The first university to offer chemical engineering as a degree starting in 1887.

• A. The University of Oxford
• B. University of Cambridge
• C. Imperial College London
• D. The University of Manchester

Answer: (D)

This question tests awareness of when chemical engineering became a distinct degree and which institution led the way. The field really took shape when George E. Davis popularized the term and the idea of applying chemistry to large-scale plant design in 1887. Manchester responded by offering the first formal degree in chemical engineering, marking the start of the discipline as an academic program. That program integrated chemical knowledge with process design, unit operations, and plant operation, moving beyond pure chemistry or generic engineering.

Oxford and Cambridge were strong in chemistry and traditional engineering, but they did not establish a dedicated chemical engineering degree at that early date. Imperial College London pursued chemical engineering perspectives later, after the Manchester lead. So the first university to offer a chemical engineering degree in 1887 was the University of Manchester.