As part of Canada's largest engineering school and most innovative university, the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo is home to approximately 1,000 students, faculty and staff, and has thousands of alumni worldwide.
Our Department consistently ranks among the top two universities in Canada and the number one university in Ontario in Chemical Engineering according to the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities.
In addition to offering undergraduate and graduate programs in chemical engineering, the Department provides academic expertise and support to Waterloo's collaborative nanotechnology and biomedical engineering programs.
The department's collaborative research culture, engaging teaching practices and state-of-the-art facilities create a vibrant learning environment where students are empowered to solve the problems our world faces.
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Students own what they invent at the University of Waterloo. This makes University of Waterloo an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Here support is available to commercialize innovations and nurture new start-ups. Learn more.
Interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering?
- Our curriculum is highly relevant to industry, with flexibility so you can specialize in areas of interest.
- Smallest class sizes of all the engineering programs, you will experience individualized support from your instructors and a tight-knit community.
- A large faculty complement including nine Research Chairs, with a wide variety of expertise ranging from biotechnology, nanotechnology, polymers and materials science, to environmental and energy topics like global climate change and fuel cells. See our research areas for an overview.
- Access to Chemical Engineering experts for career suggestions, research experience or guidance during senior-level design projects.
- Paid co-op work experience in a wide variety of Chemical Engineering-related jobs.
Interested in pursuing a Master of Engineering, Master of Applied Science or PhD in Chemical Engineering
Thinking about using your chemical engineering knowledge to advance your career, satisfy your intellectual curiosity and build upon your passions? Investigate the opportunities available to you in the Department of Chemical Engineerin
Did you know that you get paid to do a research-based degree?
Did you know that domestic graduate students pay less for tuition than undergraduate students?
Did you know that if you did not get accepted into the University of Waterloo's undergraduate engineering programs, you have a good chance of being accepted into our graduate program?
A graduate degree in Chemical Engineering will allow you to have a career in a multitude of employment sectors. From developing next-generation batteries and fuel cells, to biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, to mitigating climate change through carbon capture.
Learn about Professor Valerie Ward's research in biomanufacturing using biological processes to manufacture products like antibiotics or proteins for pharmaceutical applications and more.
Are you wondering what Chemical Engineering is? Check out our new animation!
Chemical Engineering Lab Tour
Join us for a tour of the Chemical Engineering undergraduate labs in the Douglas Wright Engineering Building at the University of Waterloo.
Find out more by exploring the programs, research and news stories on this site.
News
Capstone Team wins $12K to drive eco-friendly innovation in the mining industry
Winning a pitch competition is never easy, but it becomes even more challenging when there is no prototype or product ready for market. Despite these obstacles, Capstone Group 4 defied the odds and won $12,000 to advance their project!
The project, called Direct-Li, won the Norman Esch Entrepreneurship Award for Capstone Design. The group proposed a more efficient and eco-friendly process for lithium extraction.
Through engineering innovation, Group 4 developed a two-stage process called direct lithium extraction (DLE). Group members Rachel Kumara, Sophie Campbell, Maeve Seto and Louise Tayzon utilized nanofiltration and ion pump separation to extract 90 per cent more lithium per litre of water in half the time compared to industry standards.
“We were delighted that we were successful in conveying our idea in a way that made the judges see value in something that we do not actually have, a solid prototype. Our ideas are based on simulations and models. We were shocked to win! We were just happy to be there and to be challenging ourselves, especially since we were the only all-women group in the competition!”
Transforming Global Health with Portable, Rapid-Response Vaccine Technology
Professor Valerie Ward is part of a new global coalition to revolutionize vaccine production with disruptive health technology. The technology is designed to enable local vaccine production, reducing production time from nine days to just one day. A breakthrough that has the potential to save millions of lives and significantly lower the cost of vaccine production.
A research coalition led by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) received $2.8 million from the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) to fund technology development to combat epidemics and pandemics. The aim is to make small transportable units to manufacture vaccines, making vaccines more accessible and better able to deal with local outbreaks.
Ward is working with researchers and industry partners in Brazil, the UK, and Canada to aid the world in responding more swiftly and equitably to future epidemics and pandemics.
The grant focuses on developing technology to meet two specific goals. The first is rapid production of vaccines. The second is to decentralize manufacturing so it can be produced at different sites in smaller batches.
Breakthrough in engineered bacteria is a game-changer for biomedical applications
Researchers in the Department of Chemical Engineering have developed a new method for engineering bacteria that can be leveraged to improve biomedical applications such as drug delivery, cancer therapy, anti-inflammatory treatments, and vaccine development.
The international research group, led by Professor Yilan Liu, developed a process that enables bacteria to secrete bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs). BMVs are nanosized bubble-shaped structures naturally released by bacteria. They have significant potential as tools for the development of a variety of therapeutics.
Currently, the adoption of BMVs has been hindered by low production yields under natural conditions. The technique established by Liu resulted in a 140-fold increase in the secretion of BMVs.
"This advancement in bacterial engineering has the potential to be a transformative platform for next-generation vaccines, therapeutics, and nutrient delivery," says Liu. "This new process could profoundly impact global health by making biomedical treatments more efficient, accessible, and affordable."