Undergraduate Degree

Chemical Engineering

Program:
Chemical Engineering
Plan Code:
CHEMEG_BS1
Program Level:
Undergraduate
Award Type:
Bachelor of Science
College:
Department:
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Relevant Excerpt(s) from Academic Programs:


Excerpt from the official Academic Programs Catalog:

Listed below are the approved requirements for the program from the official Academic Programs Catalog.
Students must consult their advisors to learn which specific requirements apply to their degree programs.


College of Engineering

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Undergraduate Programs
Chemical Engineering

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.

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 (58 credits):
    BS 161 Cell and Molecular Biology 3
    CEM 151 General and Descriptive Chemistry 4
    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
    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
    c. One of the following courses (3 credits):
    CHE 472 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. Technical elective courses must include at least 3 credits of engineering topics, denoted with an ‘e’ next to the course number on the CHE technical elective list.
    NOTE:  BMB 462 is taken to fulfill requirement 3. b. and will count as a technical elective credit in item 3. e.,   not as an engineering ‘e’ topics course.  

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.

Biochemical Engineering
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a biochemical engineering concentration, students must complete requirements 1., 2., 3. a., and 3.d. above and the following:
Both of the following courses (6 credits):
CHE 481 Biochemical Engineering 3
MMG 301 Introductory Microbiology 3
One of the following tracks (11 to 13 credits):
Track 1 (12 or 13 credits):
The following course (4 credits):
BMB 401 Comprehensive Biochemistry 4
Three of the following courses (8 or 9 credits):
BMB 805 Protein Structure, Design, and Mechanism 3
BMB 829 Special Problems in Macromolecular Analysis and Synthesis 2
CHE 882 Advanced Biochemical Engineering 3
CHE 883 Multidisciplinary Bioprocessing Laboratory 3
MMG 409 Eukaryotic Cell Biology 3
MMG 421 Prokaryotic Cell Physiology 3
MMG 431 Microbial Genetics 3
Track 2 (11 or 12 credits):
Both of the following courses (6 credits):
BMB 461 Advanced Biochemistry I 3
BMB 462 Advanced Biochemistry II 3
Two of the following courses (5 or 6 credits):
BMB 805 Protein Structure, Design, and Mechanism 3
BMB 829 Special Problems in Macromolecular Analysis and Synthesis 2
CHE 882 Advanced Biochemical Engineering 3
CHE 883 Multidisciplinary Bioprocessing Laboratory 3
MMG 409 Eukaryotic Cell Biology 3
MMG 421 Prokaryotic Cell Physiology 3
MMG 431 Microbial Genetics 3
Bioenergy and Bioproducts
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a bioenergy and bioproducts concentration, students must complete requirements 1., 2., 3.a., 3.b., and 3.d. above and the following:
All of the following courses (9 credits): 3
CHE 468 Biomass Conversion Engineering 3
CHE 481 Biochemical Engineering 3
CSS 467 Bioenergy Feedstock Production
One of the following courses (3 credits):
BE 469 Sustainable Bioenergy Systems 3
BE 869 Life Cycle Assessment for Bioenergy and Bioproduct Systems 3
One of the following courses (3 credits):
AFRE 829 Economics of Environmental Resources 3
CHE 882 Advanced Biochemical Engineering 3
CHE 883 Multidisciplinary Bioprocessing Laboratory 3
FOR 466 Natural Resource Policy 3
MC 450 International Environmental Law and Policy 3
Biomedical Engineering
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a biomedical engineering concentration, students must complete requirements 1., 2., 3.a., 3.b., and 3.d. above and the following:
All of the following courses (10 credits):
CHE 481 Biochemical Engineering 3
MMG 409 Eukaryotic Cell Biology 3
PSL 431 Human Physiology I 4
One of the following courses (3 credits):
CHE 883 Multidisciplinary Bioprocessing Laboratory 3
ME 494 Biofluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer 3
MSE 425 Biomaterials and Biocompatibility 3
One of the following courses not taken above (3 or 4 credits):
BMB 471 Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory 3
CHE 883 Multidisciplinary Bioprocessing Laboratory 3
IBIO 341 Fundamental Genetics 4
ME 494 Biofluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer 3
MSE 425 Biomaterials and Biocompatibility 3
Environmental
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with an environmental concentration, the student must complete requirements 1., 2., and 3. a., 3.b., and 3.d. above and the following:
Both of the following courses (6 credits):
CHE 481 Biochemical Engineering 3
ENE 280 Principles of Environmental Engineering and Science 3
Three of the following courses (9 credits):
AFRE 265 Ecological Economics 3
AFRE 360 Environmental Economics 3
AFRE 465 Corporate Environmental Management (W) 3
CSUS 465 Environmental and Natural Resource Law 3
ENE 481 Environmental Chemistry: Equilibrium Concepts 3
ENE 483 Water and Wastewater Engineering 3
ENE 489 Air Pollution: Science and Engineering 3
IBIO 446 Environmental Issues and Public Policy 3
Food Science
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a food science concentration, students must complete requirements 1., 2., 3. a., 3. b., 3.c., and 3.d. above and all of the following:
All of the following courses (9 credits):
FSC 401 Food Chemistry 3
FSC 440 Food Microbiology 3
MMG 301 Introductory Microbiology 3
One of the following courses (3 credits):
BE 477 Food Engineering: Fluids 3
BE 478 Food Engineering: Solids 3
FSC 325 Food Processing: Unit Operations 3
FSC 455 Food and Nutrition Laboratory 3
FSC 470 Integrated Approaches to Food Product Development 3
Polymer Science and Engineering
To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering with a polymer science and engineering concentration, students must complete requirements 1., 2., 3. a., 3. b., and 3.d. above and all of the following:
All of the following courses (9 credits):
CE 221 Statics 3
CHE 472 Composite Materials Processing 3
ME 222 Mechanics of Deformable Solids 3
Two of the following courses (6 or 7 credits):
CHE 871 Material Surfaces and Interfaces 3
CHE 872 Polymers and Composites: Manufacturing, Structure and Performance 3
MSE 370 Synthesis and Processing of Materials 3
MSE 426 Introduction to Composite Materials 3
PKG 323 Packaging with Plastics 4