Master of Engineering (MEng) in Chemical Engineering

The program information below was valid for the spring 2023 term (May 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Length of program 
  • Full-time: 4 terms (16 months)
  • Part-time: 8 terms (32 months)
• Program type 
  • Master's
  • Professional
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Coursework
• Additional program information 
  • Important notice for MEng applicants: applicants to the MEng program are expected to be entirely self funded. No financial assistance will be provided from the Department of Chemical Engineering or the University of Waterloo.

• Minimum requirements 
  • A 75% overall standing in the last two years, or equivalent, in a four-year Honours Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  2
  • Type of references: 

    at least 1 academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Coursework option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete CHE 600 Engineering and Research Methods, Ethics, Practice, and Law (0.25 credit weight) and 8 graduate courses (0.50 unit weight per course) as follows:
  • CHE 601 Theory and Application of Transport Phenomena
  • CHE 602 Chemical Reactor Analysis
  • 6 graduate level electives of which 3 must be CHE courses
• No more than 2 may be 500 level courses.
• No more than 1 may be a reading course.
• Graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Engineering are numbered as 600 or 700 series courses and are assigned a unit weight of 0.50, which means that they are one-term courses as defined in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.
• Only courses taken within five years prior to the completion of the MEng degree may be counted for credit towards a degree, unless a request for revalidation is granted.
• Students must achieve a:
  • Minimum cumulative average of 70%.
  • Minimum grade of 65% in each individual course.
  • Note: Probationary students may have specific grade requirements, which will be specified in their admission letter.
• Each student is responsible for monitoring their own academic records and must immediately notify the Graduate Coordinator of any inadequate grade or average.

• Students in the MEng in Chemical Engineering program may choose to pursue one of the following Graduate Specializations:

  1. Biological Engineering
  2. Entrepreneurship
  3. Polymer Science and Engineering
  4. Process Systems Engineering

• A Graduate Specialization is a University credential that is recognized on the student’s transcript but not on the diploma and is intended to reflect that a student has successfully completed a set of courses that together provide an in-depth study in the area of the Graduate Specialization. A student will only obtain the Graduate Specialization on their transcript if they have completed the requirements associated with the MEng degree and the requirements associated with the Graduate Specialization.

• All MEng Graduate Specializations in Chemical Engineering consist of a set of 4 graduate (0.50 weight) level courses and this set is comprised of a mix of compulsory and elective courses. Compulsory courses are those that are prescribed as part of the Graduate Specialization. Elective courses are those that are on a list of courses designated as electives for a given Graduate Specialization. The requirements for each of the Graduate Specializations are described below. Note: Students are limited to one Graduate Specialization designation for their MEng in Chemical Engineering degree.

1. Graduate Specialization in Biological Engineering

• To receive the Graduate Specialization in Biological Engineering, students must successfully complete 3 compulsory courses and 1 elective course:
  • Compulsory courses:
    • CHE 562 Advanced Bioprocess Engineering
    • CHE 660 Principles of Biochemical Engineering
    • CHE 663 Bioseparations
  • Elective courses (choose 1 from the following list):
    • CHE 561 Biomaterials & Biomedical Design
    • CHE 564 Food Process Engineering

2. Graduate Specialization in Entrepreneurship

• Students must obtain approval from the Chemical Engineering Graduate Officer in order to pursue the Graduate Specialization in Entrepreneurship. Interested students will be reguired to submit a short proposal following matriculation describing their entrepreneurship idea and suitability to pursue it.
• To receive the Graduate Specialization in Entrepreneurship, students must successfully complete the following 4 compulsory courses:
  • Compulsory courses:
    • BE 600 Management and Leadership
    • BE 605 Project Management
    • BE 606 Entrepreneurship and Innovation
    • CHE 651 Technology Entrepreneurship Project

3. Graduate Specialization in Polymer Science and Engineering

• To receive the Graduate Specialization in Polymer Science and Engineering, students must successfully complete 2 compulsory courses and 2 elective courses:
  • Compulsory courses:
    • CHE 541 Introduction to Polymer Science and Properties
    • CHE 621 Model Building and Response Surface Methodology
  • Elective courses (choose 2 from the following list):
    • CHE 543 Polymer Production: Polymer Reaction Engineering
    • CHE 640 Polymer Property Characterization
    • CHE 641 Fundamentals of Polymer Processing Operations

4. Graduate Specialization in Process Systems Engineering

• To receive the Graduate Specialization in Process Systems Engineering, students must successfully complete 2 compulsory courses and 2 elective courses:
  • Compulsory courses:
    • CHE 620 Applied Engineering Mathematics
    • CHE 621 Model Building and Response Surface Methodology
  • Elective courses (choose 2 from the following list):
    • CHE 520 Process Flowsheet Analysis
    • CHE 521 Process Optimization
    • CHE 522 Advanced Process Dynamics and Control

Link(s) to courses

• Chemical Engineering (CHE) courses

Seminar Attendance

• Over the course of their degree program, all students must attend 12 seminars from departments and research institutions where Chemical Engineering faculty members have a membership. The Chemical Engineering seminars are documented in the Events section of the Chemical Engineering Department website.
• Note: At Chemical Engineering seminars, attendance is documented. At other approved seminars, students must complete an attendance form and get it signed by the seminar organizer. Full instructions are available on the Department website.