The Department of Chemical Engineering was established in the early 1950s with the four-year Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering program as its first offering. The then Bureau of Private Schools granted official recognition of the program after the first student cohorts graduated in 1956. In 2001, the department offered the Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, which was developed with assistance from the Kluyver Laboratory for Biotechnology of Technische Universities Delft (TU Delft) through funding from the Netherlands Joint Financing Program in Higher Education (NUFFIC). Three years later, the Master of Engineering major in Chemical Engineering program commenced.
The department’s B.S. Ch.E. program earned recognition from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Center of Development (COD) in 1998 and 2006, and as Center of Excellence in 2016. It was also accredited by the Philippine Technological Council (PTC) after it implemented Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) as a continuous quality improvement framework consistent with Washington Accord standards. This is in addition to the Level II accreditation from the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines obtained through the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU) evaluation. The department excelled with 100% passing in the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) chemical engineer licensure examination for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022. Furthermore, the department has consistently ranked among the top-performing schools in the licensure examination over the past three years, achieving 4th place (October 2022), 5th place (May 2023), 3rd place (October 2023), and 4th place (October 2024).
Students in the department mainly come from Cebu and the neighboring provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Leyte, as well as some provinces in Mindanao. Undergraduate enrollment has been stable at around 250 to 300 students every semester since 2000. Chemical engineering faculty members and students pursue research that contribute to the attainment of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
Around half of USC chemical engineering graduates are employed in the manufacturing industries in the Philippines and overseas where they are involved in process engineering, plant and production management, product research and development, quality assurance, pollution control, safety management, and technical sales. Others work as a design and patent engineers in design firms and as environmental management specialists in government institutions. Approximately 20% pursue graduate studies within three years after graduation and eventually work in higher education and research institutions.
Employers of our recent graduates include DASH Engineering, Fluor Daniel, Lexmark Research and Development, Kerry Food Ingredients, Shemberg, Universal Robina, Nestlé, P&G, San Miguel Brewery, Coca-Cola FEMSA, Virginia Food, Manila Water, Petron, Shell, JG Summit Petrochemical, Treasure Island Industrial Corporation, PASAR, Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer, Atlas Fertilizer, Mabuhay Vinyl, Taiyo Yuden, ON Semiconductor, Lear Corporation, KEPCO SPC Power, Aboitiz Power, and DENR–Environmental Management Bureau.
Research groups
Advanced and Sustainable Materials Group This research group focuses on the discovery, modification, and engineering of advanced materials for sustainable applications. Examples of research work include the development of nano-enabled materials for environmental and biomedical applications. For details, contact Noel Peter B. Tan.
Biomass and Biofuels Group The group focuses on the utilization of agricultural biomass and agro-industrial residues and by-products as feedstock and materials in the production of biofuels and other commodity chemicals. Some works of the research group include the optimization of hydrolysis and esterification of materials derived from agri-waste biomass. For details, contact Ramelito C. Agapay.
Environmental Sustainability Group The group generates data on industrial and municipal issues pertaining to wastewater, solid waste, and air quality. This research group integrates ad intra and ad extra extension work into its research activities. The group also studies the feasibility of using environmentally sourced materials for waste treatment applications. For details, contact Patrick U. Tan.
Food and Bioactive Products Group The group focuses on the development of specialized food products and the utilization of agro-industrial residues and waste materials as sources of enzymes and bioactive compounds for industrial, pharmaceutical, and other applications. Some works of the group involve the extraction of high-value products such as pectin and phenolic compounds from agri-waste. For details, contact Camila Flor Y. Lobarbio.
Facilities and equipment
Facilities
Chemical Engineering Research Laboratories
Unit Operations Laboratory
Physical Chemistry Laboratory
Key analytical equipment
Aerospinner L1.0 for nano fiber production by solution-blow spinning
Atago Digital Abbe Refractometer
Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 Ultra High-End GC-MS System
Shimadzu High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) System
Shimadzu TOC-L Total Organic Carbon Analyzer
Shimadzu UV-1900i UV-visible spectrophotometer
StellarNet Ramulaser Raman Spectrometer
VELP DK8 Kjeldahl Nitrogen Digester
Student life
Student governance. The USC Chemical Engineering Council is the officially recognized co-curricular student organization that looks after the welfare of the chemical engineering student body. The council organizes annually the freshmen assembly, acquaintance party, Christmas party, and the National Chemical Engineering Week celebrations. It has representation in the Collegiate Engineering Council. The council officers also function as USC student representatives to the Junior Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (JPIChE)–Cebu Chapter.
Extracurricular organizations. Students may opt to apply for membership to either the USC Chemical Engineering Society (CHES, founded 1957) or the USC Chemical Engineering Club (ChEC, founded 1993).
