Chemical engineering is concerned with inventing, designing, and managing products and processes that transform raw materials into valuable products such as bio-fuels, plastics, wine, pharmaceuticals, and artificial blood. This is done using the latest knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics to ensure viable commercial production whilst minimising loss of materials and energy consumption. This value-adding must be safe, economical and environmentally sound. Materials engineering is concerned with the selection, processing and development of materials to design and make products. Materials - metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers and composites - give manufactured products their functional and aesthetic qualities. These two areas of engineering combine well because the properties of materials are often strongly affected by their processing. In addition, chemical processes are conducted in vessels, pumps, reactors and other equipment where the selection of the right materials of construction and material behaviour over time is very important. Chemical & Materials Engineers are ideally suited to work at this interface which is important for industry as well as cutting edge areas like biomaterials, nanotechnology and novel composites.

The Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering (BE/ME) in Chemical & Materials Engineering builds on the project centred curriculum in the first three years of the BE. The final two years of the BE/ME are built around a placement semester where students are able to choose what type of placement they would like to do and where they would like to do it. This placement is a key element in the student's development and to give context to the preceding BE course work and grounding for the ME level coursework to follow. The student is supported during their placement by their host, a UQ academic and a professional development program to get the most out of the placement. The ME level coursework will put students closer to the cutting edge of knowledge and technology in select fields that are important to Chemical & Materials Engineers in industry and research. These courses will be delivered in a mixture of modes with academic and industry leaders in various fields.

Chemical engineering is one of the most mobile and diverse careers you can choose. Your skills will allow you to work in a wide range of industries, government departments and private consultancies. For example you can work in: - Environmental protection, management and safety - Natural resource utilisation and the energy sector - Chemical, petroleum and petrochemical industries - Biochemical, biomedical and pharmaceuticals industries - Computer-aided process and control engineering - Advanced materials design and manufacture - Minerals processing and related industries - Food processing - Product design and development. The combination with Materials Engineering opens up employment opportunities in materials processing and manufacturing industries, including the automobile, whitegoods, steel, aluminium and polymer industries that create wealth and add value to Australia's mineral resources. Materials engineers are employed in large multinational companies and small to medium enterprises, in research establishments, in public utilities and in consulting engineering firms. The integrated Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering (BE/ME) is the first 5 year engineering degree in Australia to integrate a semester placement, either in industry or research, into the degree with the Master's level course work. This unique combination in an undergraduate degree will provide graduates with world class knowledge and skills in their field of study as well as an enhanced ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams and across fields. These are the attributes required to tackle current and future issues facing society and to create value for industry and society through innovation. BE/ME graduates will have a head start in careers that require specialist skills and adaptability (e.g. in consulting, corporate/governmental advising or industrial research) or when applying for research higher degrees at the world's top research institutions.