BEng. in Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering Philosophy Statement

The Bachelor of Engineering, Chemical Engineering Degree (B. Eng. (CHE)) aims to provide its students with high quality education in the theory and practice of chemical engineering. The profession requires that its engineers be able to apply the principles of physical sciences, economics and environmental concerns in the design, implementation and operation of processes in which materials change their state, composition and/or energy content.

The programme will, therefore, equip its students with the necessary skills to research, develop, design and analyze chemical processes and equipment. The graduates of the B. Eng. (CHE) programme will also be able to efficiently and safely deliver products within market specifications, with minimum environmental impact.

The programme will be delivered in both English and Spanish in order to adequately prepare its graduates for effective careers in the Latin America and Caribbean Region. Written and spoken fluency in technical Spanish is achieved via minimum of 9 credits hours in school/specialization courses taught in Spanish either at UTech, or at other Spanish speaking university.

Programme Educational Objectives 

  1. To produce Chemical Engineers who will be very competent, innovative and versatile, and who will be able to assume roles in industry in which they apply their skills and knowledge to design and troubleshoot chemical and biochemical processes and to solve operational problems.  

  2. To produce graduates who are aware of the role and responsibility of the professional engineer, especially in relation to participation in engineering societies, professional obligations for mentorship, continuous professional development and service to the general community. 

  3. To prepare graduates who can be successful in advanced engineering studies. 

Chemical Engineering Course of Study Rationale

The chemical engineer is a vital employee of every industrial plant where chemical processes are utilized. In the production process, the chemical engineer manages the process operations with the support of a technologist and guarantees the systematic quality control of products and monitoring processes, which transform raw materials into useful products.

Examples of the more significant industries in which the chemical engineer plays a vital role in Jamaica are:

  • The petroleum refinery (crude oil is distilled to its various fractions),
  • The bauxite industry (bauxite is transformed into alumina),
  • Sugar refinery (sugar cane juice is transformed into sugar and/or rum),
  • Food processing industries (agricultural products are processed and packaged),
  • Oil factories (extracted oil from vegetables is transformed into edible oils), and
  • Wastewater treatment plants.

The role of the chemical engineer in the Jamaican society is under continuous review as chemical processes evolve in response to the needs of society. The B. Eng. (CHE) programme aims to cope with these changes, and to promote industrial renewal in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region, through the education of a cadre of competent chemical engineers, through the development of courses, through enterprise incubation, and through associated research, design, development and consultancy.

Type of jobs that students who successfully complete the programme might expect to obtain;

Upon successful completion of the course, students are likely to obtain employment as Process Engineer, Process Analyst, Process Control Engineering, Quality and Food Manager, Water/Wastewater Engineer, Production Supervisor, Staff Process Engineer, Field Service Engineer, Technical Engineer or Environmental Engineer.