Undergraduate Curriculum
The Chemical Engineering curriculum is designed to give graduates a broad background in chemical engineering processes and to prepare them to become professional engineers. A comprehensive background in basic science, mathematics, and humanities courses is scheduled. Electives are available for specialization in fields such as environmental engineering, polymers, coal conversion, biochemical engineering, and interfacial phenomena. Computers are used throughout the curriculum as a tool, and at least two computer courses are required early in the Chemical Engineering program.
In the senior year, students take classes that reinforce the actual practice of chemical engineering, with a comprehensive plant design project providing the core for the senior program. Emphasizing professional practice and ethics, class work in the final year requires integration of oral and written technical communication skills and the practical application of all course work learned in previous years. For the plant design project, students organize and operate as professionals to work on a problem statement given them from an industrial client. In addition to this group activity, each student also participates in three individual major engineering problems "the major". Students must present their findings in oral and written form and defend the findings in front of two or more professors. Following the presentation students receive individual tutoring. The overall goal is to emphasize and develop problem-solving skills, as well as the power of teamwork and communication, in order to be successful in the profession.
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