Chemical Engineering Major (BEng Hons)

About offering

Chemical, or ‘process’, engineering involves finding the best sequence of chemical and physical processing operations, and the right operating conditions, to convert raw materials into higher-value products. It covers the development, design and management of processes and equipment for the extraction, conversion and upgrading of materials using physical, chemical and biological operations.

A great variety of process industries serve the needs of society. These include petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical and polymer production, bio-processing, pharmaceuticals, food processing, water and wastewater treatment, fertiliser manufacture, cement and lime production, minerals and metals extraction and refining, paper and board manufacture, biomass and sugar refining, and production of industrial and fine chemicals.

You can specialise in one of the following streams:

Chemical Engineering

In the general Chemical Engineering stream you will examine the development, design and operation of processes for the extraction, conversion and purification of a wide range of materials. This stream covers the theory and applications of fluid flow, energy transfer, separation and chemical reaction for the synthesis, design, control and optimisation of general chemical processes.

Oil and Gas

The Oil and Gas stream covers chemical engineering fundamentals, but will also give you more detailed knowledge of the exploration, development and conservation of oil and gas resources. You will explore the theory and practice required to plan and supervise drilling and well-completion programs; design and select drilling and production equipment; estimate reserves; and manage oil and gas processes.

In your first year you will complete the Engineering Foundation Year (EFY). The EFY builds a solid base of the fundamental concepts common to all areas of engineering. The EFY was developed in partnership with industry to create a curriculum that is reflective of engineering practice.

To satisfy professional requirements, students must complete at least 12 weeks or equivalent of exposure to professional engineering practice. This requirement can be met by appropriate work experience or through a combination of technical and non-technical activities. Students must demonstrate that they have met these requirements by using a formal Log Book to record their professional experiences during the period of their degree study.

Students are strongly encouraged to secure industry placements (assisted by a WIL officer) that can form part of their Exposure to Professional Engineering Practice requirement.

Double degrees
You can study the following double degrees:

Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering), Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Economics, Finance, Management or Accounting)
Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering), Bachelor of Science (majoring in Chemistry or Extractive Metallurgy)

Please refer to the handbook for additional course overview information.

How to apply

This major sits within the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree. To apply for this major, you will apply for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). In step 3 of the application process, you will be asked to confirm the major you wish to study.

Applying as an undergraduate student is easy. For information tailored to your situation, visit our easy to follow instructions to get your application started.

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What you'll learn

apply scientific and engineering principles to process engineering design and development, including sound risk management, environmental and OHS practice
think critically and creatively to generate innovative and optimum solutions
identify, evaluate and synthesise information from a range of sources to optimise process engineering design and development
communicate effectively in ways appropriate to the discipline, audience and purpose
use appropriate information and process technologies (recognising their advantages and limitations) in the design and development of sustainable process systems
engage in continuous education, training and research, and take control of their own learning and development
recognise and apply international standards and best practice in process engineering
demonstrate respect for cultural diversity
be ‘career ready’ for the process engineering profession, demonstrate leadership qualities, and work ethically and professionally both within a team and independently

Student profile

View our student profile table to get an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students at Curtin University. This table provides data on students that commenced undergraduate study and passed the census date in the most relevant recent intake period for which data are available. It includes those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.

Professional recognition

Graduates fulfil the stage one competencies required by Engineers Australia (EAust) as the pathway to chartered-engineer status (CPEng), a benchmark in professional engineering.

The course is also recognised by the Institution of Chemical Engineers at master level.

Chemical Engineer

Admission criteria for Australian and New Zealand students

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are as outlined in the IELTS table below. Additional information on how you can meet the English requirement can be found on the English proficiency page.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)
Writing	6.0
Speaking	6.0
Reading	6.0
Listening	6.0
Overall band score	6.0

What kind of applicant are you?

Applicants with recent secondary education
(within the past two years)

Completed your secondary education in Australia within the past two years? Learn how you can apply to Curtin.

Applicants with higher education study

Undertaken higher education study before? Find out how you can apply for a Curtin course and what credit you may be eligible for.

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Have you studied a VET course? Find out how you can get into Curtin using these qualifications.

Applicants with work and life experience

Spent time in the workforce, completed a pathway program or finished secondary education more than two years ago? See how you can apply to study at Curtin

Applicants with recent secondary education
(within the past two years)

Applicants with recent secondary education are those whose admission is primarily based on the completion of Year 12 within the last two years, but also includes those who may have completed their senior secondary studies with a TAFE or other VET provider within the same time frame. This includes applicants whose secondary education was undertaken interstate or overseas.

Guaranteed ATAR: 80

This is the ATAR level at which an offer of admission is guaranteed, subject to any other non-ATAR criteria being met.
Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites):
- Mathematics: Methods ATAR and at least one of the following: Physics ATAR, Chemistry ATAR and Engineering Studies ATAR, or equivalent.
Desirable WACE subjects: Mathematics: Specialist ATAR, or equivalent.
STAT entry: Not accepted.

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) assesses competencies considered important for success at uni.
These tests are provided by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) to help mature age candidates apply for certain courses.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Other admission options

Recipients of the John Curtin Undergraduate Scholarship will receive an early offer to study this course.
Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.

Lowest selection rank to which a recent Year 12 student offer was made (including the consideration of any equity or other adjustment factors)

View the lowest selection rank (incorporating ATAR plus any adjustments) of an applicant to which an offer of a place was made in the most relevant recent intake period, this includes any ATAR adjustments.

Selection rank adjustments (previously referred to as ATAR related adjustments)

Details of the types of adjustment factors (bonus points) commonly available to applicants can be found on our StepUp to Curtin webpage.

ATAR and selection rank profile for those offered places wholly or partly on the basis of ATAR in the most recent intake period

View data on the ATAR and selection rank profile of offers made from the most relevant recent intake period.

Applicants with higher education study

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This includes applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It also includes applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Curtin offers a variety of bridging courses to help you meet the admission criteria for this course. Find out more about our bridging courses.
Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites):
- Mathematics: Methods ATAR and at least one of the following: Physics ATAR, Chemistry ATAR and Engineering Studies ATAR, or equivalent.
Desirable WACE subjects: Mathematics: Specialist ATAR, or equivalent.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Curtin course switcher criteria

To switch into this course, you need to have:

attained an ATAR of 80 and completed the prerequisites; or
if you have studied Maths Applications or equivalent:
- completed 75 credits within one semester with a semester weighted average (SWA) of at least 70%; or
- completed 100 credits within one semester with SWA of 65% or higher, plus any unit/s assessed as comparable to Maths Methods ATAR and Physics ATAR and Chemistry ATAR; or
if you have studied Maths Methods or equivalent:
- completed 75 credits within one semester with an SWA of 65%; or
- completed 100 credits within one semester with an SWA of 60% or higher, plus any unit/s assessed as comparable to Maths Methods ATAR, and Physics ATAR or Chemistry ATAR.

The Maths Methods prerequisite can be met with:

Maths Methods ATAR; or
MATH1013 Introductory Mathematics or MATH1005 Pre-Calculus (12.5 credits); and
MATH1014 Foundations of Calculus.

The Physics ATAR prerequisite can be met with:

Physics ATAR; or
PHYS1006 Foundations of Physics.

The Chemistry ATAR prerequisite can be met with:

Chemistry ATAR; or
CHEM1003 Introduction to Chemistry.

Higher education course switcher criteria

To switch into this course from another higher education course, you need to have:

attained an ATAR of 80 plus any unit/s assessed as comparable to Maths Methods ATAR, and Physics ATAR or Chemistry ATAR; or
if you have studied Maths Applications or equivalent:
- completed 75 credits within one semester, with a semester weighted average (SWA) of 70%; or
- completed 100 credits within one semester, with an SWA of 65% or higher, plus any unit/s assessed as comparable to Maths Methods ATAR, and Physics ATAR or Chemistry ATAR; or
if you have studied Maths Methods or equivalent:
- completed 75 credits within one semester, with an SWA of 65%; or
- completed 100 credits within one semester, with an SWA of 60% or higher, plus any unit/s assessed as comparable to Maths Methods ATAR, and Physics ATAR or Chemistry ATAR.

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Guaranteed ATAR: 80

This is the ATAR level at which an offer of admission is guaranteed, subject to any other non-ATAR criteria being met.
Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites):
- Mathematics: Methods ATAR and at least one of the following: Physics ATAR, Chemistry ATAR and Engineering Studies ATAR, or equivalent.
Desirable WACE subjects: Mathematics: Specialist ATAR, or equivalent.
STAT entry: Not accepted.

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) assesses competencies considered important for success at uni.
These tests are provided by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) to help mature age candidates apply for certain courses.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Applicants with work and life experience

Applicants with work and life experience are those who left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

Guaranteed ATAR: 80

This is the ATAR level at which an offer of admission is guaranteed, subject to any other non-ATAR criteria being met.
Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites):
- Mathematics: Methods ATAR and at least one of the following: Physics ATAR, Chemistry ATAR and Engineering Studies ATAR, or equivalent.
Desirable WACE subjects: Mathematics: Specialist ATAR, or equivalent.
STAT entry: Not accepted.

The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) assesses competencies considered important for success at uni.
These tests are provided by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) to help mature age candidates apply for certain courses.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Cut-off scores

Please note: The cut-off scores below are for 2018 only.

Qualification	Score
GCE/STPM/HKALE (A-levels - best of three)	8
HKDSE	18
IB	28
Ontario Gr 12 (best of 6)	70
ATAR (including WACE/SACE/HCE/VCE)	80
WAUFP (CPS)	59
India (CBSE)	70%
India (HSC)	71%
Sri Lanka	8

Minimum academic entry requirements

Please select a country above.

Essential course prerequisites

Mathematics (including calculus) and either physics, chemistry or engineering studies. Further mathematics is desirable.

Admission criteria may be different if you are studying this major as part of a double degree. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information.

Other requirements and notes for this course

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

Advanced standing / credit transfer / recognition of prior learning

At Curtin, we understand that everyone’s study journey has been different.

You may have already studied some of the units (subjects) listed in your Curtin course, or you may have work experience that matches the degree requirements.

If this applies to you, you can apply for credit for recognised learning (CRL), which means your previous study is recognised and matched against a similar unit in your intended Curtin course.

A successful CRL application exempts you from having to complete certain units within your course and means you could finish your degree in a shorter amount of time.

CRL is also known as recognition of prior learning, advanced standing and credit transfer.

Use the CRL search to find out how much CRL you qualify for, or contact us at:

Email: crl@curtin.edu.au
Tel: 1300 222 888

CRL search

At Curtin, we understand that everyone’s study journey has been different.

You may have already studied some of the units (subjects) listed in your Curtin course at another educational institution, or you may have work experience that matches the degree requirements.

A successful CRL application exempts you from having to complete certain units within your course and means you could finish your degree in a shorter amount of time.

CRL is also known as recognition of prior learning, advanced standing and credit transfer.

Use the CRL search to find out how much CRL you qualify for, or contact us at:

Email: ci-enquiries@curtin.edu.au
Tel: 1300 222 888

CRL search

How to apply

Please review information on how to apply for the campus of your choice:

Please note that each campus has different application deadlines. Please view our application deadlines page for further information.

Apply now

Next steps

This major/stream is part of a larger course. Please view the About offering tab for more information, including how to apply.

About offering