2003-2005
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Contact

Timothy Prickel
Registrar
(812) 877- 8438

 

Programs - Chemical Engineering  
 

 

   The undergraduate program in chemical engineering undertakes to prepare individuals for careers in the chemical process industries. These include all industries in which chemical and energy changes are an important part of the manufacturing process, such as the petroleum, rubber, plastics, synthetic fiber, pulp and paper, fermentation, soap and detergents, glass, ceramic, photographic and organic and inorganic chemical industries. In view of the dynamic nature of this technology, the course of study stresses fundamental principles rather than technical details. It prepares the student either for advanced study at the graduate level or for immediate entrance into industry. Opportunities in the process industries are found in a variety of activities, including design, development, management, production, research, technical marketing, technical service, or engineering.
   Graduate work leading to the degree of Master of Science in chemical engineering provides a more thorough understanding of the discipline and enhances a student’s ability to handle complex problems. A thesis is required, but that requirement may be waived in exceptional circumstances. Most recent graduate students have chosen research topics in biotechnology, polymers, or automatic control, but other specialties also are possible.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND GOALS
   As has been done since we awarded the nation’s first degree in chemical engineering in 1889, the undergraduate program in chemical engineering undertakes to prepare individuals for careers in the chemical process industries.
   The curriculum covers a breadth of fundamental principles so that the chemical engineering graduates have a working knowledge of advanced chemistry, material and energy balances applied to chemical processes; thermodynamics; heat, mass, and momentum transfer; chemical reaction engineering; separation operations, process design and control. The program provides students with appropriate modern experimental and computing techniques in unit operation laboratory and requires them to work in teams and submit written and oral reports on their laboratory
projects. A capstone experience in senior year gives students an opportunity to integrate their knowledge. Also included is the study of health, safety, environmental and ethical issues in the chemical engineering profession. A chemical engineering graduate is expected to demonstrate ability to model chemical engineering problems, design and conduct experiments and use knowledge and skills to solve real world chemical engineering problems.
   Our mission statement is “To provide a balanced education to enable our students to practice in the dynamic and progressive chemical engineering profession and appreciate their responsibility to their colleagues in industry, the community and the world.”

Area Minor in Chemical Engineering
   The area minor in chemical engineering is designed to introduce principles of chemical engineering to students majoring in other disciplines. Participation in this area minor will help students to understand chemical engineering aspects of industrial processes and enter a graduate program in chemical engineering if they desire.
   Students who complete the area minor in chemical engineering during their sophomore and junior years open the possibility of taking some chemical engineering electives during their senior years.
The area minor in chemical engineering has the following requirements:
    CHE 201  Conservation Principles and Balances or equivalent
    CHE 202  Basic Chemical Process Calculations
    CHE 301  Fluid Mechanics or equivalent
    CHE 303  Thermodynamics I or equivalent
    CHE 304  Thermodynamics II
    CHE 325  Mass Transfer
    CHE 314  Heat Transfer or equivalent

   Completion of a minimum of 12 credit hours of courses with prefix CHE at 300 level or above is required toward the minor. Students interested in the CHE area minor should consult the CHE Department Head and receive approval for equivalent courses to be considered.

Area Minor in Biochemical Engineering
   The biochemical engineering minor is designed to allow students to concentrate in an area of study that will give them a solid foundation for further work in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology process industry.
   To successfully complete a minor in Biochemical Engineering, a student must take six courses as follows:
  Four required courses:
    AB110 - Biology I
AB421 - Microbial Biotechnology
CHE545 - Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
CHEM253 - Organic Chemistry III
     
  And then choose two courses from the following:
    AB411 - Genetic Engineering
CHE385/MA385 - Quality Methods or MA487 - Design of Experiments
CHE546 - Bioseparations
CHEM330 - Survey of Biochemistry
CHEM430 - Advanced Biochemistry

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Approximately one-half of the students will follow schedule A1, and one-half will follow schedule A2. Depending on the students’ schedules, elective courses may be taken in terms other than the ones designated.

Freshman Year (A1 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHEM
CLSK
EM
RH
MA
111
100
104
131
111
General Chemistry I...........
College & Life Skills .........
Graphical
Communications.
Rhetoric  Composition .....
Calculus I ...........................

4
1

2
4
5

     


16

        
Winter Term

Credit

CHEM
PH

MA
113
111

112

General Chemistry II .........
Physics I..............................
Elective (HSS).....................
Calculus II ..........................

4
4
4
5

     


17

       
Spring Term

Credit

CHE
 
CHEM
EM
MA
PH
110
 
115
103
113
112
Programming & Computation
for Chemical Engineers ..........
General Chemistry III .........
Introduction to Design .....
Calculus III..........................
Physics II.............................


2
4
2
5
4

     


17

Summer Intern/Co-op  
Freshman Year (A2 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHEM
CLSK
EM
RH
MA
111
100
104
131
111
General Chemistry I...........
College & Life Skill ..........
Graphical Communications.
Rhetoric and Composition .
Calculus I ...........................

4
1

2
4
5

     


16

        
Winter Term

Credit

CHEM
PH

MA
113
111

112
General Chemistry II...........
Physics I..............................
Elective (HSS).....................
Calculus II...........................

4
4
4
5

     


17

       
Spring Term

Credit

CHE
 
CHEM
EM
MA
PH
110
 
115
103
113
112
Programming & Computation
for Chemical Engineers ..........
General Chemistry III ........
Introduction to Design .....
Calculus III..........................
Physics II.............................


2
4
2
5
4

     


17

Summer Intern/Co-op  
    
Sophomore Year (A1 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHE
CHE

CHEM
MA
200
201

251
221
Career Preparation I...........
Conservation Principles
   and Balances....................
Organic Chemistry I ..........
Differential Equations I .....
Elective (HSS).....................

0
 
4
4
4
4

     


16

        
Winter Term

Credit

CHE
 
CHEM
MA
EM
202
 
252
222
101
Basic Chemical Process
    Calculations ....................
Organic Chemistry II .........
Differential Equations II ...
Statics I ...............................

 
4
4
4
2

     


14

       
Spring Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
301
303
Fluid Mechanics.................
Thermodynamics I .............
Elective (Approved) ..........
Elective (HSS).....................

4
4
4
4

     


16

Summer Intern/Co-op  
Sophomore Year (A2 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHE
CHE

CHEM
MA
200
201

251
221
 Career Preparation I...........
Conservation Principles
    and Balances...................
Organic Chemistry I ..........
Differential Equations I ....
Elective (HSS).....................

0
 
4
4
4
4

     


16

        
Winter Term

Credit

CHE
 
CHEM
MA
EM
202
 
252
222
101
Basic Chemical Process
    Calculations ....................
Organic Chemistry II .........
Differential Equations II ...
Statics I ...............................

 
4
4
4
2

     


14

       
Spring Term

Credit

MA
CHEM
223
225
Engineering Statistics I......
Analytical Chem I...............
Elective (Approved) ..........
Elective (HSS).....................

4
4
4
4

     


16

Summer Intern/Co-op  
 
Junior Year (A1 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
CHEM
304
314
315
225
Thermo II ............................
Heat Transfer......................
Materials Science ..............
Analytical Chem I..............

4
4
4
4

     


16

       
Winter Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHEM
MA
300
325
360
223
Career Preparation II .........
Mass Transfer....................
Intro Physical Chemistry...
Engineering Statistics I......
Elective (HSS).....................

0
4
4
4
4

     


16

       
Spring Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
 
CHE
ECE
 
404
410

411
206
 
Kinetics & Reactor Design
Data Collection, Analysis
    and Interpretation............
Chemical
Engineering Lab I..
Elements of Electrical
    Engineering I...................
Elective (HSS).....................

4
 
2
1

4
4

     


15

Summer Intern/Co-op  
Junior Year (A2 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
301
303
315
Fluid Mechanics.................
Thermodynamics I ............
Materials Science ..............
Elective (HSS).....................

4
4
4
4

     


16

       
Winter Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
ECE
300
304
314
206
 
Career Preparation II .........
Thermodynamics II ...........
Heat Transfer......................
Elements of Electrical
     Engineering I.................
Elective (HSS).....................

0
4
4

4
4

     


16

        
Spring Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
 
CHE

CHEM
325
410
 
411
360
Mass Transfer.....................
Data Collection, Analysis
     and Interpretation..........
Chemical
Engineering Lab I.
Intro Physical Chemistry...
Elective (HSS).....................

4
 
2
1
4
4

     


15

Summer Intern/Co-op  

 

Senior Year (A1 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
 
409
412
416
 
Professional Practice .........
Chemical
Engineering Lab II
Design I ..............................
Elective (Free).....................
Elective (ChE Design) .......

1
2
4
4
4

     


15

       
Winter Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
413
417
440
 
Chemical Eng. Lab III ........
Design II .............................
Process Control..................
Elective (HSS).....................
Elective (ChE Design) .......

2
4
4
4
4

     


18

       
Spring Term

Credit

CHE


 
418



 
Design III.............................
Elective (HSS).....................
Elective (free)......................
Elective (HSS).....................
Elective (Approved) ..........

2
4
4
4
4

     


18

  
   

Total credits required:  194

Senior Year (A2 Schedule)
Fall Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
CHE
404
409
412
416
Kinetics & Reactor Design.
Professional Practice .........
Chemical
Engineering Lab II
Design I ..............................
Elective (Free).....................

4
1
2
4
4

     


15

       
Winter Term

Credit

CHE
CHE
CHE
413
417
440
 
Chemical Eng. Lab III ........
Design II .............................
Process Control..................
Elective (HSS).....................
Elective (ChE Design) .......

2
4
4
4
4

     


18

       
Spring Term

Credit

CHE


 
418



 
Design III.............................
Elective (HSS).....................
Elective (free)......................
Elective (HSS).....................
Elective (Approved) .........

2
4
4
4
4

     


18

  
   

Total credits required:  194

 

Electives
   Chemical Engineering students must complete 32 credits of electives in humanities and social sciences in addition to RH 131. They are also required to take 24 credits of electives in addition to the humanities and social sciences mentioned above. A minimum of eight credits must be selected from courses that qualify as CHE design electives. The courses listed below qualify for CHE design elective. In very specific circumstances, independent projects that include design elements may qualify as CHE design elective if approved by the department.

   CHE 441 Polymer Engineering
   CHE 450 Air Pollution Control
   CHE 461 Unit Operations in Environmental Engineering
   CHE 470 Safety, Health, and Loss Prevention
   CHE 504 Advanced Reactor Design
   CHE 512 Petrochemical Processes
   CHE 540 Advanced Process Control
   CHE 545 Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
   CHE 546 Bioseparations
   PH 406 Semiconductor Materials and Devices II

   A minimum of eight credits of technical courses (designated as Approved electives) must be taken in an area of concentration of students’ choice. For example, a student may be interested in environmental area. The student should inform her/his academic advisor of the choice of the area of concentration and receive the advisor’s approval. Then the student must take at least eight credit hours of technical courses in environmental area. Some areas of concentration are Engineering Analysis (for students who would like to pursue a graduate degree), Chemistry and Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Material Science, Mathematical Modeling and Simulation, Computer Applications, Semiconductor Materials and Devices, and Environmental Management.
   The chemical engineering profession is rapidly changing and knowledge of specialty areas has become essential in the real world. Technical elective courses are intended to provide an opportunity to introduce students to a specialty area in science and engineering and help them to expand their knowledge and expertise in new areas of chemical engineering. Although a minimum of eight credit hours are required in an area of concentration, students are encouraged to take all the 24 credit hours of electives in an area of concentration. In many cases students can use their electives to take a package of courses toward an area minor such as, biochemical engineering, applied biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry, environmental engineering or toward a certificate in semiconductor materials and devices.
   Undergraduate students have the opportunity to work on a research project under the guidance of one of the departmental faculty members. Students who are interested in learning about research should talk to members of the faculty to define a project of mutual interest and then enroll in CHE499, Directed Research. Credit hours of CHE499 can count toward a technical elective.