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The Department of Chemical Engineering offers two undergraduate programs: Chemical Engineering and Biochemical Engineering.

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Program

The Chemical Engineering (BS) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular, and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and engineering to produce useful commodities, ranging from fuels to polymers. Chemical engineers are increasingly concerned with chemical and engineering processes related to the environment and food production. They work in diverse areas ranging from integrated circuits to integrated waste management. Preparation for a career in chemical engineering requires an understanding of both engineering and chemical principles to develop proficiency in conceiving, designing, and operating new processes.

The chemical engineering curriculum has been planned to provide a sound knowledge of engineering and chemical sciences so that you may achieve competence in addressing current and future technical problems.

Objectives

The objectives of the program in Chemical Engineering are to educate students in the fundamentals of chemical engineering, balanced with the application of these principles to practical problems; to train them as independent, critical thinkers who can also function effectively in teams; to foster a sense of community, ethical responsibility, and professionalism; to prepare them for careers in industry, government, and academia; to illustrate the necessity for continuing education and self-learning; and to help students to learn to communicate proficiently in written and oral form.

Students are encouraged to adhere carefully to all prerequisite requirements. The instructor is authorized to drop students from a course for which stated prerequisites have not been completed.

Junior & Senior Year Options

The focus in the junior year is on fundamentals such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, energy transfer, and mass transfer phenomena. In the senior year, students draw these fundamentals together and apply them in a study of kinetics, process design, and process dynamics and control. The program’s requirement of eight chemical engineering elective units allow students to strengthen specific areas in chemical engineering, explore new areas, or pursue new areas of specialization.

Honors Program

An Honors Program is available to qualified students in the Chemical Engineering & Biochemical Engineering majors It is a two-year program designed to challenge the most talented students in these majors. Students are invited to participate in their sophomore year. In the upper division coursework, students will complete either an honors thesis or a project that might involve local industry. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.500 to continue in the program. Successful completion of the Honors Program will be acknowledged on the student's transcript.

The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Degree Requirements & College Degree Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Science is 156.