Studying Chemical Engineering

All that surrounds us, right from sugar to plastics has been extracted from natural sources. Sugar, for example, began its life as the sweet sap in the stems of sugar cane plants. The sugar cane is then crushed to extract the juice, which is in turn processed in factories resulting in production of sugar as we know it.

Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering which devises ways to convert raw materials into useful materials. It is a far-reaching discipline cutting across chemistry, biology, economics and other branches of engineering. Chemical engineering finds applications in all industries from food to mining to plastics because almost all industries need chemicals to either produce goods or deliver services.

Some of the most popular universities and colleges in Canada offering programmes in chemical engineering include:

• Cape Breton University
• University of British Columbia
• Dalhousie University

Salary and Career Prospects

Chemical engineers are employed by food and beverage companies, transport companies, electricity and power companies, utilities, mining and manufacturing companies, the government and academia.

Some of the roles graduates take up are Chemical Engineer, Chemical Process Engineer, Quality Assurance Officer and Inspection Engineer.

Salaries vary depending on qualifications, job role, location and experience. As a guide, chemical engineering professionals earn around an average of $67,000 a year (36 lakhs INR).

Why study in Canada?

Canada has established itself as one of the most popular study destinations for international students. Canadian universities and colleges are largely public funded and are among the best in the world. Ten of its universities are among top 250 in the world, according to QS World Rankings 2019.

Canada is among the world’s most developed and industrialised countries. It has spawned conglomerates like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Blackberry and Bombardier. In addition to these, several tech, banking and financial services giants like Microsoft, HSBC, Facebook and Boeing operate out of here. Toronto and Vancouver are the largest cities and have a thriving start-up scene.

The country is a popular tourist destination, with millions of tourists drawn to its vibrant cities, ski resorts, national parks, museums, entertainment venues and outdoor sports provisions. Canada is a safe, multicultural and welcoming country.

The official languages are English and French, although English is the most widely spoken language. French is mainly spoken in the province of Quebec.

International graduates are able to apply for a post-study work permit lasting for up to 3 years.