. We too make plastics and their biodegradable versions.

Career Opportunity

As for all fields of engineering, the major categories of career opportunities are in design, construction, operation and technical marketing. The only difference is the items involved. Chemical engineers focus on facilities for chemical and biochemical processing and their products. For example, to make a product, some chemical engineers design the production facility; others install and test the equipment; once completed some chemical engineers have to run the 24-hour production; and finally, somebody has to market the product! For products not marketed directly to the public (e.g. plastics, vaccines), the role of chemical engineers is even greater as these require significant technical knowledge. Graduates of the department have been employed by a large variety of companies including Petronas, Shell, ExxonMobil, Nestle, KLK, Technip, JJ-Lurgi, UGL.

Less-taken paths include finance, education, enforcement and research. There are chemical engineers who serve in banks, e.g. to evaluate loan applications to build chemical plants. Some go further to become CEOs, CTOs and CFOs of large companies. Others stay in universities to do research and to train more chemical engineers, or work in government agencies to attract foreign investments or to ensure that safety and environmental laws are followed. Certainly, some have also become respectable politicians. There is room for genders, every level of ability and every type of personality. The key is that engineering develops an analytical and quantitative mind, and that could be put to good use wherever needed.

• Chemical Engineer
• Process Engineer
• Safety Engineer
• Environmental Engineer
• Control Engineer

Semester I: September each year

• Deadline for Malaysian applicants: April for Semester I intake
• Deadline for International applicants: June for Semester I intake

Programme Educational Objectives (PEO)

• PEO1- Professionalism Graduates establish themselves as practicing professionals in Chemical Engineering or related fields.
• PEO2- Continuous Personal Development Graduates engage in lifelong pursuit of knowledge and interdisciplinary learning appropriate for industrial and academic careers.
• PEO3- Societal Engagement Graduates contribute to sustainable development and the well-being of society.

Programme Objectives (PO)

• Apply knowledge of mathematics, natural science, engineering fundamentals and Chemical Engineering specialization as specified in WK1 to WK4 respectively to the solution of complex engineering problems.
• Identify, formulate, conduct research literature and analyse complex engineering problems reaching substantiated conclusions using first principles of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering sciences (WK1-WK4).
• Design solutions for complex engineering problems and design systems, components or processes that meet specified needs with appropriate consideration for public health and safety, cultural, societal, and environmental considerations (WK5).
• Conduct investigation of complex engineering problems using research-based knowledge (WK8) and research methods, including design of experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, and synthesis of information to provide valid conclusions.
• Create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering and IT tools, including prediction and modelling, to complex engineering problems, with an understanding of the limitations (WK6).
• Apply reasoning informed by contextual knowledge to assess societal, health, safety, legal and cultural issues and the consequent responsibilities relevant to professional engineering practice and solutions to complex engineering problems (WK7).
• Understand and evaluate the sustainability and impact of professional engineering work in the solutions of complex engineering problems in societal and environmental contexts (WK7).
• Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics and responsibilities and norms of engineering practice (WK7).
• Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader in diverse teams and in multidisciplinary settings.
• Communicate effectively on complex engineering activities with the engineering community and with society at large, such as being able to comprehend and write effective reports and design documentation, make effective presentations, and give and receive clear instructions.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineering management principles and economic decision-making and apply these to one’s own work, as a member and leader in a team, to manage projects in multidisciplinary environments.
• Recognise the need for, and have the preparation and ability to engage in independent and life-long learning in the broadest context of technological change.