[danago]

Hey. Ive just finished my first year of uni, and it is almost time to enrol in next years units. I have been kicking up between chemical and mechanical engineering for the past year, but after much research, i think ill go with chemical and process engineering.

I was reading about the chemical engineering program for my university (Uni. of West Australia), and there were a few things that got me asking questions. Although the program isnt fully accredited by "The Institute of Engineers Australia", it is currently under probation and will more than likely become accredited soon enough (i hope). It is also not accredited by the UK Institute of Chemical Engineers. I found this a bit strange because UWA is the most highly regarded uni in West Australia, and ranked one of the best in Australia, so usually has high standards. Anyway, will a lack of accreditation from such organizations have a great inpact on my future career? Should i be looking elsewhere? Most of the other programs are fully accredited, it just seems that the chemical stream is still in progress.

In general, what does a good chemical engineering program consist of? Here are the core units required at my university:

YEAR ONE - 48 POINTS
MATH1020 Calculus, Statistics and Probability
MATH1010 Calculus and Linear Algebra
PHYS1101 Advanced Physics A
GENG1003 Introduction to Professional Engineering
GENG1001 Eng: Introduction to Engineering Mechanics
CHEM1102 Organic Chemistry

YEAR TWO - 48 POINTS
MATH2040 Engineering Mathematics
MATE1412 Materials Engineering 1
GENG1002 Eng: Introduction to Electrical and Electronic Engineering    
CHEM1101 Inorganic and Physical Chemistry

YEAR THREE - 48 POINTS
CHPR2431 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
CIVL2130 Hydraulics I
CHPR3530 Process Modules
CHPR2530 Process Fundamentals
GENG2140 Modelling and Computer Analysis for Engineers

YEAR FOUR - 48 POINTS
CHPR3432 Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design
CHPR2432 Heat and Mass Transfer
CHPR3531 Process Modelling

YEAR FIVE - 48 POINTS
CHPR4401 Chemical Engineering Design Project Part 1
CHPR4402 Chemical Engineering Design Project Part 2
Chemical and Process Engineering Project Unit (Group A,B or C)
Chemical and Process Engineering Project Unit (Group A,B or C)
MCTX3421 Control and Mechatronics

I am doing a combined engineering and commerce degree, so all of the remaining spaces will be filled with finance units and five optional engineering units to make a total of about 8-10 units per year. Now obviously i wouldnt expect everyone to know the exact details of the units i posted above since it will vary between universities, but does it look like a good program? Does it cover what most good chemical and process engineering degrees should?

Thanks in advance,
Daniel.

[eugenedakin]

Hello danago,

Either chemical or mechanical engineering are both good areas to be involved.

One absolutely critical aspect is that you must be enrolled in an accredited program. This will cause you undue pain in the future. If you can change to an accredited program now, please do it.

The reason I say this is that in order to practice engineering you must be a licensed professional engineer. The first thing the organization will do is check to see if your degree is accredited. If it is not, you may have up to 4 years of additional courses to take.

In my humble opinion,

Eugene

[danago]

Thanks for the reply.

When it comes to chem. eng. in Australia, do you know what groups it should actually be accredited by? What would be the benefits of being accredited by the UK Institute of Chem. Engineers?

[eugenedakin]

Hi danago,

Here is the link that I found for Professional Engineering in Australia:

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/education/chartered-status/chartered-status.cfm

To quote a line from the website:
"It certifies you practice in a competent, independent and ethical manner and indicates you are a leader in your field."
In other words, if you are not a registered engineer in australia, you cannot work as an engineer.

This is a very important concept.

Thanks for asking such great questions!

Sincerely,

Eugene

[danago]

Thanks for the reply.

I have just emailed one of the course advisors for the chemical and process program and they have clarified some of the issues. As i mentioned in the first post, i was surprised to find that the program was not accredited since it is a highly regarded uni. in Australia, however what i didn't know (but has now been clarified) is that the program is very new at my university, and the first batch of graduates have only just passed through this year, which is why IEAust had only given us a "provisional accreditation", so hopefully after the graduates enter the workforce and can be assessed by the organization, we will become fully accredited.

The course advisor also mentioned that the UK branch, IChemE, will be assessing the course next month for accreditation.

I will still be keeping a close eye on the accreditation process, although it is looking more promising.

Just one more question; is there a disadvantage to graduating from such a new program? Although the actual university is very established and well known in Australia, will the fact that the course is only a few years old be looked down upon by employers?

Thanks again for your help,
Daniel.

[eugenedakin]

Hi danago,

There is on a minor disadvantage from graduating from a new program, that is, the industry has little/no knowledge of such a program. If you mention that you graduated from your university, during the job interview one of the interviewers may say something like 'where is that university'. Because of the unfamiliarity, there will be a little more pressure on you to 'prove' that you are capable of engineering.

I wouldn't say looked-down, but more unfamiliar. Perhaps I can relate this to something a little more personal: Would you purchase a new vehicle from a company that just started to build vehicles (ABC company), or would you feel more comfortable purchasing a vehicle made by Toyota - A company with a  reputation for quality?

This may or may not be a problem in the field that you are looking to be employed, but it is something to be considered.

I wish you well.

Sincerely,

Eugene