Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)(Chemical) with Bachelor of Biotechnology

Why combine Chemical Engineering with Biotechnology?  

Chemical engineering and biotechnology are fast-evolving industries with huge potential for improving global health and wellbeing.

You’ll gain interdisciplinary experience and be well prepared for leading-edge careers feeding, fuelling and healing the world.

What will you do?

  • Use knowledge and skills from engineering, chemistry, maths and biology to produce chemicals, fuel, drugs, and food.
  • Experiment with protein separation, fermentation, genomics and proteomics.
  • Benefit from tours, projects, and placements with companies like PepsiCo, Smiths Crisps, Jurlique, and BHP.
  • Complete an eight-week practical engineering experience.

This is a 5-year double, not combined degree. You’ll graduate with two separate parchments, a greater scope of career prospects and a competitive edge in the job market.

For more info


Direct access to industry leaders and paid internship opportunities: The Academy by Deloitte
This degree gives you the opportunity to be part of our new The Academy by Deloitte You’ll be part of a supportive student cohort that learns from one another and industry leaders. Formal and informal experiences will allow you to build relationships within the Deloitte network.


  • Top 150 in world for Biological Sciences^
  • Ranked in top 200 globally for Biotechnology#
  • Learn from research-active experts

^Times Higher Education by Subject, 2021
#Academic Ranking of World Universities, by Subject, 2022

Entry Requirements

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Look out for any prerequisites or assumed knowledge subjects. Some degrees also have additional entry requirements like interviews and auditions.

Domestic applicants

Admissions information

SATAC Code 334801
2023 CSP ATAR 89.85
2023 CSP IB 34.5
Guaranteed Entry Score - ATAR 80
Guaranteed Entry Score - IB 29.5
Deferment Yes - 2 year
Intake February and July
Prerequisites SACE Stage 2: Mathematical Methods , Specialist Mathematics and Chemistry IB: Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (HL) and Chemistry (SL grade 4/ HL grade 3) MathTrackX is an online bridging program available as a recognised alternative to Mathematical Methods. Unsure if you will meet prerequisites or ATAR? Check out our Engineering Pathway.
Selection Criteria
Recent Secondary Education Applicants with recent secondary education are those whose admission is primarily based on the completion of Year 12 within the last two years, however if you completed your secondary education more than two years ago, you may still be able to be considered on the basis of your secondary schooling. You must not have completed more than 2 years full time equivalent university study (48 units). You compete for a place with your Selection Rank (ATAR plus any applicable adjustment factors). Applicants who have not achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR plus any applicable adjustment factors) required for selection may be selected based on the grades in selected year 12 subjects. Applicants do not need to apply to be considered for subject-based entry, as this will automatically be done. For more information, please see: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/study/undergraduate/entry-pathways/recent-secondary-education/ Indigenous applicants may be eligible for entry through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Pathway. See Wirltu Yarlu for further information.
Higher Education Study You must have completed at least six months full time equivalent higher education study (the number of courses and units will vary depending on your prior institution however at the University of Adelaide, this equates to 4 courses / 12 units). A Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated for each separate program you have undertaken (apart from some double degree programs where the GPA is combined). You are ranked on the basis of your best GPA. Indigenous applicants may be eligible for entry through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Pathway. See Wirltu Yarlu for further information.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) study You must have completed an AQF Certificate IV or above from a Registered Training Organisation. Your application will be ranked according to the level of the award. Indigenous applicants may be eligible for entry through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Pathway. See Wirltu Yarlu for further information.
Work and life experience To be eligible to sit the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) as as pathway for entry, you must be 18 years or over before 1 February 2024. If you have studied at higher education level in the last two years (for 2024 entry this means you were enrolled in either 2023 or 2022), you must not have accumulated more than a TOTAL of 2 years full-time (or part-time equivalent) higher education study (ie. including any study prior to 2022). If you meet this criteria, you will be ranked according to your result in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). Your STAT result is not weighted between verbal and quantitative components. Indigenous applicants may be eligible for entry through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Pathway. See Wirltu Yarlu for further information.
Other Entry Pathways

2023 Admissions Data for school leavers
ATAR
(raw ATAR, excluding any applicable adjustment factors)
Lowest ATAR to receive an offer 89.4
Median ATAR to receive an offer 98.4
Highest ATAR to receive an offer 99.9
Selection Rank
(ATAR plus any adjustment factors)
Lowest Selection Rank to receive an offer 93.85
Median Selection Rank to receive an offer 99.95
Highest Selection Rank to receive an offer 99.95
Minimum eligibility score 80
Additional criteria considered Selection rank only
  • Admissions Transparency Data
    Student Profile
    Applicant background Semester one/Full year intake 2023
    Number of students Percentage of all students
    (A) Higher Education study
    (includes a bridging or enabling course)
    N/A N/A
    (B) Vocational education and training (VET) study N/A N/A
    (C) Work and life experience
    (admitted on the basis of previous achievement not in the other three categories)
    N/A N/A
    (D) Recent secondary education:
    • Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR
      (regardless of whether this includes the consideration of adjustment factors)
    <5 N/A
    • Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered
      (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR)
    N/A N/A
    • Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor
      (e.g. special consideration, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement)
    N/A N/A
    International students <5 N/A
    All students <5 100.0%

Ready to Apply?

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Fees and Scholarships

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Domestic applicants

Indicative annual tuition fees
Commonwealth-supported place: $8,180

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More information on Student Contribution Amounts.

Scholarships

These scholarships, as well as many others funded by industry and non-profit organisations, are available to potential and currently enrolled students.

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Careers

Career Readiness

Direct access to industry leaders and paid internship opportunities: The Academy by Deloitte
Students who as part of their studies take part in The Academy by Deloitte experience will have the benefit of undertaking a paid internship with Deloitte. This internship is designed to shape their business readiness through significant real-world client exposure, access to multiple networking opportunities and relevant professional training.

The University of Adelaide Careers Service prepares, inspires and empowers students to achieve successful career transitions and connect with industry.

Potential careers

Graduates of this program have gone on to roles such as:

Laboratory Manager;  Microbiologist;  Biomedical Engineer;  Biomedical Scientist;  Biotechnologist;  Biotechnology;  Biotechnology Engineer

Degree Structure

Academic Program Rules

The Calendar is a comprehensive handbook of the University's academic program rules.

To qualify for the double degree of Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical)/ Bachelor of Biotechnology, the student must complete satisfactorily a program of study consisting of the following requirements with a combined total of not less than 120 units, comprising:

  • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical) courses to the value of 84 units.
  • Bachelor of Biotechnology courses to the value of 36 units.
  • A total of 8 weeks of approved engineering work placement is required.

Example Study Plan

Chemical Core

To satisfy the requirements for Chemical Core students must complete courses to the value of 84 units.

All courses are 3 units unless stated otherwise.

Core Courses

Students must complete all of the following:

CHEM ENG 1007 Introduction to Process Engineering

ENG 1001 Introduction to Engineering

ENG 1003 Programming (Matlab and Excel)

MATHS 1011 Mathematics IA

MATHS 1012 Mathematics IB

CHEM ENG 2010 Process Design II

CHEM ENG 2011 Process Engineering Thermodynamics

CHEM ENG 2014 Heat and Mass Transfer

CHEM ENG 2018 Process Fluid Mechanics

MATHS 2106 Differential Equations for Engineers II

MATHS 2107 Statistics & Numerical Methods II

CHEM ENG 3029 Material Science and Engineering

CHEM ENG 3030 Process Design III

CHEM ENG 3031 Process Control & Instrumentation

CHEM ENG 3033 Separation Process Engineering

CHEM ENG 3034 Chemical Reactor Engineering

CHEM ENG 3035 Fluid and Particle Mechanics

CHEM ENG 3036 Unit Operations Laboratory

ENG 3005 Research Methods and Project Management

CHEM ENG 4014 Plant Design Project (6 units)

CHEM ENG 4034 Chemical Engineering Practice

CHEM ENG 4050 Advanced Chemical Engineering

CHEM ENG 4054 Research Project

CHEM ENG 4056 Process Design IV

*Including one of the following:

CHEM ENG 4048 Biofuels, Biomass and Wastes

CHEM ENG 4051 Water and Wastewater Engineering

CHEM ENG 4058 Metallurgical Processes

CHEM ENG 4074WT Brewery Engineering

CHEM ENG 4075WT Winery Engineering

MECH ENG 4112 Combustion Technologies & High Temperature Processes

Core Course, choice of

Students must complete one of the following:

CHEM 1100 Chemistry IA and CHEM 1200 Chemistry IB, or 

CHEM 1101 Foundations of Chemistry IA and CHEM 1201 Foundations of Chemistry IB 

Engineering Internship

A total of 8 weeks of approved engineering work placement is required. Students will need to enrol into the ENG 3100  Engineering Internship UG (0 units) course to complete this requirement.

Biotechnology Core

To satisfy the requirements for Biotechnology Core students must complete courses to the value of 36 units.

All courses are 3 units unless stated otherwise.

Core Courses

Students must complete all of the following:

BIOLOGY 1101 Biology I: Molecules, Genes and Cells

BIOCHEM 2502 Biochem II (Biotech): Molecular and Cell Biology

BIOCHEM 2503 Biochemistry II (Biotechnology): Metabolism

BIOTECH 2010 Principles of Biotechnology II

MICRO 2504 Microbiology II (Biotechnology)

BIOCHEM 3000 Molecular and Structural Biology III (6 units)

BIOTECH 3000 Biotechnology Practice III (6 units)

Core Course, choice of

Students must complete 9 units from the following:

BIOCHEM 3001 Cancer, Stem Cells & Development III (6 units)

BIOINF 3000 Bioinformatics III

BIOINF 3005 Transcriptomics Applications III

BIOINF 3010 Genomics Applications III

BIOTECH 3010 Advanced Research Platforms III

BIOTECH 3020 Molecular Microbiology and Vaccines III

BIOTECH 3030 Protein Purification: Principles and Practice III

Testimonial

Working onsite you get to see what you have planned and designed in the office and how it works in the field.

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Last updated: Wednesday, 21 Feb 2024