" I chose ChemE with the hope of finding a field that fulfills both my love for chemistry and my desire to be involved in various problem-solving and prototype designing processes, inspired by my active participation in the mechatronics team in high school. As I have continued to learn more about ChemE throughout my time at UCI, it is absolutely one of the most interdisciplinary majors alive! A vast, diverse spectrum of classes, research areas, and careers in industries across biotech, pharmaceuticals, materials science, batteries, energy, and sustainability, await you! 

• Chloe Lee, Class of 2025

"In high school, I found my passion for both chemistry and mathematics. My teachers for AP Chemistry and AP Calc were encouraging and inspired me to become a chemical engineer. As I learned more about chemical engineering, my enthusiasm grew. An interdisciplinary program such as chemical engineering provides diverse career opportunities. Energy and sustainability, biomedical and chemical, and material science are all sectors where chemical engineers belong. My drive for chemical engineering is to provide a healthier planet for future generations through energy innovations."

• Alex Bihun, Class of 2025

"Chem E is very interdisciplinary in nature, and I love the diverse applications of math and physics it uses. I am passionate about it because I love drug design and medicinal applications of engineering. I want to be able to apply these principles and help advance the pharmaceutical industries."

• Navya Mathur, Class of 2027

"I'm passionate about chemical engineering because it allows me to contribute to decarbonization. While I initially dreamed of becoming a chemist due to my love for chemistry, my perspective shifted when I witnessed the harsh realities of climate change. I knew then that I wanted to be part of the solution. Engineering offers me the opportunity to address pressing issues in real-time and witness results, empowering me to make a meaningful impact on our planet's future."

• Lorena Martinez Aguilar, Class of 2025

"I chose Chemical Engineering due to my passion for chemistry that I found through my old AP chemistry teacher. I was inspired to work towards helping the environment and thought that a chemical engineering degree would help me achieve that goal faster than a traditional chemistry degree."

• Jae Hee Lee, Class of 2025

"I chose ChemE because of how diverse the applications of chemical engineering are. There's so many industries and disciplines that you can work in and contribute to. More specifically, I want to use my knowledge to work towards a more sustainable future by pursuing advancements in the renewable energy sector!"

• Pablo Ivan Diaz, Class of 2025

"I chose ChemE from my passions in gardening and hiking. I knew that I wanted to make a career in protecting natural spaces across communities and have a positive impact on people's lives, which led me to ChemE. Although there are many industries to choose from, it goes to show that our major is applicable across many career paths you might not have thought were previously related. 

• Zachary Wong, Class of 2026

"ChemE takes the fundamentals of chemistry and the natural sciences and teaches you how to scale that up as an engineer and make an impact on the world. What I like about ChemE is that it teaches a unique problem-solving strategy, conditioning a process-driven mindset - evaluating large-scale problems by piecing together its smaller components. This skill has diverse applications and is highly valued in just about any type of job! I hope to work in the battery industry combining my interests in chemistry, electricity, and design, to improve the ways we store our energy."

• Ibrahim Hussein, Class of 2027

Your first year as a chemical engineering major you can expect to take mainly classes in calculus, physics, and chemistry. It is imperative that you take these core classes in order to be successful in the successive chemical engineering curriculum. You will also be required to enroll in Introduction to Chemical Engineering (CBE 1), a seminar which will introduce you to what chemical engineering is, what you can expect for your following undergraduate years at UCI, what life in industry is like, and various opportunities both on and off campus to enhance your learning. 

Calculus Requirement: Math 2A through Math 2E

• You are required to take the full calculus series here at UCI. It is four classes that will go over the very beginning of calculus up to vector calculus.

• AP Calculus AB (4 or higher) or AP Calculus BC (3 or higher) will count as Math 2A

• AP Calculus BC (4 or higher) will count as Math 2A and 2B

Chemistry Requirement: Chem 1A through Chem 1C

• You are required to take the entire general chemistry series. Your first two quarters will not include any laboratory work, but you can expect to take your first chemistry lab in your spring quarter of your first year.

• AP Chemistry (with a 4 or higher) will count as Chem 1A

Physics Requirement: Physics 7C and Physics 7D

• These two courses will cover the basics of mechanics and electromagnetism. You will also be required to co-enroll in labs that will focus on deepening your understanding of the topics. 

If you would like to know more about what your course plan will look like, you can look at the sample program here: https://catalogue.uci.edu/thehenrysamuelischoolofengineering/departmentofchemicalandbiomolecularengineering/chemicalengineering_bs/#sampleprogramtext 

Students that transfer into the Chemical Engineering department at UCI are placed on a three year track when they enter the university. This is mainly due to the fact that the core ChemE curriculum is a three-year process, the first year mainly being dedicated to prerequisite classes like chemistry and calculus. Transfer students usually come in already having taken all the prerequisite classes and as a result have more free time in their schedule to take electives, participate in research or student projects (like ChemE car!), add a minor or specialization, or have more free time while completing their studies. 

Your first year after transferring you will be taking:

CBE 40 Series: These are the first classes in the ChemE curriculum. It starts with 40A (Chemical Processes and Material Balances) which will be taken in fall quarter, followed by 40B (Process Thermodynamics) in winter quarter, with 40C (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics) ending the year in spring quarter. To learn more about these classes, please refer to the UCI general catalog . 

CBE 1: This will be taken in fall quarter and serves mainly as a way to introduce chemical engineering to all new majors. It introduces resources to ChemE students here on UCI’s campus, informs students of what to expect in the coming years, gives students the opportunity to learn more about what life in industry is like, and what research opportunities may be available while they are students. 

ENGR 190W: UCI requires an upper-division writing course in order to graduate, and this class fulfills that requirement. It is a technical course that teaches budding engineers how to communicate in the professional world and the importance of communication in industry. This class will also help hone professional presentation skills and discuss the importance of engineering ethics. Normally this class is taken during senior year, but transfers can take it in their first quarter to get ahead.

ENGR 54: This class introduces the principles of material sciences and engineering. It covers topics such as superconductors, polymers, ceramics, and much more. It can be taken anytime in the first year as a transfer or before transferring if an articulation is offered.