Program Overview

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, BSE

Chemical Engineers apply concepts from the physical sciences (chemistry and physics) and life sciences (biochemistry and microbiology) to the design and optimization of processes for the efficient production of products ranging from fuels and chemicals to pharmaceuticals to advanced materials. Penn’s chemical engineering department provides students with both a strong foundation in engineering fundamentals and exposure to modern chemical engineering technologies. The program's versatility allows our students to excel in diverse careers in the chemical industries, research, medicine, law, government, and education.

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) Major Requirements

The following courses are required for the CBE major:

• Engineering:
  • ENGR 1050: Introduction to Scientific Computing (1 unit)
  • CBE 1600: Introduction to Chemical Engineering (1 unit)
  • CBE 2300: Material and Energy Balances of Chemical Processes (1 unit)
  • CBE 2310: Thermodynamics of Fluids (1 unit)
  • CBE 3500: Fluid Mechanics (1 unit)
  • CBE 3510: Heat and Mass Transport (1 unit)
  • CBE 3530: Molecular Thermodynamics and Chemical Kinetics (1 unit)
  • CBE 3600: Chemical Process Control (1 unit)
  • CBE 3710: Separation Processes (1 unit)
  • CBE 4000: Introduction to Product and Process Design (1 unit)
  • CBE 4100: Chemical Engineering Laboratory (1 unit)
  • CBE 4510: Chemical Reactor Design (1 unit)
  • CBE 4590: Product and Process Design Projects (1 unit)
• Math and Natural Science:
  • MATH 1400: Calculus, Part I (1 unit)
  • MATH 1410: Calculus, Part II (1 unit)
  • MATH 2400: Calculus, Part III (1 unit)
  • MATH 2410: Calculus, Part IV (1 unit)
  • or ENM 2510: Analytical Methods for Engineering
  • PHYS 0140: Principles of Physics I (without laboratory) (1 unit)
  • or PHYS 0150: Principles of Physics I: Mechanics and Wave Motion
  • or PHYS 0170: Honors Physics I: Mechanics and Wave Motion
  • or MEAM 1100: Introduction to Mechanics
  • PHYS 0141: Principles of Physics II (without laboratory) (1 unit)
  • or PHYS 0151: Principles of Physics II: Electromagnetism and Radiation
  • or PHYS 0171: Honors Physics II: Electromagnetism and Radiation
  • or ESE 1120: Engineering Electromagnetics
  • CHEM 1012: General Chemistry I (1 unit)
  • CHEM 1101: General Chemistry Laboratory I (0.5 units)
  • CHEM 1022: General Chemistry II (1 unit)
  • CHEM 1102: General Chemistry Laboratory II (0.5 units)
  • CHEM 2410: Principles of Organic Chemistry I (1 unit)
  • or CHEM 2411: Principles of Organic Chemistry I with Laboratory
  • Advanced Chemistry Elective: CHEM 2420, CHEM 2421, CHEM 2210, MSE 2210 (1 unit)
• Technical Electives:
  • CBE Elective (3000 level or above) (1 unit)
  • Engineering Elective (1 unit)
  • Lab Elective: CHEM 2411 & CHEM 2421, CHEM 2230, CBE 4800, CBE 3300A & CBE 3300B (1 unit)
  • Select 2 Math, Natural Science or Engineering courses (2 units)
• Ethics Requirement:
  • EAS 2030: Engineering Ethics (1 unit)
  • or CBE 3200: Basic Chemical Process Safety
• General Electives:
  • Select 4 Social Science or Humanities courses (4 units)
  • Select 2 Social Science or Humanities or Technology in Business and Society courses (2 units)
  • Select one Free Elective Course (1 unit)
• Total Course Units: 37

Concentrations

Students can select one of the following concentrations:

Energy and the Environment

• Select 4 courses from the following list:
  • CBE 0099: Undergraduate Research and Independent Study
  • CBE 3250: Renewable Energy
  • CBE 3750: Engineering and the Environment
  • CBE 5050: Carbon Capture
  • CBE 5440: Computational Science of Energy and Chemical Transformations
  • CBE 5450: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
  • CBE 5460: Fundamentals of Industrial Catalytic Processes
  • EAS 3010: Climate Policy and Technology
  • EAS 4010: Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability
  • EAS 4020: Renewable Energy and Its Impacts: Technology, Environment, Economics, Sustainability
  • EAS 4030: Energy Systems and Policy
  • ENGR 2500: Energy Systems, Resources and Technology
  • ESE 5210: The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices
  • ENGR 5030: Engineering in Oil, Gas and Coal, from Production to End Use
  • ENVS 1000: Introduction to Environmental Science
  • ESE 5670: Risk Analysis and Environmental Management
  • OIDD 2610: Risk Analysis and Environmental Management
  • MEAM 5020: Energy Engineering in Power Plants and Transportation Systems
  • MEAM 2250: Engineering in the Environment
  • MEAM 5030: Direct Energy Conversion: from Macro to Nano
  • MSE 4550: Electrochemical Engineering of Materials
  • MSE 5550: Electrochemical Engineering of Materials
  • MSE 5450: Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • EESC 1030: Oceanography
• Total Course Units: 4

Pharmaceutics and Biotechnology

• Select 4 courses from the following list:
  • BE 3060: Cellular Engineering
  • BE 5530: Principles, Methods, and Applications of Tissue Engineering
  • BIOL 2010: Cell Biology
  • BIOL 2210: Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • BIOL 2801: Essentials of Biochemistry
  • BIOL 4210: Molecular Genetics
  • BIOL 4825: Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Superlab
  • CBE 0099: Undergraduate Research and Independent Study
  • CBE 1500: Introduction to Biotechnology
  • CBE 4470: Societally Significant Soft Matter Solutions
  • CBE 4790: Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
  • CBE 4800: Laboratory in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
  • CBE 5170: Principles of Genome Engineering
  • CBE 5270: Advancements and Applications in Genome Editing and Engineering
  • CBE 5400: Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering
  • CBE 5470: Societally Significant Soft Matter Solutions
  • CBE 5540: Engineering Biotechnology
  • CBE 5550: Nanoscale Systems Biology
  • CBE 5560: The Biochemical Engineering of Wine
  • CBE 5570: Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals
  • CBE 5590: Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems
  • CBE 5620: Drug Discovery and Development
  • CBE 5640: Drug Delivery Systems: Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine
  • CHEM 2510: Principles of Biological Chemistry
  • CHEM 5510: Biological Chemistry I
  • ENGR 4500: Modern Biotechnology for Engineers
  • ENGR 5500: Modern Biotechnology for Engineers
  • PHYS 2280: Physical Models of Biological Systems
• Total Course Units: 4

Polymers and Soft Matter Science and Engineering

• Select 4 courses from the following list:
  • CBE 4300: Introduction to Polymers
  • CBE 5110: Physical Chemistry of Polymers and Amphiphiles
  • CBE 4470: Societally Significant Soft Matter Solutions
  • CBE 5220: Polymer Rheology and Processing
  • CBE 5250: Molecular Modeling and Simulations
  • CBE 5350: Interfacial Phenomena
  • CBE 5470: Societally Significant Soft Matter Solutions
  • CBE 5700: Experimental Methods and Autonomous Experimentation in Soft Materials Research -Theory and Practice
  • MSE 3300: Self-Assembly of Soft Materials
  • MSE 3600: Structure at the Nanoscale
  • MSE 3930: Materials Selection
  • MSE 4300: Introduction to Polymers
  • MEAM 5360: Viscous Fluid Flow and Modern Applications
• Total Course Units: 4

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.