Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE) is one of the six departments of UBC Faculty of Applied Science (APSC) carrying out engineering studies.
Chemical Engineering was established at UBC in 1915, as the first Canadian chemical engineering program west of Ontario, and a separate Department of Chemical Engineering was established in 1954. The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering was established in 1999, and reflects the growing need for engineers in the fields of biotechnology, biomedical and bio-resource engineering.
Biological Engineering evolved from Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Mechanics established at UBC in 1945. In 1975, the name and degree were changed to Bio-Resource Engineering. In 1996, the Department of Chemical and Bio-Resource Engineering was formed from the merger of these two separate departments. In 1999, the name was changed to the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and a single undergraduate program is now offered with options in process, environmental and biological engineering.
The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC has an established worldwide reputation for its accredited undergraduate programs, innovative research and the quality of its graduates and faculty. At present there are 30 full-time and part-time faculty in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, together with a support staff of 13. There are approximately 250 students in the final three years of the undergraduate programs, including the Co-op program. Graduates are awarded the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) and are eligible, after appropriate industrial experience, for registration as Professional Engineers.
In addition, roughly 100 students are studying in graduate programs. The Department offers programs leading to the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Master of Science (M.Sc.), Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in a number of areas of specialization within chemical and biological engineering. The Department is actively engaged in applied research in chemical and biological engineering, supported in part by external funding of about $2.7 million a year.
Contact: Professor Sheldon Duff
Tel: 604 -822-9485
Fax: 604- 822-6003
E-mail: sduff@chml.ubc.ca
