Program Overview

---

Chemical and Molecular Engineering, BE

Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering; College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical and Molecular Engineering

Chairperson: Dilip Gersappe

Undergraduate Program Director: Tadanori Koga

Undergraduate Program Coordinator and Advisor: Samantha Riccardi

Office: Engineering 231

Phone:

E-mail:

Department Website

The Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering offers two majors leading to the Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree, Engineering Science and Chemical and Molecular Engineering. The program in Chemical and Molecular Engineering is designed to meet the expanding demand for chemical engineers in the nanotechnology, neutraceutical, pharmaceutical, environmental, and energy industries. It emphasizes engineering at the molecular level rather than traditional large-scale process engineering. In a rigorous cross-disciplinary environment, the program provides students with knowledge in the basic physical sciences, mathematical techniques, and computational modeling tools that form the foundation of modern chemical and molecular engineering. A broad spectrum of courses prepares students to assimilate and apply their knowledge creatively to solve complex problems involving not only scientific but also ethical and moral considerations, and utilizing effective communication skills for working in an interdisciplinary team. Employment opportunities for graduates of the program include high-technology industries and institutions that are engaged in research and advanced manufacturing related to nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, future fuels, waste management, and the synthesis of new materials. The Chemical and Molecular Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org under the commission’s General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

The program’s mission is to serve the community by becoming a resource for regional economic development and to serve the nation by training students who can assume leadership in technological innovation, public service, and ethical standards. Its goal is to achieve international recognition as a center of excellence in molecularly based chemical engineering education and research.

Minors of particular interest to students majoring in Chemical and Molecular Engineering:

• Business (BUS)
• Chemistry (CHE)
• Materials Science (ESM)
• Physics (PHY)
• Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS)
• Pharmacology (BCP)

Admission Requirements

Acceptance into the Major

Qualified freshman and transfer students who have indicated their interest in the major on their applications may be admitted directly as a degree major or as a pre-major. Pre-majors are placed into the Area of Interest (AOI) program and to be eligible for the degree, they must be admitted to and declare the major. The requirements and application process for matriculation are detailed below. Students admitted to other programs within the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) follow the same admissions process as students in the AOI program. Students in programs outside of CEAS (non-CEAS students) and double major applicants may apply for admission to the degree program following a separate process, outlined below. Intellectual honesty and academic integrity are cornerstones of academic and scholarly work. The department may table any applications for major/minor admission until academic judiciary matters are resolved. An academic judiciary matter will be identified by a grade of “Q” in the instance of a first offense.

Area of Interest and Other CEAS Students (excluding double major applicants)

Applications for major admission from AOI and other CEAS students are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students who submit their application on time will be admitted if they meet the following requirements:

• Students must have a grade of B or higher in all 100-level mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses required by the major.
• Students must have an overall GPA of 3.2 with no more than one grade of C+ or lower in any course, unless permission to waive is granted by the undergraduate program director.
• Department must receive completed course evaluations for all transferred courses that are to be used to meet requirements of the major.

Students must complete these requirements no later than one year after they enroll in the first course that applies towards major entry. Students must apply for admission by the application deadline immediately following completion of the above requirements, but no later than the one year limit. Admission of AOI students and other CEAS students who apply late will follow the process of Non-CEAS Students and Double Major Applicants below.

Non-CEAS Students and Double Major Applicants

Applications for major admission from non-CEAS students and double major applicants are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students who do not meet the requirements for AOI admission above will not be considered. Fulfilling the requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission is competitive and contingent upon program capacity.

Degree Requirements

The curriculum begins with a focus on mathematics, physics, and chemistry, followed by courses covering specific chemical engineering topics as well as an intensive laboratory sequence. In addition, each student chooses a three-course sequence at the 300 level or above (four courses if admitted prior to Fall 2012) as an area of specialization which may also qualify the students for a minor in the respective department. The program culminates in the submission and acceptance of a senior thesis describing an original research project completed by the student which is defended at the end of the senior year. Students are encouraged to select original research projects which can be published in peer reviewed journals. Completion of the major requires approximately 100 credits.

1. Mathematics

• AMS 151 - Applied Calculus I (3 credits)
• AMS 161 - Applied Calculus II (3 credits)
• AMS 261 - Applied Calculus III (4 credits) OR MAT 203 - Calculus III with Applications (4 credits)
• AMS 361 - Applied Calculus IV: Differential Equations (4 credits) OR MAT 303 - Calculus IV with Applications (4 credits)
• Note: The following alternate calculus course sequences may be substituted for AMS 151, AMS 161: MAT 131, MAT 132 or MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 127

2. Natural Sciences

Chemistry

• CHE 131 - General Chemistry IB (4 credits)
• CHE 132 - General Chemistry II (4 credits)
• CHE 133 - General Chemistry Laboratory I (1 credit)
• CHE 134 - General Chemistry Laboratory II (1 credit)
• CHE 321 - Organic Chemistry I (4 credits) OR CHE 331 - Molecular Science II (4 credits)
• CHE 327 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2 credits) OR CHE 383 - Introductory Synthetic and Spectroscopic Laboratory Techniques (2 credits)
• Note: The following alternate chemistry/organic chemistry course sequence may be substituted for CHE 131/CHE 133/CHE 132/CHE 134: CHE 152 - Molecular Science I and CHE 154 - Molecular Science Laboratory I

Physics

• PHY 131 - Classical Physics I (3 credits)
• PHY 132 - Classical Physics II (3 credits)
• PHY 133 - Classical Physics Laboratory I (1 credit)
• PHY 134 - Classical Physics Laboratory II (1 credit)
• Note: The following alternate physics course sequences may be substituted for PHY 131/PHY 133, PHY 132/PHY 134: PHY 125, PHY 126, PHY 127, PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics A, B, C and Laboratories or PHY 141, PHY 142, PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics I, II: Honors

3. Computer Programming

• ESG 111 - Programming for Engineers (3 credits)

4. Chemical Engineering

• CME 101 - Introduction to Chemical and Molecular Engineering (2 credits)
• CME 233 - Ethics and Business Practices for Engineers (2 credits)
• CME 304 - Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I (3 credits)
• CME 314 - Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II (3 credits)
• CME 312 - Material and Energy Balance (3 credits)
• CME 315 - Numerical Methods for Chemical Engineering Analysis (3 credits)
• CME 318 - Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics (3 credits)
• CME 322 - Chemical Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer (3 credits)
• CME 323 - Reaction Engineering and Chemical Kinetics (3 credits)
• CME 310 - Chemical Engineering Laboratory I: Unit Operation Fundamentals (3 credits)
• CME 320 - Chemical Engineering Lab II: Unit Operation (2 credits)
• CME 410 - Chemical Engineering Laboratory III: Instrumentation, Material Design and Characterization (2 credits)
• CME 420 - Chemical Engineering Laboratory IV: Senior Thesis (2 credits)
• CME 401 - Separation Technologies (3 credits)
• CME 405 - Process Control in Engineering Design (3 credits)
• CME 425 - Introduction to Catalysis (3 credits) OR CME 427 - Molecular Modeling for Chemical Engineers (3 credits)
• CME 440 - Process Engineering and Design I (3 credits)
• CME 441 - Process Engineering and Design II (3 credits)
• CME 480 - Cellular Biology for Chemical Engineers (3 credits) OR BIO 202 - Fundamentals of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Biology (3 credits)

5. Specializations in Chemical and Molecular Engineering

Chemical and Molecular Engineering students must choose from one of the eight specializations offered. Each specialization requires the completion of three (four for students admitted prior to Fall 2012) technical elective courses at the 300 level or higher.

6. Upper-Division Writing Requirement:

All degree candidates must demonstrate skill in written English at a level acceptable for engineering majors. All Chemical and Molecular Engineering students must complete the writing course CME 300 concurrently with CME 310. The quality of writing in technical reports submitted for CME 310 is evaluated, and students whose writing does not meet the required standard are referred for remedial help. Satisfactory writing warrants an S grade for CME 300, thereby satisfying the requirement.

• CME 300 - Writing in Chemical and Molecular Engineering (0 credit)

Grading

All courses taken to satisfy requirements 1 through 5 above must be taken for a letter grade of C or higher, except in CME 304 which must be taken for a letter grade of B- or higher.

Specializations

Students must complete three (four for students admitted prior to Fall 2012) courses in a chosen specialization. (In some cases, there is also a pre or co-requisite course attached to one of the courses.) In consultation with a program director, students select their area of specialization by the Spring semester of their junior year in the Chemical and Molecular Engineering program. Students are urged to meet regularly with their advisors regarding completion of the course requirements for the chosen specialization. Other courses may be used towards this requirement with the prior permission of the undergraduate program director.

Materials Science

Provides a foundation in properties of materials, engineering mechanics, and electronic materials for students interested in computer-related industries, nanotechnology, and electronics.

• CME 360 - Nanomaterials and Applications (3 credits)
• CME 369 - Polymer Engineering (3 credits) OR ESM 469 - Polymer Engineering (3 credits)
• CME 375 - Fundamentals of Industrial Corrosion and Corrosion Protection (3 credits)
• CME 460 - Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization (3 credits)
• ESG 332 - Materials Science I: Structure and Properties of Materials (3 credits)
• ESG 333 - Materials Science II: Electronic Properties (3 credits)
• ESM 335 - Strength of Materials (3 credits)
• ESM 336 - Electronic Materials (3 credits)

Nanotechnology

• CME 360 - Nanomaterials and Applications (3 credits)
• CME 460 - Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization (3 credits)
• Students can select any one of the following courses (provided the course was not used to satisfy a core requirement):
  • CME 425 - Introduction to Catalysis (3 credits)
  • CME 427 - Molecular Modeling for Chemical Engineers (3 credits)
• CME 369 - Polymer Engineering (3 credits) OR ESM 469 - Polymer Engineering (3 credits)
• CME 372 - Colloids, Micelles and Emulsion Science (3 credits)

Polymer specialization

• CME 369 - Polymer Engineering (3 credits) OR ESM 469 - Polymer Engineering (3 credits)
• CME 371 - Biomaterials (3 credits)
• CME 460 - Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization (3 credits)
• CME 470 - Polymer Synthesis: Theory and Practice, Fundamentals, Methods, Experiments (3 credits)
• Students may replace any one of the above by selecting any one of the following courses (provided the course was not used to satisfy a core requirement):
  • CME 425 - Introduction to Catalysis (3 credits)
  • CME 427 - Molecular Modeling for Chemical Engineers (3 credits)

Tissue Engineering

Recommended for students who are interested in the biochemical foundations of cellular function and the design of materials scaffolds for tissue engineering. It is also recommended for students interested in drug delivery systems and premedical or pharmacological professions.

• The following courses can be used to satisfy the Tissue Engineering Specialization:
  • BME 404 - Essentials of Tissue Engineering (3 credits)
• Any TWO (three for students admitted prior to Fall 2012) of the following courses:
  • BIO 310 - Cell Biology (3 credits)
  • BIO 328 - Mammalian Physiology (3 credits)
  • BIO 335 - Neurobiology Laboratory (3 credits)
  • BIO 317 - Principles of Cellular Signaling (3 credits)
  • BME 354 - Advanced Biomaterials (3 credits)
  • CHE 346 - Biomolecular Structure and Reactivity (3 credits)
• CME 371 - Biomaterials (3 credits) OR BME 353 - Introduction to Biomaterials (3 credits)
• CME 481 - Advanced Cell Biology for Chemical Engineers (3 credits)

Business

The Business specialization is recommended for students interested in the economic implications of chemical engineering and in financial management of intellectual property. The Business specialization consists of 9 credits of any upper division (300 level or above) Business courses not required for the CME major.

Chemistry

The Chemistry specialization consists of 9 credits of upper level CHE 300 courses not already required for the CME Major.

Physics

The Physics specialization consists of 9 credits of any upper division (300 level or above) Physics courses not required for the CME major.

Custom Specialization

This category is created to allow students to choose their own specialization. Students will select three upper level courses (four for students admitted prior to fall 2012) related to the chosen specialty within the courses offered at the university and approved by the CME undergraduate program director. The goal is to provide a basic foundation for students and prepare them for the job market in the chosen specialty.

The Accelerated BE/MS Degree Program in Chemical and Molecular Engineering

The accelerated B.E./M.S. program in chemical and molecular engineering allows students to use up to six graduate credits taken as an undergraduate toward both B.E. and M.S. degree requirements, thus reducing the normal time required to complete both degrees. The program is designed for upper-division chemical and molecular engineering students with superior academic records. For detailed program requirements, including admission requirements, please refer to the Graduate Catalog.

SBC Courses

This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements.

SBC Category	Required Major Courses	Optional Major Courses
ARTS
GLO
HUM
LANG
QPS	AMS 151, AMS 161
SBS
SNW	CHE 131, CHE 132, PHY 131, PHY 132
TECH	CME 320
USA
WRT
STAS
EXP+	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)
HFA+
SBS+	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)
STEM+	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)	AMS 261, AMS 361, BIO 202, CHE 321, CHE 331, MAT 203, MAT 303
CER	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)
DIV
ESI	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)	BIO 335, CHE 383
SPK	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)
WRTD	CME 440 (partial fulfillment), CME 441 (partial fulfillment)

• Freshmen who matriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
• Transfer students who matriculate in the Spring of 2020 or later
• Students who rematriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later

Sample Course Sequence

Sample Course Sequence for the Major in Chemical and Molecular Engineering

• Freshman Year:
  • Fall: AMS 151, CHE 131, PHY 131, ESG 111
  • Spring: AMS 161, CHE 132, PHY 132, CME 101
• Sophomore Year:
  • Fall: AMS 261, CHE 321, PHY 133, CME 233
  • Spring: MAT 203, CHE 327, PHY 134, CME 304
• Junior Year:
  • Fall: CME 312, CME 315, CME 318, CME 320
  • Spring: CME 322, CME 323, CME 401, CME 405
• Senior Year:
  • Fall: CME 410, CME 425, CME 440, CME 441
  • Spring: CME 420, CME 480, CME 481, CME 300