Faculty of Engineering

Chemical and biomolecular engineering

Help preserve the environment and live healthier lives

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What is it?

Chemical and biomolecular engineering is the field of applying principles from chemistry and biology to design, optimise processes, and create products across industries. The industry develops solutions that help manage resources, protect the environment, improve people's health, and enhance the quality of products.

What do chemical and biomolecular engineers do?

Chemical and biomolecular engineers use chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics to turn raw materials into useful products for everyday life.

They research raw materials and their properties as well as design and develop equipment and processes to more efficiently and sustainably manufacture products. These can lead to solutions that help manage resources, protect the environment, improve health, pharmaceuticals and food.

 

What careers could you have?

  • Work in a large-scale plant improving the production of food, plastic, ceramic, pharmaceutical, glass, metal or biomedical products.
  • Develop solutions to green energy, decarbonisation technologies, waste treatment, and even advancements in the plant-based meat industry. We need their expertise to drive future climate action.
  • Lead innovation in healthcare such as tissue engineering.
  • Become an energy engineer, an environmental consultant, a water treatment engineer, or a combustion engineer, among many other career options.
  • Work in the health, government, not-for-profit, production, mining or finance sectors.
  • A broad range of international work opportunities, from providing water in third-world communities to improving energy production in multinational fuel companies.

The Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), Master of Professional Engineering (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) and Master of Professional Engineering (Accelerated) (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) is accredited by Engineers Australia.

Our graduates are also recognised internationally through the Washington Accord of the International Engineering Alliance. Your degree can take you anywhere in the world.

Why study biomolecular and chemical engineering with us?

There are many reasons to choose our Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) as your first preference.

  • Our degree combines collaborative learning and research with first-hand industry experience, enabling you to meet the challenges faced by the chemicals, minerals, energy and agriculture, food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.
  • You will learn from leading professionals and researchers in fields including chemical, environmental, energy, food and water engineering and explore the emerging fields of nanotechnology and molecular biology, including leading researchers from the Net Zero Initiative and the Sydney Nano Institute.
  • The new $200m Engineering building is home to the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Using purpose built labs, you can test different heat exchangers and measure their performance, operate pilot distillation columns, or learn about microfluidics and operate a pilot scale carbon capture pant.

You have the opportunity to be selected for ESIPS, a six-month industry placement in Australia or overseas, with the chance to work in leading companies such as Dow Chemical and BOC. Chemical engineering teaches you a new way of problem solving that applies to many aspects of life, opening the door to a vast range of career opportunities.

William North

Engineering Honours (Chemical and Biomolecular)

To be able to provide safe drinking water, inexpensive medicines and cleaner energy is so empowering. I was drawn to the fact there is so much potential for humanitarian engineering using the knowledge gained from this degree.

Lucy Parsons

Engineering Honours (Chemical and Biomolecular)