Undergraduate Degree

Chemical engineers convert raw materials to finished products via pathways involving chemical and physical changes. The principles of mass, energy, and momentum conservation, chemical reactions, thermodynamics, and economics are applied to develop new products and to design and operate manufacturing facilities to produce products that benefit society. Chemical engineering principles are, in turn, based on the sciences of chemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics, which form the underlying foundation of the discipline.

Students in this degree program will study the application of chemical engineering principles to biochemical and biomedical systems, nanoscale devices, polymer processing, and novel energy systems. Principles of sustainability, environmentally-friendly “green” processing, entrepreneurship, and other emerging topics are also addressed in courses and concentrations.

The Bachelor of Science Degree program in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 128 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.
   
   The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Chemical Engineering major is met by completing Chemical Engineering 316 and 433.  Those courses are referenced in item 3. a. below.
   
   Students who are enrolled in the College of Engineering may complete the alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences that is described in item 1. under the heading Graduation Requirements for All Majors in the College statement. The alternative track requirement for Integrative Studies in Biological Sciences in Chemical Engineering is Biological Science 161. Certain courses referenced in requirement 3. below may be used to satisfy the alternative track.
2. The requirements of the College of Engineering for the Bachelor of Science degree.
   
   The credits earned in certain courses referenced in requirement 3. below may be counted toward College requirements as appropriate.
3. The following requirements for the major:

   a.	All of the following courses (54 credits):
   	BS	161	Cell and Molecular Biology						3
   	CEM	152	Principles of Chemistry						3
   	CEM	161	Chemistry Laboratory I						1
   	CEM	162	Chemistry Laboratory II						1
   	CEM	351	Organic Chemistry I						3
   	CEM	352	Organic Chemistry II						3
   	CEM	355	Organic Laboratory I						2
   	CHE	201	Material and Energy Balances						3
   	CHE	210	Modeling and Analysis of Transport Phenomena						3
   	CHE	301	Chemical Engineering as a Profession						1
   	CHE	311	Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer						3
   	CHE	312	Mass Transfer and Separations						4
   	CHE	316	Laboratory Practice and Statistical Analysis						4
   	CHE	321	Thermodynamics for Chemical Engineering						4
   	CHE	431	Chemical Reaction Engineering						4
   	CHE	432	Process Analysis and Control						3
   	CHE	433	Process Design and Optimization I						4
   	CHE	434	Process Design and Optimization II						2
   	CHE	473	Chemical Engineering Principles in Polymers and Material Systems						3
   	Note: Students must have a minimum grade-point of 2.0 in CHE 201.
   b.	One of the following (4 or 6 credits):
   	(1)	BMB	401	Comprehensive Biochemistry					4
   	(2)	BMB	461	Advanced Biochemistry I					3
   		BMB	462	Advanced Biochemistry II					3
   	Note: If BMB 462 is taken to fulfill requirements 3. b., it will also count as a technical elective in item 3. e.
   c.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
   	CHE	472	Polymeric Composite Materials Processing						3
   	CHE	481	Biochemical Engineering						3
   d.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
   	CEM	483	Quantum Chemistry						3
   	CEM	484	Molecular Thermodynamics						3
   e.	Technical Electives.
   	Students must complete at least 6 credits in courses selected from a list of approved technical electives available from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

Concentrations in Chemical Engineering

In response to increasing interest in the application of chemical engineering principles to related fields, the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science offers concentrations in biochemical engineering, bioenergy, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, food science, and polymer science and engineering to students wishing an area of concentration in the degree. Concentrations are available to, but not required of, any student enrolled in the Bachelor of Science degree program  in chemical engineering. The concentration will be noted on the student's transcript.

NOTE: Completing the Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with a concentration may  require more than 128 credits. For any concentration, up to 3 credits of Independent Study (CHE 490) related to the subject area may be applied with approval of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.