Faculty of Engineering

Chemical Engineers apply scientific and engineering principles to develop processes or systems for the economic production and distribution of useful and value-added materials through the physical, chemical or biochemical transformation of matter. Furthermore, this must be accomplished with attention paid to economics, health and safety, and environmental impact.

Chemical Engineers combine a sound background in fundamental understanding of science and mathematics with highly-developed problem-solving skills to improve existing processes or methods, or to implement new ones. Chemical Engineers are distinguished from physical scientists such as chemists by their training in the "engineering method": the use of heuristics to cause the best change in a poorly understood situation within the available resources.

Chemical Engineers design, analyse, optimize and control processing operations, or guide others who perform these functions, in industry, government, universities or private practice. Most materials encountered in daily life have been impacted by Chemical Engineering at some stage. Chemical Engineers will continue to be in demand for many exciting new developments over the next few decades.

Current and future activity areas include:

• Energy: conservation; renewable and non-renewable resources; fuel cells; hydrogen economy.
• Materials: petrochemicals; biochemicals and foods; nanomaterials; consumer goods; pulp and paper; polymers; pharmaceuticals; etc.
• Environment: pollution prevention; pollution control; climate change mitigation; recycling; environmental safety and regulations; etc.

In a world faced with growing shortages of non-renewable resources and a finite limit on the amounts of renewable resources, persons wishing to use their talents to optimize the recovery or utilization of matter and energy will find Chemical Engineering a challenging and satisfying career, one which will place them in enviable positions with respect to the availability of employment opportunities. In addition to technical positions, Chemical Engineers often move into managerial functions within their companies. Traditionally, significant numbers of women enter Chemical Engineering and this trend continues.

Waterloo offers the student a first-rate opportunity to obtain a sound, relevant background in the discipline of Chemical Engineering. The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo is one of the largest and most active departments in North America. There are 28 full-time faculty, each of whom specializes in a particular sub-field through research and consulting activities, thereby bringing depth as well as breadth to the instruction and professional development of students.

Chemical Engineering at Waterloo is a co-operative education program and offers many advantages:

• an opportunity through work terms to gain exposure to a variety of job-related experiences within Chemical Engineering
• work term salaries effectively reduce the costs associated with university education
• Waterloo graduates receive favourable recognition from employers for their work term experiences
• work terms can offer an opportunity to travel through a worldwide network of co-op employers
• academic terms become more meaningful and relevant against a background of work term related experience