The Chemical Engineering degree at Columbia is a passport to many challenging careers. The undergraduate experience includes course work, independent research experience and a host of departmental activities.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University is to provide an outstanding academic and research experience to students to prepare them to meet the needs and challenges of the 21st century.

Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the Chemical Engineering Program achieve success in one or more of the following within a few years of graduation:

  1. Careers in industries that require technical expertise in chemical engineering.
  2. Leadership positions in industries that require technical expertise in chemical engineering.
  3. Graduate-level studies in chemical engineering and related technical or scientific fields (e.g. biomedical or environmental engineering, materials science).
  4. Careers outside of engineering that take advantage of an engineering education, such as business, management, finance, law, medicine, or education.
  5. A commitment to life-long learning and service within their chosen profession.

Important Links

  • Bulletin (Click Here)
  • Chemical Engineering Study Plan (Click Here)
  • Chemical Engineering Registration Form (Click Here)
  • Chemical Engineering Technical Electives (Click Here)
  • Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Concentrations (Click Here
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Click Here)
  • Prof. McNeill's presentation on upcoming UG curricular changes (10/14/21) (Click Here)

Student Outcomes

Upon graduation, we expect our students to have:

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.

Enrollment and Graduation Statistics

As of Spring:

  2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Sophomore 36 32 27 26 24 19 14 10 22 16
Junior 49 62 44 38 44 37 29 23 18 15
Senior 30 50 59 45 42 34 39 30 22 19
Graduated 30 45 55 38 40 33 37 29 21 19
Percent Graduated 100% 90% 93% 84% 95% 97% 95% 97% 95% 100%

ABET Accreditation

Columbia’s program in Chemical Engineering leading to the B.S. degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org