Major: Chemical Engineering
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (BSCHE) and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MSCHE)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 226.5
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five 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 is responsible for equipping graduates with the broad technical knowledge and teamwork skills required to make substantial contributions to society. The rigorous curriculum is grounded in the fundamental physical sciences, integrating practical engineering design and modern computational techniques throughout, and includes 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 BS/MS is an accelerated degree program that provides academically qualified students the opportunity to develop technical depth and breadth in their major and an additional complementary related area, earning two diplomas (BS and MS) within the typical duration of earning the bachelor's degree alone. Students develop technical depth and breadth, which enhances their professional productivity, whether in industry or as they proceed to the PhD. The undergraduate courses provide the necessary, prerequisite understanding and skills for the graduate studies in the later years of the program. BS/MS students take graduate courses that delve deeper into the fundamentals of chemical engineering in the graduate core courses and gain knowledge and exposure to advanced applications through diverse graduate technical electives, all alongside the PhD and MS students participating in our robust research enterprise.
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 lifelong learning involving group or self-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.
Additional Information
For more information on the BS portion of the BS/MS, please visit the Chemical Engineering BSCHE catalog page or the BS/MS webpage.
Admission Requirements
Students must have an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and have taken at least two CHE courses with a cumulative CHE GPA of at least 3.3.
Degree 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 |
| ** | 18.0 |
| General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I | |
| |
| General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry II | 4.5 |
| 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 |
| MATE 220 | Fundamentals of Materials | 4.0 |
| Algebra, Functions, and Trigonometry
and Calculus I | |
| |
| Calculus and Functions I
and Calculus and Functions II ‡ | |
| |
| 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 |
| Preparation for Engineering Studies
and Fundamentals of Physics I | |
| |
| Fundamentals of Physics I | |
| PHYS 102 | Fundamentals of Physics II | 4.0 |
| Applied Cells, Genetics & Physiology | |
| Applied Biological Diversity, Ecology & Evolution | |
| Cells and Genetics | |
| Essential Biology | |
| 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 |
| ^ | 12.0 |
| 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 |
| |
| Master's Thesis | |
| |
^^ | |
| Total Credits | 226.5-242.0 |
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
5 year, 3 coop Co-Terminal
(Co-op cycle for Chemical Engineering is only spring/summer.)
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). Professor. Effects of microstructure on transport and properties of polymers; moisture transport and degradation on biodegradation on biodegradable polymers; production of biofuel.
Aviel Chaimovich, PhD (University of Southern California, Santa Barbara). Assistant Teaching Professor. Molecular simulations.
Megan A. Creighton, PhD (Brown University). Assistant Professor. Sustainable manufacturing practices. Valorization of waste, feasibility assessments of commercialization pipelines, circular economy strategies, and responsible innovation.
Peter Deak, PhD (University of Notre Dame). Assistant Professor. Design of innate immune modulating nanoparticles for vaccines, autoimmune diseases and transplantation. Chemical modulation of immunity.
Aaron Fafarman, PhD (Stanford University). Associate Professor. Photovoltaic energy conversion; solution-based synthesis of semiconductor thin films; colloidal nanocrystals; electromodulation and photomodulation spectroscopy.
Joshua Lequieu, PhD (University of Chicago). Assistant Professor. Polymer physics; statistical mechanics; field-theoretic simulation; molecular simulation.
Matthew A. McDonald, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology). Assistant Professor. Automation and machine learning to accelerate development of challenging chemical processes; pharmaceutical discovery and process engineering; crystallization as a separation technology.
Joshua Snyder, PhD (Johns Hopkins University). Associate 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). Associate Professor. Batteries and fuel cells; nonaqueous electrochemistry; charge transport at interfaces.
Emeritus Faculty
Raj Mutharasan, PhD (Drexel University) Frank A, Fletcher Professor. Biochemical engineering; cellular metabolism in bioreactors; biosensors.
Charles Weinberger, PhD (University of Michigan). Professor Emeritus. Suspension rheology; fluid mechanics of multi-phase systems.
