Chemical Engineering, B.S.

Chemical engineering is primarily the application of chemical principles to industrial processes and environmental problems to effect a change in the composition and properties of matter to benefit society and the environment. The chemical engineering major has the basic training to solve problems in transport and separation processes, process dynamics and control, energy production, food and petrochemical processing, materials synthesis and processing, and chemical equipment and plant design.

The freshman and sophomore years emphasize basic mathematics, science and communication skills; the junior year, fundamentals of chemical engineering; and the senior year, integration of those fundamentals in capstone design courses. Elective coursework also allows students to broaden their knowledge in other technical fields, deepen their understanding in an area of specialization or participate in a technical research project under the direction of an individual faculty member.

Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of the chemical engineering program are to provide graduates with the technical, communication and professional skills, the thorough understanding of ethical and social responsibility, and the ability to participate in interdisciplinary and intercultural teams, to allow them within a few years of graduation to: demonstrate professional competence through career advancement or progress toward obtaining professional registration or certification in chemical engineering, an allied field such as environmental or materials engineering or a nontraditional field such as business or medicine; successfully complete a graduate degree in chemical engineering or another discipline; volunteer their services to the profession through involvement with professional societies such as AICHE or to their respective communities through involvement with government agencies or nonprofit organizations.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission should have one year of high school biology, chemistry and physics, in addition to at least three years of mathematics, including algebra, geometry and trigonometry.