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Chemical Engineering

Major: Chemical Engineering
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (BSCHE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 181.5
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.0701
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 17-2041

About the Program

The department of Chemical and Biological Engineering offers a rigorous curriculum grounded in the fundamental physical sciences, integrating practical engineering design and modern computational techniques throughout, and including expansive opportunities to explore the humanities. An extensive, hands-on laboratory experience rounds out a dynamic program that prepares our graduates for rewarding careers in chemical engineering as well as other quantitative disciplines.

Chemical engineers are dedicated to designing devices and processes that convert input materials into more valuable products and to the design of those products. Such end products include pharmaceuticals, plastics and other materials, fine chemicals, integrated circuits, electrical energy, petrochemicals, biologically derived fuels, and much more. Chemical engineering often begins with small laboratory scale processes that must be scaled up to production levels through carefully integrated design, optimization, economic, environmental and safety analyses.

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is responsible for equipping our graduates with the broad technical knowledge and teamwork skills required to make substantial contributions to society.

Sample Senior Design Projects

A special feature of the major is senior design. Teams of chemical engineering seniors work with a faculty or industrial advisor over an entire academic year to develop a realistic, practical industrial design project of their choosing. Some recent examples include the start-to-finish design of production processes for:

Low-cost solar cells, manufactured by printing
Scaled-up synthesis of MXene, a novel nanomaterial for energy storage discovered at Drexel
Biotechnologically derived antibiotic medicine
Jet fuel derived from bioethanol

Program Educational Objectives

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has four goals pertaining to student outcomes within a few years of graduation:

Our graduates will succeed in careers requiring strong skills in engineering, science, creative problem solving, communication, teamwork, and appropriate leadership.
Our graduates will continue their professional development through life-long learning involving self- or group-study and on-the-job training.
Our graduates will hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. They will conduct their work ethically and understand its global impact and sustainability.
Our graduates will be thought leaders in their area of expertise who are prepared to contribute to research, development, and industrial innovation at the forefront of chemical engineering and related fields.

Student Outcomes*

An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of the engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Additional Information

*Adapted from The Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

For more information about this program, visit Drexel University's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering webpage.

Degree Requirements

General Education/Liberal Studies Requirements
CIVC 101	Introduction to Civic Engagement	1.0
COOP 101	Career Management and Professional Development	1.0
ENGL 101	Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research	3.0
or ENGL 111	English Composition I
ENGL 102	Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing	3.0
or ENGL 112	English Composition II
ENGL 103	Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres	3.0
or ENGL 113	English Composition III
UNIV E101	The Drexel Experience	1.0
General Education Requirements ^*		18.0
Foundation Requirements
BIO Elective ^**		3.0
Chemistry Requirements ^***		3.5-7.5
CHEM 111 & CHEM 101	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I
OR
CHEM 101	General Chemistry I
CHEM 102	General Chemistry II	4.5
Engineering (ENGR) Requirements
ENGR 220	Fundamentals of Materials	4.0
ENGR 111	Introduction to Engineering Design & Data Analysis	3.0
ENGR 113	First-Year Engineering Design	3.0
ENGR 131	Introductory Programming for Engineers	3.0
or ENGR 132	Programming for Engineers
Math Requirements ^†		4.0-10.0
MATH 105 & MATH 121	Algebra, Functions, and Trigonometry and Calculus I
OR
MATH 116 & MATH 117	Calculus and Functions I and Calculus and Functions II
OR
MATH 121	Calculus I
MATH 122	Calculus II	4.0
MATH 200	Multivariate Calculus	4.0
MATH 201	Linear Algebra	4.0
MATH 210	Differential Equations	4.0
Physics Requirements ^†		4.0-8.0
PHYS 100 & PHYS 101	Preparation for Engineering Studies and Fundamentals of Physics I
OR
PHYS 101	Fundamentals of Physics I
PHYS 102	Fundamentals of Physics II	4.0
Professional Requirements
CHE 211	Material and Energy Balances I	4.0
CHE 212	Material and Energy Balances II	4.0
CHE 220	Computational Methods in Chemical Engineering I	3.0
CHE 230	Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I	4.0
CHE 320	Computational Methods in Chemical Engineering II	3.0
CHE 330	Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II	4.0
CHE 331	Separation Processes	3.0
CHE 341	Fluid Mechanics	4.0
CHE 342	Heat Transfer	4.0
CHE 343	Mass Transfer	4.0
CHE 350	Statistics and Design of Experiments	3.0
CHE 351 [WI]	Chemical Engineering Laboratory I	2.5
CHE 352 [WI]	Chemical Engineering Laboratory II	2.5
CHE 362	Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design	4.0
CHE 371	Engineering Economics and Professional Practice	3.0
CHE 372	Integrated Case Studies in Chemical Engineering	3.0
CHE 453 [WI]	Chemical Engineering Laboratory III	2.5
CHE 464	Process Dynamics and Control	3.0
CHE 466	Chemical Process Safety	3.0
CHE 471	Process Design I	4.0
CHE 472 [WI]	Process Design II	3.0
CHE 473 [WI]	Process Design III	3.0
CHEC 353	Physical Chemistry and Applications III	4.0
CHEM 241	Organic Chemistry I	4.0
CHEM 242	Organic Chemistry II	4.0
CHEM 356	Physical Chemistry Laboratory	2.0
Technical Electives		12.0
Total Credits		181.5-195.5

General Education Requirements.

Select from BIO 100, BIO 101, BIO 122, or BIO 141.

***

CHEM sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

†

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

Graduate-Level Electives

CHE 502	Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering	3.0
CHE 513	Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I	3.0
CHE 525	Transport Phenomena I	3.0
CHE 543	Kinetics & Catalysis I	3.0
CHE 554	Process Systems Engineering	3.0
CHE 562	Bioreactor Engineering	3.0
CHE 564	Unit Operations in Bioprocess Systems	3.0
CHE 614	Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II	3.0

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program . Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

4 year, 1 co-op

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHEM 101^*	3.5	CHEM 102	4.5	ENGL 102 or 112	3.0	VACATION
COOP 101^**	1.0	CIVC 101	1.0	ENGR 113	3.0
ENGL 101 or 111	3.0	ENGR 131 or 132	3.0	MATH 200	4.0
ENGR 111	3.0	MATH 122	4.0	PHYS 102	4.0
MATH 121^***	4.0	PHYS 101^***	4.0	General Education elective^†	3.0
UNIV E101	1.0
	15.5		16.5		17		0
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHE 211	4.0	CHE 212	4.0	CHE 330	4.0	CHE 320	3.0
CHE 220	3.0	CHE 230	4.0	CHE 341	4.0	CHE 342	4.0
CHEM 241	4.0	CHEM 242	4.0	CHE 350	3.0	CHE 343	4.0
MATH 201	4.0	MATH 210	4.0	ENGR 220	4.0	CHE 351	2.5
						ENGL 103 or 113	3.0
	15		16		15		16.5
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHE 331	3.0	CHE 352	2.5	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHE 362	4.0	CHE 371	3.0
CHEC 353	4.0	CHE 372	3.0
CHEM 356	2.0	CHE Technical elective	3.0
BIO elective^††	3.0	General Education elective^†	3.0
	16		14.5		0		0
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CHE 453	2.5	CHE 472	3.0	CHE 466	3.0
CHE 464	3.0	CHE Technical elective	3.0	CHE 473	3.0
CHE 471	4.0	General Education electives^†	6.0	CHE Technical elective	3.0
CHE Technical elective	3.0			General Education elective^†	3.0
General Education elective^†	3.0
	15.5		12		12
Total Credits 181.5

CHEM Sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

***

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

†

See degree requirements

††

Select from BIO 100, BIO 101, BIO 122, or BIO 141

5 year, 3 co-op

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHEM 101^*	3.5	CHEM 102	4.5	ENGL 102 or 112	3.0	VACATION
COOP 101^**	1.0	CIVC 101	1.0	ENGR 113	3.0
ENGL 101 or 111	3.0	ENGR 131 or 132	3.0	MATH 200	4.0
ENGR 111	3.0	MATH 122	4.0	PHYS 102	4.0
MATH 121^***	4.0	PHYS 101^***	4.0	General Education elective^†	3.0
UNIV E101	1.0
	15.5		16.5		17		0
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHE 211	4.0	CHE 212	4.0	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHE 220	3.0	CHE 230	4.0
CHEM 241	4.0	CHEM 242	4.0
MATH 201	4.0	MATH 210	4.0
	15		16		0		0
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHE 330	4.0	CHE 320	3.0	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHE 341	4.0	CHE 342	4.0
CHE 350	3.0	CHE 343	4.0
ENGR 220	4.0	CHE 351	2.5
		ENGL 103 or 113	3.0
	15		16.5		0		0
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CHE 331	3.0	CHE 352	2.5	COOP EXPERIENCE		COOP EXPERIENCE
CHE 362	4.0	CHE 371	3.0
CHEC 353	4.0	CHE 372	3.0
CHEM 356	2.0	CHE Technical elective	3.0
BIO elective^††	3.0	General Education elective^†	3.0
	16		14.5		0		0
Fifth Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CHE 453	2.5	CHE 472	3.0	CHE 466	3.0
CHE 464	3.0	CHE Technical elective	3.0	CHE 473	3.0
CHE 471	4.0	General Education elective^†	6.0	CHE Technical elective	3.0
CHE Technical elective	3.0			General Education elective^†	3.0
General Education elective^†	3.0
	15.5		12		12
Total Credits 181.5

CHEM Sequence is determined by the student's Chemistry Placement Exam score and the completion of a summer online preparatory course available based on that score.

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

***

MATH and PHYS sequences are determined by the student's Calculus Placement Exam score and the completion of any summer online preparatory courses available based on that score.

†

See degree requirements.

††

Select from BIO 100, BIO 101, BIO 122, or BIO 141

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Chemical engineers tend to work for large corporations with such job assignments as process engineering, design engineering, plant operation, research and development, sales, and management. They also work for federal and state government agencies on projects related to environmental problems, defense, energy, and health-related research.

Some major employers of Drexel’s chemical engineering graduates are DuPont, Merck, BASF, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, and Air Products. A number of graduates go on to pursue master’s and/or doctoral degrees. Graduate schools that Drexel’s chemical engineers have attended include the University of California at Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among others.

Co-op Experiences

Drexel is located in downtown Philadelphia with easy access to major pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum companies. When students complete their co-op jobs, they are asked to write an overview of their experiences. These brief quotes are taken from some recent student reports:

Research assistant, chemicals manufacturer: “Conducted research in a developmental polyamide process. Aspects included scale-up from bench-scale to batch demonstration, installation and calibration of on-line composition sensors, off-line analytical techniques to assess product quality, and interfacing with plant sites to define and standardize a critical quality lab procedure. Documented results in technical memos and in a plant presentation . . .I had a lot of freedom and responsibility. It was great interacting with other researchers and technicians. Everyone was so helpful. ”

Co-op engineer, chemicals manufacturer: “Created material safety data sheets, which involved chemical composition, hazard communication, occupational safety and health, emergency response, and regulatory issues for numerous products and wastes. Handled domestic and international regulatory reviews. Determined hazardous waste reporting requirements, handling and disposal procedures. Evaluated toxicological and ecological data for assessment of hazard ratings. Provided input on product safety technical reports.”

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Dual/Accelerated Degree

Accelerated Program

The accelerated program of the College of Engineering provides opportunities for highly-talented and strongly-motivated students to progress toward their educational goals essentially at their own pace. Through advanced placement, credit by examination, flexibility of scheduling, and independent study, the program makes it possible to complete the undergraduate curriculum and initiate graduate study in less than the five years required by the standard curriculum.

Bachelor’s/Master’s Accelerated Degree Program

Drexel offers a combined BS/MS degree program for our top engineering students who want to obtain both degrees in the same time period as most students obtain a bachelor's degree. In Chemical Engineering, the course sequence for BS/MS students involves additional graduate courses and electives.

Facilities

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering occupies the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th floors of the Center for Automation Technology. Approximately 35,000 square feet (gross) are available for the department.

Two thousand square feet of laboratory facilities are designed for the pre-junior and junior year laboratory courses. Experiments in these laboratory courses focus on applying concepts in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, separations, and reaction engineering. Laboratory courses are run with class sizes of 18 students or less.

The department has two computer laboratories:

The senior design laboratory features nine booths designed for team projects. Each booth contains a work station loaded with the latest process simulation software produced by Aspen, Simulation Sciences and HYSIS. Seniors use the room heavily during their Capstone design experience, although pre-junior courses in separations and transport also include projects requiring use of the process simulation software.
A second computer lab contains over 30 individual work stations with general and engineering-specific software.

Many undergraduate students participate in research projects in faculty laboratories as part of independent study coursework or BS/MS thesis work. Chemical engineering faculty are engaged in a wide range of research activities in areas including energy and the environment, polymer science and engineering, biological engineering, and multi-scale modeling and process systems engineering. Further details can be found on the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering's Research Group web page.

Chemical Engineering Faculty

Cameron F. Abrams, PhD (University of California, Berkeley). Professor. Molecular simulations in biophysics and materials; receptors for insulin and growth factors; and HIV-1 envelope structure and function.

Nicolas Alvarez, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University). Assistant Professor. Phototonic crystal defect chromatography; extensional rheology of polymer/polymer composites; surfactant/polymer transport to fluid and solid interfaces; aqueous lubrication; interfacial instabilities.

Jason Baxter, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara). Professor. Solar cells, semiconductor nanomaterials, ultrafast spectroscopy.

Richard A. Cairncross, PhD (University of Minnesota). Associate Professor. Effects of microstructure on transport and properties of polymers; moisture transport and degradation on biodegradation on biodegradable polymers; production of biofuel.

Aaron Fafarman, PhD (Stanford University). Associate Professor. Photovoltaic energy conversion; solution-based synthesis of semiconductor thin films; colloidal nanocrystals; electromodulation and photomodulation spectroscopy.

Vibha Kalra, PhD (Cornell University). Associate Professor. Electrodes for energy storage and conversion; supercapacitors; Li-S batteries; fuel cells; flow batteries; electrospinning for nanofibers; molecular dynamics simulations; Nanotechnology, polymer nanocomposites.

Kenneth K.S. Lau, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Associate Department Head. Professor. Surface science; nanotechnology; polymer thin films and coatings; chemical vapor deposition.

Raj Mutharasan, PhD (Drexel University) Frank A, Fletcher Professor. Biochemical engineering; cellular metabolism in bioreactors; biosensors.

Giuseppe R. Palmese, PhD (University of Delaware). George B Francis Professor. Reacting polymer systems; nanostructured polymers; radiation processing of materials; composites and interfaces.

Joshua Snyder, PhD (Johns Hopkins University). Assistant Professor. Electrocatalysis (energy conversion/storage); hetergeneous catalysis corrosion (dealloying nanoporous metals); interfacial electrochemical phenomena in nanostructured materials; colloidal synthesis.

Masoud Soroush, PhD (University of Michigan). Professor. Process systems engineering; polymer engineering.

John H. Speidel, BSHE, MCHE (University of Delaware; Illinois Institute of Technology). Teaching Professor. Chemical process safety; process design engineering.

Maureen Tang, PhD (University of California, Berkeley). Assistant Professor. Batteries and fuel cells; nonaqueous electrochemistry; charge transport at interfaces.

Michael Walters, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Teaching Professor. Undergraduate laboratory.

Stephen P. Wrenn, PhD (University of Delaware). Professor. Biomedical engineering; biological colloids; membrane phase behavior and cholesterol transport.