Chemical Engineering B.S.

List of Required Courses

• CHEM 1A (offered in the Spring or Fall) or CHEM 4A (offered in the Fall only)
• CHEM 4B (Spring only) or CHEM 1B (offered in the Spring or Fall)
• MATH 1A
• MATH 1B
• MATH 53
• MATH 54
• PHYS 7A
• PHYS 7B
• CBE 40
• E 7
• CHEM 12A (Fall only)
• BIO 1A or BIOE 11
• MSE 45 and MSE 45L
• CBE 140 (Fall only)
• CBE 141 (Spring only)
• CBE 142 (Spring only)
• CBE 150A (Spring only)
• CBE 150B (Fall only)
• CHEM 120A or PHYS 137A
• CBE 154 (Spring only for Student IDs ending in 2,4,6, or 6, Fall only for Student IDs ending in 0, 1, 3,5,7,9)
• CBE 160 (Spring only)
• CBE 162 (Fall only)

Engineering Electives

All students must take 3 units (approximately 1 class) from a list of engineering electives:

• BIOE 101, BIOE 102, BIOE 103, BIOE 104, BIOE 110, BIOE 111, BIOE C112, BIOE 114, BIOE 115, BIOE C117, BIOE C118, BIOE C119, BIOE 121, BIOE 124, BIOE C125, BIOE C125B, BIOE 131, BIOE 132, BIOE 135, BIOE 140L, BIOE 144, BIOE 147, BIOE 148, BIOE 150, BIOE 163, BIOE 163L, BIOE C165, BIOE 168L
• CBE 90, CBE 143, CBE 170A, CBE 170B, CBE C170L, CBE 171, CBE 176, CBE 178, CBE 179, CBE 180, CBE 195 (may be repeated)
• CIVE 103, CIVE 105, CIVE C106, CIVE 107, CIVE 110, CIVE 111, CIVE 111L, CIVE 112, CIVE 115, CIVE C116, CIVE 120, CIVE 122L, CIVE 122N, CIVE 123L, CIVE 123N, CIVE 124, CIVE 130N, CIVE C133, CIVE 153, CIVE 155, CIVE 167, CIVE 171, CIVE 173, CIVE 175, CIVE C178, CIVE 180, CIVE 186, CIVE 191
• CS 61B, CS 161, CS 162, CS 184, CS 189
• EE 16A, EE 16B, EE 105, EE 113, EE 118, EE 130, EE 134, EE 137A, EE 137B, EE 140, EE 142, EE 143, EE 147
• E 117, E 120
• IEOR 153, IEOR 162, IEOR 165, IEOR 166, IEOR 170
• MSE 102, MSE 104, MSE 111, MSE 112, MSE 113, MSE 117, MSE 120, MSE 121, MSE 123, MSE 136, MSE 151, MSE H194
• MECHE 102A, MECHE 102B, MECHE 104, MECHE 106, MECHE 107, MECHE 108, MECHE 109, MECHE 110, MECHE C115, MECHE C117, MECHE 119, MECHE 122, MECHE 130, MECHE 131, MECHE 133, MECHE 135, MECHE 138, MECHE 140, MECHE 146, MECHE 151, MECHE 163, MECHE 167, MECHE 170, MECHE 173, MECHE 175, MECHE C176, MECHE C180, MECHE 185
• NUCE 100, NUCE 101, NUCE 120, NUCE 124, NUCE 130, NUCE 150, NUCE 155, NUCE 161, NUCE 162, NUCE 167, NUCE 175, NUCE 180

Concentrations

The Department of Chemical Engineering offers six concentrations for the Chemical Engineering Major (along with an open elective, or non-concentration degree). These are biotechnology, chemical processing, environmental technology, materials science and technology, applied physical science, and business and management. The following are the requirements for the concentrations:

Open Elective (No concentration):

• 3 units (approximately one class) of physical science elective (see list below)
• 3 units (~ 1 class) of a CBE elective
• 6 units (~2 classes) of Engineering Electives (see list) (not used for another requirement)

Biotechnology Concentration:

• Students must take MCB 102 or CHEM 135 in place of the BIO 1A requirement
• CBE 170A - Biochemical Engineering
• One of the following: CHEM 12B, MCB C112, MCB 104
• Two of the following (at least 3 units (~ 1 course) must be in the CBE or BioE department):
• CBE 170B, CBE 170L, CBE C270, CBE 274, CBE 196 or CBE H194 (must be research in a biotechnology research laboratory; requires approval)
• BIOE 111, BIOE 116, BIOE 148, BIOE C144, BIOE C213
• MCB 130, MCB 150

Chemical Processing Concentration:

• or
• 6 units (~ 2 courses) from the following list:
• CBE 170A, CBE 170B, CBE C170L, CBE 171, CBE C178, CBE 179, CBE 180, CBE H194 (maximum 3 units)
• 3 units (~ 1 course) from the following list:
• CIVE C30, CIVE 111, CIVE 114, CIVE 173
• MSE 111, MSE 112, MSE 113, MSE C118, MSE 120, MSE 121, MSE 122, MSE 123
• MECHE 140, MECHE 151

Energy and Environment Concentration:

• 3 units (~ 1 class) from the following list:
• CHEM 12B, CHEM 104A, CHEM 143
• PHYS 7C
• 9 units (~ 3 classes) from the following list:
• CBE 170A, CBE 176, CBE C178, CBE 179, CBE 195 (requires approval)
• CIVE 107, CIVE 111, CIVE 113N, CIVE C116, CIVE 173
• MECHE 140,
• NUCE 101, NUCE 150, NUCE 161

Materials Science and Technology Concentration:

• One of the following: CHEM 104A, CHEM 108, CHEM 12B
• 3 units (~ 1 class) of the following: CBE 176, CBE C178, CBE 179
• 6 units (~ 2 classes) from the following list:
• CIVE C30
• EE 130, EE 143
• MSE 102, MSE 103, MSE 111, MSE 112, MSE 120, MSE 121, MSE 122, MSE 123, MSE 125
• MECHE 122 (may take without taking the prerequisites CIVE C130N and MECHE 108), MECHE 127

Applied Physical Science Concentration

• 6 units (~ 2 classes) of physical science elective (see list below)
• 3 units (~1 class) of a CBE elective
• 3 units (~1 class) of Engineering Electives (see list) (not used for another requirement)

Business and Management

• 3 units (~1 class) of physical science elective (see list below
• CBE 180
• 3 units (~1 class) of Engineering Electives (see list) (not used for another requirement)
• 6 units (~ 2 classes) from the following:
• UGBA 102A, UGBA 105, UGBA 106, UGBA 119, UGBA 152, UGBA 155, UGBA 160, UGBA 161, UGBA 162, UGBA 168B, UGBA 169, UGBA 175, UGBA 179, UGBA 179, UGBA 192P, UGBA 195A, UGBA 195P

Physical Science Electives/Breadths

Some concentrations (namely the open elective, applied physical science, and business and management) require courses taken from the physical science elective list. The following is a list of courses that fulfill this requirement:

• ANTHRO 1, ANTHRO C100, ANTHRO C103, ANTHRO 107, ANTHRO 134, ANTHRO 135
• ASTRO 7A, ASTRO 7B, ASTRO 10, ASTRO C10, ASTRO C162
• BIO 1B
• CHEM 103, CHEM 104A, CHEM 104B, CHEM 105, CHEM 108, CHEM 12B, CHEM 113, CHEM 114, CHEM 115, CHEM 120B, CHEM 122, CHEM 125, MCB C100A, CHEM 135, CHEM 143, CHEM 146, CHEM C150, CHEM C182, CHEM C191, CHEM H194, CHEM 196
• CIVE C106, CIVE C116
• COGSCI C126, COGSCI C127
• EPS 3, EPS C20, EPS 50, EPS 80, EPS C82, EPS 100A, EPS 103, EPS 108, EPS 117, EPS C129, EPS 130, EPS C162, EPS C180
• ENE RES 102
• ESPM 2, ESPM 6, ESPM C10, ESPM C11, ESPM 40, ESPM 42, ESPM 100, ESPM 102B, ESPM 102C, ESPM 106, ESPM C107, ESPM 108A, ESPM 112, ESPM 113, ESPM 114, ESPM 117, ESPM 118, ESPM 120, ESPM C128, ESPM C129, ESPM C130, ESPM 131, ESPM 134, ESPM 137, ESPM C138, ESPM C138, ESPM 152, ESPM C180, ESPM 185, ESPM 186
• GEO 40, GEO 137, GEO 140A, GEO 144
• IB 31, IB 41, IB C82, IB 102LF, IB 103LF, IB 104LF, IB C107L, IB 117, IB 118, IB 123AL, IB 131, IB C142L, IB C143A, IB C143B, IB 148, IB 151, IB 153, IB 154, IB 158LF, IB 161, IB 164, IB 168L, IB 169, IB 174LF, IB C185L
• L&S C30V, L&S C70T, L&S C70U, L&S C170W, L&S C70Y
• MCB 32, MCB 50, MCB C61, MCB C62, MCB C100A, MCB 100B, MCB 102, MCB C103, MCB 104, MCB C112, MCB C114, MCB C116, MCB 130, MCB 132, MCB 133L, MCB 135A, MCB 136, MCB 140, MCB 140L, MCB 150, MCB 163, MCB 166
• NST 10, NST 11, NST 108A, NST 110, NST 160, NST 171
• PHYS 7C, PHYS 105, PHYS 110A, PHYS 110B, PHYS 112, PHYS 130, PHYS 137B, PHYS 141A
• PMB 10, PMB 40, PMB C112, PMB C114, PMB C116, PMB 120, PMB 120L, PMB 122, PMB 135, MCB C148, PMB 150, PMB 160, PMB 180
• PSYCH 110, PSYCH C113, PSYCH 114, PSYCH C116, PSYCH 117, PSYCH C126, PSYCH C127
• PH C102, PH 162A

Joint Majors, Double Majors, Minors

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering also offers two joint majors, one in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and one in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering. These majors are not double majors, but a single major that combines the curricula of the individual majors. For more information, visit their respective pages.

Although it is possible to double major/obtain a simulatenous degree (see Chemical Engineering + Business) as a Chemical Engineering major, it is highly uncommon given the nature of courses within the College of Chemistry. Before you decide to double, please read the corresponding page on double majors.

Some students choose to obtain minors in related fields, such as Chemistry, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mathematics, amongst others. To find out more about minoring while in the College of Chemistry, please consult the Minors page.

Careers

From the 2017 Career Center survey of Chemistry Majors:

Of the Chemical Engineering majors graduating from UC Berkeley, about half (48%) are employed, with 20% of sutdents attending graduate school. Of the students who go into the workforce, 78% work for for-profit corporations, with 17% for education and 4% for government. The average salary is $68,818. The most common jobs for graduates are engineer (general, including chemical engineer, process engineer, design engineer, materials engineering, etc.). Graduates most often work for Anhueser Busch, Genentech, and various other biotechnology companies (Biogen, Abbvie, amongst others).

Of the students who choose to attend graduate school, the majority choose to pursue a Ph.D. Common institutions that UC Berkeley Chemical Engineering graduates attend include Columbia University, MIT, Princeton University, and Stanford University.