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Home / Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Programs

Versatility Pays Off for Chemical, Environmental Engineering Majors

Earn your bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or environmental engineering at one of the best value universities in the United States. Bring your ambition, and get a well-rounded education in the UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. 

Chemical engineers develop materials and processes, safely and economically. They improve food processing techniques and fertilizer production, create synthetic fibers for clothing, advance mass production of drugs, and find better ways to refine petroleum products, for example.

Environmental engineers work in industry and on government policy and public infrastructure. They create technologies for water purification, wastewater treatment, air pollution control, and recovery of resources and energy from waste. They develop ways to prevent pollution and rid soil and groundwater of hazardous materials. 

Today there is much overlap between chemical engineers and environmental engineers, in the world and at the UA. Chemical engineers who can turn pollutants into harmless materials, clean contaminated water and design alternative fuels are a commodity in many industries.

Gain skills with chemical and environmental faculty who consider your success their most important job!

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Why Chemical Engineering?
Chemical Engineering Program
Environmental Engineering Program
Fast Facts
5 th
highest-paying college major
(Forbes)
86
chemical engineering BS degrees awarded (2021)
90 %
students doing research

Academics Aimed at Doing Engineering

From the very first day of your introductory courses, you’ll benefit from lively discussions, one-on-one help, hands-on activities and team projects. CHEE faculty are in the vanguard of active learning. Students are engaged, challenged and supported every step of the way. You’ll get a solid grounding in the fundamentals, work with a small cohort of students, and benefit from experts in chemical engineering and environmental engineering – regardless of your major – throughout your academic journey.

CHEE is popular among UA Honors College students and one of the few College of Engineering departments that offers a pre-medical curriculum.

Outside the Classroom

Research is an integral part of the CHEE Wildcat experience – so much so, in fact, that nine out of 10 undergraduates are involved in research and 35 percent go on to grad school. In addition to conducting research, students create valuable products working on engineering design teams, develop leadership skills and STEM outreach efforts in clubs and organizations, and connect with future employers through internships.

Graduates Ready for Jobs and Grad School

Many UA chemical and environmental engineering students continue on to prestigious graduate programs, at institutions such as Cambridge University, Duke University and UC Berkeley. Others go right to work with companies like ASM America, ExxonMobil, Freescale, IBM, Intel and Micron Global Foundries, typically earning a starting salary of $59,000 to $67,000 a year.

Find Your Match for Club Membership

Check Out Exciting Research Opportunities

Get in Touch With Your Academic Adviser

Lori Huggins
520.621.1897
advisor@chee.arizona.edu

Students in the Spotlight

Birth of a Diplomat

Leah Kaplan – Flinn Scholar, Tau Beta Pi president, Freeman Medal recipient, former Lego guru, and 2018 chemical engineering graduate – was the only undergraduate selected for the 2017 AAAS international diplomacy and leadership conference in Washington, D.C.

This is an avenue where I can be the voice of science and technology, and bring in the voice of developing nations to make sure we’re helping everyone.

High-Achieving Namrah Habib

Namrah Habib – member of AIAA’s 20 Twenties group, recipient of the 2018 outstanding senior Robie Gold Medal, and a double major in chemical engineering and aerospace engineering – is a Churchill Scholar headed to Cambridge University for her graduate studies.

The best thing about UA for me is the people I met here. Without those people, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I did.

Lead Authorship, Before Graduation

Joe Schlosser is among the first University of Arizona undergraduates to double-major in chemical engineering and environmental engineering – and he’ll be the first CHEE student in recent history to graduate with a first authorship, for a 2017 paper on wildfire emissions.

I just want to help people. I’ve wanted to help people, for as long as I can remember.
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Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering
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520.621.6044

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