Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Study

Energy, the environment, and health care are key challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century. Chemical engineering is a discipline well placed to confront these challenges. Chemical engineering is rooted in the basic sciences of mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology; a traditional engineering science core of thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and chemical kinetics; a rigorous design component; and an expanding focus on emerging topics in materials, energy and the environment nanotechnology, and life sciences. 

Yale’s Chemical Engineering program is principally focused on basic and engineering sciences and on problem solving, with opportunities for students to participate in faculty-led research. Chemical engineering graduates find a wide range of professional opportunities in academia, industry, government, business, and the nonprofit sector. Many majors go on to graduate programs in chemical, biomedical, or environmental engineering, or to medical, law, or business schools.

ABET Program Educational Objectives (PEOs):

Graduates from the Yale Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Program will …

1. …have mastery of the basic principles of science and modern chemical engineering practice and be able to adapt and creatively apply them to solve new problems in a broad range of fields.
2. ...become ethical professionals who advance chemical engineering practice and knowledge in multiple fields and recognize the local and global impacts of their work on humans and the environment.
3. …be able to work well with people from diverse backgrounds and be committed to the advancement of women and under-represented groups in engineering.
4. ...have strong educational foundation enabling them to study in graduate and professional schools as well as become leaders in STEM or non-STEM career paths.
5. …be committed to, and engage in, lifelong learning throughout their careers.

ABET Student Outcomes:

Upon graduation, Yale's B.S. Chemical Engineering (ABET) students are expected to achieve “student outcomes” as defined by ABET and the program. The Chemical Engineering major produces graduates who demonstrate:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors;
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts;
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives;
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions;
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.