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DEGREE Chemical Engineering, BS

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Major in chemical engineering

As a chemical engineer, you can take advantage of advances in chemistry and biology to create new products, design chemical processes, develop energy resources, and protect the environment. As a chemical engineering major, you’ll dive into chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics and use that broad scientific training to work on a diverse set of problems involving chemical, physical and biological phenomena.

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At a glance

Chemical and biological engineering department

75
of our faculty have received early-career or young-investigator awards
7
undergraduate ranking among public universities
8
graduate ranking among public universities

Program and degree information

View the Undergraduate Guide for information on requirements, four-year plans and more.

Determine what kind of student you will be and learn more about what information you need to apply.

Freshman A freshman includes anyone who is currently a student in high school or who has not taken college coursework since graduating from high school.
Transfer Student A transfer student is anyone who has attended another college or university after graduating from high school and wishes to enroll in an undergraduate degree program at UW–Madison.
Cross-campus Student Cross-campus transfer students are students who are currently enrolled in another school or college at UW-Madison who wish to transfer into the College of Engineering.
Reentry Student Students who previously attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an undergraduate and would like to complete their first undergraduate degree will need to apply for reentry admission. Reentry students are those who have not been enrolled in courses for a semester or more.

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

 

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The College of Engineering is committed to recognizing the potential and accomplishments of incoming and enrolled students by supporting their education through a variety of scholarships at the college and departmental level.

 

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Educational Objectives

We recognize that our graduates will choose to use the knowledge and skills that they have acquired during their undergraduate years to pursue a wide variety of career and life goals, and we encourage this diversity of paths. Whatever path our graduates may choose, we expect them to be meeting the following objectives at least three to five years after graduation.

  1. exhibit strong skills in problem solving, leadership, teamwork, and communication;
  2. use these skills to contribute to their communities;
  3. make thoughtful, well-informed career choices; and
  4. demonstrate a continuing commitment to and interest in their own and others’ education.

Learning Outcomes

  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
  8. ability with engineering application of the basic sciences to the design, analysis, and control of chemical, physical, and biological processes, including the hazards associated with these processes.

Degrees

Our Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET

View the UW-Madison Guide for information on all chemical and biological engineering courses.

 

View all CBE courses

Certificate programs

In addition to our engineering majors, you also can choose from nine certificate programs that are designed to enhance your education, expand your skillset, and make you a more versatile, marketable engineer. When you successfully complete a certificate program, you’ll also see it reflected on your transcript.
Close up of putting liquid into tray of vials

Certificate for Biology in Engineering for Engineering Majors

People looking at drafting table

Certificate in Architecture

Data center with AR screens

Certificate in Engineering Data Analytics

Solar panel on blue sky background

Certificate in Engineering for Energy Sustainability

Green field, wind turbines and blue sky.

Certificate in Engineering Thermal Energy Systems

Global map with push pins in various locations

Certificate in International Engineering

CNC Laser cutting metal

Certificate in Manufacturing Engineering

atom orbit in space

Certificate in Nuclear Engineering Materials

Close up typing on Laptop

Certificate in Technical Communication

Research opportunities

You’re an undergrad at a university known for its world-changing research. As an undergrad, you can be part of that—whether in a lab in our department, elsewhere in engineering, or even in other schools or colleges across UW-Madison! And if you discover a passion for research, want to further specialize in your field, or simply enjoy the process of learning in an academic setting, you can get any of those through our PhD degree program, too!

Research experience

As an undergrad, you can help pioneer new knowledge or technologies on your own or as a researcher in a professor’s lab.  It’s a great opportunity to apply what you’re learning in class, explore a field or topic that interests you, and gain insight into what it’s like to be a graduate student.

Undergraduate research

Chemical Engineering, PhD

As a PhD student in our outstanding, collaborative department, you’ll engage in original problem-solving
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Chemical and biological engineering news

Research in chemical and biological engineering spans a wide range of techniques and approaches. For us, interdisciplinary collaboration is key! The result? Innovative research that addresses the most pressing challenges facing society today.
All department news
Quentin Dudley
November 3, 2023

Focus on new faculty: Quentin Dudley is engineering plants to produce medicine, fuels and more

Grad student Anna Konstant examines a collaborative robot
October 4, 2023

When UW-Madison engineering ideas make their way across Wisconsin, everybody wins

Students and postdoctoral fellows researching innovations in STRAP recycling
September 25, 2023

With innovation and determination, grad students drive new plastics recycling applications

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