Chemical Engineering

College of Engineering

Chemical engineering is the study of transforming matter under constraint. Chemical engineers find industrial employment in areas of energy, the environment, biomedicine, electronics, food production, and materials. Chemical engineers also find careers in academia and government and military service. Students study chemical processes at the molecular level and the chemical plant level and gain an engineering education deeply grounded in mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, and materials science.

Major category: Capacity-constrained

Curricular options: Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering

Topic: Engineering, Computing, Health, Natural Sciences

website   Degree requirements

Applicant type

Freshman

Freshmen can apply to the UW to begin autumn quarter or winter quarter (U.S. applicants only)

Read more about applying to the UW as a freshman, including details for programs that provide high school students with college credit (like Running Start).


Transfer

Quarters of general admission to UW: autumn / winter (U.S. applicants only) / spring

Preparation for the major is a factor in transfer admission.

  • Use the information below to help you prepare for this degree
  • Visit MyPlan to run a degree audit.
  • Use the UW Equivalency Guide to find out how courses taken at a Washington state community or technical college will transfer to the UW.
  • UW college and school graduation requirements

Department admission information

  • Departmental application deadline: January 15
  • Please contact the department for details about the application process.
This major is capacity-constrained. Completion of prerequisites does not guarantee admission. Transfer students must submit two applications: one to the office of admissions and one to the Chemical Engineering.

Major Profile: In the admission decision for this and every major, a wide range of factors are taken into consideration. The profile should not be used to overstate the importance of grades in the admission decision for academic majors but it may offer some guidance as you plan for transfer.

To be eligible to apply, you must have a 2.0 (“C” grade) minimum GPA in each prerequisite course and a 2.5 cumulative GPA in all the prerequisites. These are minimums; the actual GPA of those admitted is much higher. To plan your transfer, be sure to:

Read more about applying to the UW as a transfer student.

Courses required for the major:

  • CHEM 142 NSc RSN – General Chemistry
  • CHEM 152 NSc RSN – General Chemistry
  • CHEM 162 NSc RSN – General Chemistry
  • MATH 124 NSc RSN – Calculus Analytic Geometry I
  • MATH 125 NSc – Calculus Analytic Geometry II
  • MATH 126 NSc – Calculus Analytic Geometry III
  • MATH 207 NSc – Introduction to Differential Equations
  • PHYS 121 NSc RSN – Mechanics
  • PHYS 122 NSc – Electromagnetism
  • 5 Credits of English composition C

Courses recommended for the major:

CHEM 237 NSc – Organic Chemistry (strongly recommended)

Notes:

  • Two required courses may be in progress during winter quarter.

 

Entering transfer information:

Total undergraduates: 182
Total from Washington community colleges: 44

Entering transfer GPA (from WA community colleges):

3.75 – 4.00: 13
3.50 – 3.74: 12
3.25 – 3.49: 8
3.00 – 3.24: 8
2.75 – 2.99: 3
2.50 – 2.74: 0
2.49 and below: 0


Career outcomes