Areas of Specialization

The Department is renowned for its research in polymer science and engineering, which includes the study and design of polymers for bio applications, as well as polymer manufacture. For a description of exciting research activities in this area, please visit the web pages of the faculty members involved in this field (see below). We also offer an undergraduate degree specialization stream in Polymer Materials and Manufacturing (PMM):

Polymer Materials and Manufacturing stream

Polymer Materials and Manufacturing (PMM) provides knowledge and skills to enable engineers to address manufacturing problems and processes. The recommended courses recognized that manufacturing engineering is an interdisciplinary team- based problem solving activity and so courses from Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical engineering supplement and enrich the existing Chemical Engineering curriculum.

Required courses: ChE 3Q03, ChE 4B03, ChE 4H03, ChE 4L02 (PMM laboratories completed), and ChE 4X03. Other courses may be substituted with permission of the Department Chair. Students in the Management or Society program are required to also take Engineer 2O03 (or MATLS 1M03).

Recommended technical electives courses: Mechanical Engineering 3C03, Materials engineering 3M03 and 4P03

Students who complete the required courses and the technical electives, within the overall annual credit requirements, will be eligible to have a transcript notation denoting the completion of the elective stream.

Process Systems Engineering (PSE) provides knowledge and skills that enable engineers to analyze integrated processes using mathematical methods and computer tools. PSE analysis is based on engineering fundamentals and seeks to design and operate systems that achieve desired steady-state and dynamic behaviours, including safety, consistent product quality and high profit. Technologies associated with PSE include process dynamics and control, mathematical modeling, optimization, artificial intelligence and machine learning.  Please visit the web pages of the associated faculty members (see below) for a description of leading-edge research we are conducting in this area, as well as collaboration with industry through the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium (MACC).  We also offer an undergraduate degree specialization stream in PSE:

 Process Systems Engineering stream

Required courses: ChE 4H03, ChE 4E03, ChE 4G03, and ChE 4L02 (PSE laboratories completed). Other courses may be substituted with permission of the Department Chair.

Recommended technical electives outside ChE: Electrical Engineering 4CL4, Mechanical Engineering 4H03, Engineering Physics 3W04

Students who complete the required courses and the technical electives, within the overall annual credit requirements, will be eligible to have a transcript notation denoting the completion of the elective stream.

Water-Energy Technologies (WET) provides knowledge and skills to enable engineers to address issues related to water and energy provision in our lifetimes, and beyond (sustainability), as well as at the intersection of water and energy. For a description of exciting research activities in this area, please visit the web pages of the faculty members involved in this field (see below). We also offer an undergraduate degree specialization stream in WET:

 Water-Energy Technologies stream

Required courses:ChE 4A03 , ChE 4M03, ChE 4L02 (WET laboratories completed), and one of ENGINEER 4V04 or CIVENG 4V04. Other courses may be substituted with permission of the Department Chair.