The Bachelor of Engineering (BEng Chemical Engineering) degree at Stellenbosch University starts with a common first year, where all first year students in the Faculty of Engineering are registered for the same modules. These modules focus mainly on mathematics and fundamental natural sciences such as physics, chemistry and electromagnetism, as applied in an engineering context. You will also learn about ethics, professionalism and how to communicate professionally.

In your second and third year you start to specialise in chemical engineering concepts and how they are built on the foundation of the fundamental concept of conservation of mass and energy. Chemical processes do not only involve chemical and biological reactions, but also include the controlled transport of all phases (solid, liquid and gas) of matter through the plant as they are subjected to different temperatures and pressures. You will learn how to best describe and model the behaviour of these phases of matter, including scenarios where they are present in mixtures, in order to be able to design the most suitable reactors, heat exchangers, transport equipment such as pipes, valves and pumps as well as the required separation process units in order to eventually obtain a pure desired product. You will develop coding and analytical skills, applicable not only in engineering, but other fields as well. Most of the modules in your second and third year are designed to provide you with a sound theoretical knowledge of these concepts.

Your education, however, will not be limited to just theory but will also include laboratory based practical experiments and vacation work training where you will apply and test the theory you have learned to industry based processes. In the fourth and final year of the degree, we strive to prepare you to enter industry. We will educate you on how to manage large engineering projects as a member of a team of engineers from different disciplines. You will learn how to design, optimise and control a process in order for it to be as safe, environmentally friendly and profitable as possible. Your undergraduate studies will culminate in the design of a chemical, bioprocess or metallurgical plant where you will apply all of the theory you have learned up to that point. You will also research a final year project that requires you to investigate an engineering problem and arrive at a suitable solution through independent learning and application of chemical engineering principles. The degree will equip you with the skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on South Africa and the world.

Also refer to the “Getting into the details of the Bachelor’s (BEng) Chemical Engineering degree curriculum” button for a video that visually explains the curriculum structure and progression.