Undergraduate Program

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University is to provide an outstanding academic and research experience to students to prepare them to meet the needs and challenges of the 21st century.

Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the Chemical Engineering Program achieve success in one or more of the following within a few years of graduation:

1. Careers in industries that require technical expertise in chemical engineering.
2. Leadership positions in industries that require technical expertise in chemical engineering.
3. Graduate-level studies in chemical engineering and related technical or scientific fields (e.g. biomedical or environmental engineering, materials science).
4. Careers outside of engineering that take advantage of an engineering education, such as business, management, finance, law, medicine, or education.
5. A commitment to life-long learning and service within their chosen profession.

Important Links

• Bulletin (Click Here)
• Chemical Engineering Study Plan for Class of 2025 (Click Here) and Class of 2026 and after (Click Here)
• Chemical Engineering Registration Form (Click Here)
• Chemical Engineering Technical Electives (Click Here)
• Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Concentrations (Click Here) 
• Course Equivalency Form for Combined Plan Students (Click Here)
• Course Equivalency Form for Transfer Students (Click Here)
• SEAS Outside/Summer Credit Approval Form (Click Here)
• Chemical Engineering Senior Thesis Guidelines (Click Here)
• Prof. McNeill's presentation on upcoming UG curricular changes (10/14/21) (Click Here)

Student Outcomes

Upon graduation, we expect our students to have:

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 and inclusive 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.

Enrollment and Graduation Statistics

As of Spring:

ABET Accreditation

The Chemical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and similarly named engineering programs.