Chemical Engineering equips you with the knowledge to develop, design, and operate chemical processes and plants for extracting, converting, and recovering materials, drawing on both chemical and biological systems.
You’ll find yourself contributing to a wide range of industries that serve society’s needs. Some familiar areas include petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical and polymer production, bio-processing and bio-production, biopharmaceutics, and food processing. You could also work in fertiliser manufacturing, cement and lime production, minerals and metals extraction and refining, paper and board manufacturing, biomass and sugar refining, or the production of industrial and fine chemicals.
In your first year, you’ll study alongside other engineering disciplines, focusing on core subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics to develop the essential knowledge needed for your future specialisation.
Why Chemical Engineering?
- Curtin Malaysia’s location in Miri, an oil and gas hub, and nearby the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and Petchem Industrial Park provides ample opportunities for practical learning and exposure to industry practices.
- The course has extensive support and collaboration from industry players.
- Curtin Malaysia received various prestigious award such as MacNab Medal by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), UK, UniSim Design Student Challenge at Europe level, Honourable Mention Award in Crown Prince CIPTA, Brunei, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) Chemical Engineering Design Competition, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) Final Year Project Competition, IChemE POPSIG competitions, Malaysia Technology Expo on Sustainable Development Goal Award etc.
- Student bodies under the department also received various student chapter awards such as IChemE Best Student Chapter Award, Outstanding Student Chapter in ACS International Student Chapter as well as received travel awards to attend ACS meetings in the United States.
Entry requirements
Minimum English language entry requirements
Qualification | Score |
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | Overall 6.5 (no individual band below 6.0) |
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) | 79 (band minimum W-21, L-13, R-13, S-18) |
SPM 1119 English | C |
GCE ‘A’ Level | E |
GCE ‘O’ Level | C |
Cut-off scores
Qualification | Score |
GCE-A Level/STPM (best of 3 subjects) | 8 |
UEC (best of 5 selected subjects) | 22 |
HKDSE | 19 |
IB | 28 |
Ontario Gr | 70 |
ATAR (WACE/SACE/HSC/VCE/AUSMAT/SAM/MUFY) | 80 |
WAUFP (CPS) | 59 |
India/Pakistan | 76% |
Sri Lanka | 9 |
Cut-off scores key:
GCE : General Certificate of Education
STPM : Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia
IB : International Baccalaureate
ATAR : Australian Tertiary Admission Rank – applicable to all Australian matriculation
HKDSE : Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
India : Includes All India Senior School Certificate awarded by The Central Board of Secondary School Education (CBSE), Indian School Certificate (ISC) awarded by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Higher School Certificate (HSC) awarded by one of the State Secondary School Boards. Certificates awarded by the CBSE and the CISCE are generally considered to represent a higher level of achievement than state certificates.
Sri Lanka : GCE ‘A’ level issued by the Department of Examinations
Score Conversion for Advanced level/GCE/GCSE:
Grades awarded from 2010 onwards: A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1
Grades awarded up to 2009: A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1
AS Levels equal half of that of an Advanced Level, e.g. 3 points for an A*, 2.5 points for an A (prior to 2010)
Subject Grades Conversion for STPM : A=5, A- =4, B+ =4, B=3, B- =2, C+ = 2, C=1
Note: scores for individual prerequisites may be taken into consideration for assessment purposes.
Course Prerequisites
Mathematics (including calculus) and physics or chemistry
Professional recognition
Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA)
• Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM)
• Engineers Australia (EA)
• Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE, UK)
• Washington Accord
Credit for previous study
Diploma applications will be treated on case to case basis.
Career opportunities
The course presents wide-ranging career opportunities. The majority of graduates are employed in international mineral or oil and gas processing industries. Some are employed directly by processing companies, others by the many consulting groups that serve the industry. Employers generally regard chemical engineers as the most versatile of engineers and they are in high demand within consulting engineering groups.
Course structure
Year 1 |
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Bachelor of Engineering Pre-Major
View Engineering First Year course structure here |
Year 2 Semester 1 |
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Process Heat Transfer |
Principles and Processes in Chemistry |
Mass and Energy Balances |
Fluid Mechanics |
Year 2 Semester 2 |
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Thermodynamics |
Reactivity and Function in Chemistry |
Process Mass Transfer |
Process Simulation and Data Analytics |
Year 3 Semester 1 |
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Reaction Engineering |
Process Synthesis and Design |
Fluid and Particle Processes |
Extension Specialisation |
Year 3 Semester 2 |
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Computational Transport Phenomena |
Engineering Economics, Management and Sustainability |
Process Instrumentation and Control |
Extension Specialisation |
Year 4 Semester 1 |
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Engineering Industry Research Project 1 |
Process Safety and Risk Management |
Advanced Unit Operations |
Specialisation |
Year 4 Semester 2 |
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Engineering Industry Research Project 2 |
Chemical Engineering Design Project |