Chemical Engineering KU Leuven

Overview

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The Master of Chemical Engineering from KU Leuven guarantees you a solid chemical engineering background while also opting for a contemporary view on product intensification, energy-efficient processing routes, product engineering and biochemical processes. You will learn to think in a process-oriented way and be prepared to grasp the complexity of physicochemical systems. Furthermore, you will learn of processes at the nano and micro scale, which are increasingly fundamental for the development of new products and technologies.

The master’s programme in chemical engineering is primarily aimed at applying chemical engineering principles to develop technical products and to design, control, and improve industrial processes. While the underlying chemistry of the elements and components, their properties and mutual reactions, are important, these are not the main focal points of the programme. In contrast, you focus predominantly on taking these chemistry principles to a higher (industrial production) level by integrating and exploiting engineering and technology aspects.

You also learn to take environmental and safety issues into account during all phases of the process (research, development, design, and operation). Two guiding principles of sustainable development – the rational exploitation of resources and energy, and the application of the best available technology – are emphasised, as well as the mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle”.

Programme strengths

• While the classic petrochemically based technologies and products still have their value, our master’s programme focuses more on the current trends of process intensification, product design and the circular (biobased) economy.
• The master’s programme values interactions with the chemical industry and some courses are taught by guest professors from within the industry. The department was the first to establish an Industrial Advisory Board, drawn from the expert commercial sphere.
• At the Faculty of Engineering Science, students are given the opportunity to study abroad during one or two semesters of their degree within the Erasmus+ programme at a European university, or a university outside Europe. The Chemical Engineering master programme has, e.g., a yearlong successful (dual degree) collaboration with Delaware University (US) and Ecole Polytechnique in Montréal (CA). 

Career perspectives

As a chemical engineer you will predominantly work in industrial branches involved in (the production of) bulk and specialty chemicals, oil and natural gas (petrochemical companies and refineries), nonferrometallurgics, energy, waste(water) treatment, food, cosmetics, pharmacy, and biotechnology.

Apart from the traditional career options as project, process, product, or R&D engineer, your insight into complex processes will also be much appreciated in jobs in the financial and governmental sector, where chemical engineers are often employed to supervise industrial activities, to deliver permissions, and to compose regulations with respect to safety and environmental issues. As self-employed persons, chemical engineers work in engineering offices, as consultants or as entrepreneurs.