Chemical Engineering
Home Department: Chemical Engineering
Department Head:
Susan Farhat, Ph.D.
Program Overview
Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry, math, and physics to the design and operation of large-scale chemical manufacturing processes. They translate processes developed in the lab into practical applications for the production of products such as plastics, medicines, detergents, and fuels; design plants to maximize productivity and minimize costs; and evaluate operations for performance and product quality.
Chemical Engineers work in very diverse industries including petrochemicals, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, alternative energy, food, health, automotive, aerospace, and the environment. Chemical Engineers have a broad knowledge of engineering science and environmental regulations, and as a consequence are apt at managing projects of significant proportions. Chemical Engineers have an integrated approach towards systems and understand the complete process and its critical components. Chemical engineers affect or control the production of almost every article manufactured on an industrial scale.
Kettering University’s Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering is a strong interdisciplinary program which draws on the strengths of our exceptional faculty, curricula, laboratories, and unique co-op component.
The Chemical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.
Program Educational Objectives
The Chemical Engineering program is designed to provide its graduates a solid educational foundation on which they can build successful and sustainable careers in chemical engineering or a related field. In particular, all graduates of the Chemical Engineering program will:
- Be employed or pursuing an advanced degree in the field of chemical engineering or other related disciplines.
- Be productive members of interdisciplinary teams.
- Assume leadership positions in their industry, their continuing education, or in their communities, as their careers develop.
- Continue their professional development and engage in the life-long learning necessary for a sustainable career.
BS/MASTERS PATHWAY
Undergraduate students also have an opportunity to get their bachelor's and master's degrees in five years with the BS/MASTERS Pathway.
Chemical Engineering Program Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience | ||
| CILE-101 | First Year Foundations | 1 |
| General Education | ||
| COMM-101 | Rhetoric & Writing | 4 |
| ECON-201 | Economic Principles | 4 |
| LA-201 | Sophomore Seminar: Exploring the Human Condition | 4 |
| LA-489 | Sr. Seminar:Leadership, Ethics | 4 |
| Advanced Humanities Electives 1 | 8 | |
| Advanced Social Science Electives 1 | 8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
- 1
Humanities and Social Science advanced electives must be selected from approved 300 and 400 level courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Sciences | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry Lab | ||
| Principles of Chemistry and Principles of Chemistry Lab | ||
| CHEM-237 & CHEM-238 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| CHEM-345 & CHEM-346 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 6 |
| CHEM-347 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| Advanced Chemistry Elective & Lab 3 | 7 | |
| PHYS-114 & PHYS-115 | Newtonian Mechanics and Newtonian Mechanics Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS-224 & PHYS-225 | Electricity and Magnetism and Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory | 4 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 33 | |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH-101 | Calculus I | 4 |
| or MATH-101X | Calculus I | |
| MATH-102 | Calculus II | 4 |
| or MATH-102X | Calculus II | |
| MATH-203 | Multivariate Calculus | 4 |
| or MATH-203X | Multivariate Calculus | |
| MATH-204 | Differential Equations & Laplace Transforms | 4 |
| MATH-258 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 20 | |
| Engineering Topics | ||
| CHME-100 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering | 4 |
| CHME-200 | Mass & Energy Balance | 4 |
| CHME-210 | Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics | 4 |
| CHME-225 | Computing in Chemical Engineering | 2 |
| CHME-310 | Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer | 4 |
| CHME-325 | Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer Lab | 2 |
| CHME-330 | Mass Transfer and Separations | 4 |
| CHME-350 | Reaction Engineering | 4 |
| CHME-360 | Sustainable Engineering Design: Energy and the Environment | 4 |
| CHME-425 | Separations, Reactions, and Prototyping Lab | 3 |
| CHME-430 | Process Controls | 4 |
| CHME-440 | Senior Chemical Engineering Design I | 4 |
| CHME-480 | Chemical Engineering Capstone | 4 |
| Chemical Engineering Elective | 4 | |
| EE-212 | Applied Electrical Circuits | 3 |
| MECH-231L | Signals for Mechanical Systems Lab | 1 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 55 | |
| Electives | ||
| Technical Electives 4 | 8 | |
| Free Electives | 8 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 16 | |
| Undergraduate Thesis | ||
| CILE-400 | Culminating Undergraduate Experience: Thesis 5 | 4 |
(Minimum) Total Credits Required for Program: 1612
- 2
The minimum total number of credit hours required for graduation is 161; however, the total number of credit hours taken may exceed 161. All Chemical Engineering majors must meet the general educational requirements and their program’s requirements for a minor or concentration.
- 3
Advanced Chemistry Elective/Lab must be numbered 300 or higher and cannot be Organic Chemistry I or Organic Chemistry II, since these are are already required courses.
- 4
A minimum of eight hours of technical electives are required for the Chemical Engineering Degree. A technical elective may be any course numbered 300-599 in BIOL, CE, CHEM, CHME, CS, EE, IME, ISYS, MATH, MECH, or PHYS that is not used to complete core degree requirements. Additional courses that can be used include BUSN-303, BUSN-304, and MGMT-419/619. Other courses may be used but require approval by the Department Head of Chemical Engineering.
- 5
Students are automatically registered for CILE-400 in a co-op term when they reach Junior II status.
Representative Program1,2
| Freshman I | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| CILE-101 | First Year Foundations | 1 |
| CHEM-137 or CHEM-135 |
General Chemistry I or Principles of Chemistry |
3 |
| CHEM-136 | Principles of Chemistry Lab | 1 |
| CHME-100 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering | 4 |
| COMM-101 | Rhetoric & Writing | 4 |
| MATH-101 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Freshman II | ||
| CHEM-237 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM-238 | General Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| ECON-201 | Economic Principles | 4 |
| MATH-102 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS-114 | Newtonian Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS-115 | Newtonian Mechanics Laboratory | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Sophomore I | ||
| CHEM-345 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM-346 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 2 |
| CHME-200 | Mass & Energy Balance | 4 |
| MATH-203 | Multivariate Calculus | 4 |
| PHYS-224 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS-225 | Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Sophomore II | ||
| CHEM-347 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| MATH-204 | Differential Equations & Laplace Transforms | 4 |
| CHME-210 | Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics | 4 |
| LS-201 | Sophomore Seminar: Exploring the Human Condition | 4 |
| CHME-225 | Computing in Chemical Engineering | 2 |
| Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Junior I | ||
| CHME-310 | Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer | 4 |
| CHME-325 | Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer Lab | 2 |
| Advanced Humanities or Social Science Elective | 4 | |
| Advanced Chemistry Elective & Lab | 7 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Junior II | ||
| CHME-330 | Mass Transfer and Separations | 4 |
| CHME-350 | Reaction Engineering | 4 |
| CHME-360 | Sustainable Engineering Design: Energy and the Environment | 4 |
| Advanced Humanities or Social Science Elective | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Senior I | ||
| Advanced Chemical Engineering Elective | 4 | |
| CHME-430 | Process Controls | 4 |
| EE-212 | Applied Electrical Circuits | 3 |
| MECH-231L | Signals for Mechanical Systems Lab | 1 |
| Technical Elective | 4 | |
| Advanced Humanities or Social Science Elective | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 20 | |
| Senior II | ||
| CHME-425 | Separations, Reactions, and Prototyping Lab | 3 |
| CHME-440 | Senior Chemical Engineering Design I | 4 |
| MATH-258 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| Advanced Humanities or Social Science Elective | 4 | |
| Free Elective | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 19 | |
| Senior III | ||
| CHME-480 | Chemical Engineering Capstone | 4 |
| LS-489 | Senior Seminar: Leadership, Ethics, and Contemporary Issues | 4 |
| Technical Elective | 4 | |
| Free Elective | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Any Term | ||
| CILE-400 | Culminating Undergraduate Experience: Thesis | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 161 | |
(Minimum) Total Credits Required for Program: 1611
- 1
The minimum total number of credit hours required for graduation is 161; however, the total number of credit hours taken may exceed 161. All Chemical Engineering majors must meet the general educational requirements and their program’s requirements for a minor or concentration.
- 2
Humanities and Social Science electives must be selected from approved 300 or 400 level courses, including one Humanities course and one Social Science course.
- 3
Advanced Chemistry Elective/Lab must be numbered 300 or higher and cannot be Organic Chemistry I or Organic Chemistry II, since these are are already required courses.
- 4
A minimum of 8 hours of technical electives are required for the Chemical Engineering Degree. A technical elective may be any course numbered 300-599 in BIOL, CE, CHEM, CHME, CS, EE, IME, ISYS, MATH, MECH, or PHYS that is not used to complete core degree requirements. Other courses may be used but require approval by the Department Head of Chemistry/Biochemistry.