Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering is concerned with the design, development, and management of facilities that convert raw materials into useful products. The engineer must assume responsibility for the economical use of the raw materials, preservation of the environment, and profitability of the operation. The chemical engineering program has been designed to provide both the engineering competence and the professional skills necessary to succeed in this endeavor. In order to achieve this objective, the curriculum incorporates coursework in both of these areas throughout the four-year duration of the program.

Coursework

The chemical engineering curriculum emphasizes basic knowledge and applications of transport processes, thermodynamics and kinetics of processes, automatic control, and design, as well as fundamental sciences, mathematics, and engineering sciences. Design experience is spread across the curriculum, beginning with the Introduction to the Profession courses. Equipment design is emphasized in courses such as Fluid Mechanics, Heat and Mass-Transfer Operations, Thermodynamics, and Chemical Reaction Engineering. Control-system design is practiced in the Process Control course. Process modeling, simulations, and optimization are discussed and practiced in Transport Phenomena, Process Modeling and System Theory, Numerical and Data Analysis, Statistical Tools for Engineering, and Process Control courses. The capstone design courses (Chemical Process Design I & II) integrate these design concepts and practice process design and optimization. In addition to engineering competence, the program also examines the economic, environmental, and societal implications of chemical engineering.

Professional Training

Professional training is stressed in the design of the chemical engineering curriculum. Because engineering is largely a team effort, the department develops the individual’s ability to work effectively as a team member. Group projects are assigned starting with the Introduction to the Profession course. Laboratory course and capstone design course projects are conducted by teams of students. The laboratory work is designed to reinforce the concepts developed in the lectures and to show the application of chemical engineering principles to the solution of real-world problems.

Because individual attention is so important to the student’s growth, laboratory sections are small and a high-level of personal contact between student and instructor is maintained. Students are encouraged to become involved with state-of-the-art research projects at the undergraduate level. The industry/university co-op program is available to students who would like to use one or more extra semesters any time after their second year to work on an internship in industry.

Specialized Programs

In addition to the core curriculum, special programs exist to accommodate students who want to develop more extensive background in related areas. With their exposure to a wide range of industrial applications and problems, students are better equipped to make a decision to explore an area of interest in depth. Professional specializations are available in:

• Bioengineering
• Energy/Environment/Economics (E3)
• Environmental Engineering
• Polymer Science and Engineering
• Process Design and Operation

Students may also choose a minor program. All students must include in their minor program, or as a technical elective, CHE 426 or at least one three credit hour engineering science course. Students who plan to go to graduate school are advised to take CHE 535 as a technical elective.

Required Courses

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering Curriculum

This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Professional Specializations

Students choosing one of the professional specializations should take a total of three courses in the specialization area.

Appropriate substitutions may be made with the approval of the program adviser.

Bioengineering

Program advisers: S. Parulekar and V. Pérez-Luna

Bioengineering has two career specializations:

Biomedical Engineering

Biotechnology

Energy/Environment/Economics (E3)

Program adviser: H. Arastoopour

Environmental Engineering

Program adviser: B. Stephens

Polymer Science and Engineering

Program advisers: J. Schieber

The program embraces polymer chemistry, characterization, structure and properties, as well as the manufacture of polymeric raw materials and their processing into finished products.

Process Design and Operation

Program adviser:  D. Chmielewski

For students interested in design, operation, monitoring, optimization, and control of chemical processes.