Undergraduate Bulletin
Spring 2025
Requirements for the Major in Chemical and Molecular Engineering
Acceptance into the Major
Qualified freshman and transfer students who have indicated their interest in the major on their applications may be admitted directly as a degree major or as a pre-major. Pre-majors are placed into the Area of Interest (AOI) program and to be eligible for the degree, they must be admitted to and declare the major. The requirements and application process for matriculation are detailed below. Students admitted to other programs within the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) follow the same admissions process as students in the AOI program. Students in programs outside of CEAS (non-CEAS students) and double major applicants may apply for admission to the degree program following a separate process, outlined below.
Intellectual honesty and academic integrity are cornerstones of academic and scholarly work. The department may table any applications for major/minor admission until academic judiciary matters are resolved. An academic judiciary matter will be identified by a grade of “Q” in the instance of a first offense.
Area of Interest and Other CEAS Students (excluding double major applicants)
Applications for major admission from AOI and other CEAS students are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students who submit their application on time will be admitted if they meet the following requirements:
• Students must have a grade of B or higher in all 100-level mathematics, physics, and chemistry courses required by the major.
• Students must have an overall GPA of 3.2 with no more than one grade of C+ or lower in any course, unless permission to waive is granted by the undergraduate program director.
• Department must receive completed course evaluations for all transferred courses that are to be used to meet requirements of the major.
Students must complete these requirements no later than one year after they enroll in the first course that applies towards major entry. Students must apply for admission by the application deadline immediately following completion of the above requirements, but no later than the one year limit. Admission of AOI students and other CEAS students who apply late will follow the process of Non-CEAS Students and Double Major Applicants below.
Non-CEAS Students and Double Major Applicants
Applications for major admission from non-CEAS students and double major applicants are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students who do not meet the requirements for AOI admission above will not be considered. Fulfilling the requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission is competitive and contingent upon program capacity.
Requirements for the Major
The curriculum begins with a focus on mathematics, physics, and chemistry, followed by courses covering specific chemical engineering topics as well as an intensive laboratory sequence. In addition, each student chooses a three-course sequence at the 300 level or above (four courses if admitted prior to Fall 2012) as an area of specialization which may also qualify the students for a minor in the respective department. The program culminates in the submission and acceptance of a senior thesis describing an original research project completed by the student which is defended at the end of the senior year. Students are encouraged to select original research projects which can be published in peer reviewed journals.
Completion of the major requires approximately 100 credits.
1. Mathematics
a. AMS 151, AMS 161 Applied Calculus I, II
b. AMS 261 or MAT 203 Applied Calculus III or Calculus III with Applications
c. AMS 361 or MAT 303 Applied Calculus IV:Differential Equations or Calculus IV with Applications
Note: The following alternate calculus course sequences may be substituted for AMS 151, AMS 161: MAT 131, MAT 132 or MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 127
2. Natural Sciences
a. Chemistry
CHE 131, CHE 132 General Chemistry I, II
CHE 133, CHE 134 General Chemistry Laboratory I, II
CHE 321 Organic Chemistry I or CHE 331 Molecular Science II
CHE 327 Organic Chemistry Laboratory or CHE 383 Introductory Synthetic and Spectroscopic Laboratory Techniques
Note: The following alternate chemistry/organic chemistry course sequence may be substituted for CHE 131/CHE 133/CHE 132/ CHE 134: CHE 152 Molecular Science I and CHE 154 Molecular Science Laboratory I
b. Physics
PHY 131, PHY 132 Classical Physics I, II
PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics Laboratory I, II
Note: The following alternate physics course sequences may be substituted for PHY 131/PHY 133, PHY 132/PHY 134: PHY 125, PHY 126, PHY 127, PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics A, B, C and Laboratories or PHY 141, PHY 142, PHY 133, PHY 134 Classical Physics I, II: Honors
3. Computer Programming
ESG 111 Programming for Engineers
4. Chemical Engineering
CME 101 Introduction to Chemical and Molecular Engineering
CME 233 Ethics and Business Practices for Engineers
CME 304, CME 314 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I, II
CME 312 Material and Energy Balance
CME 315 Numerical Methods for Chemical Engineering Analysis
CME 318 Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics
CME 322 Chemical Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer
CME 323 Reaction Engineering and Chemical Kinetics
CME 310, CME 320, CME 410, CME 420 Chemical Engineering Laboratory I, II, III, IV
CME 401 Separation Technologies
CME 405 Process Control in Engineering Design
CME 425 Introduction to Catalysis or CME 427 Molecular Modeling for Chemical Engineers
CME 440, CME 441 Process Engineering and Design I, II
CME 480 Cellular Biology for Chemical Engineers or BIO 202 Fundamentals of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Biology
5. Specializations in Chemical and Molecular Engineering
Chemical and Molecular Engineering students must choose from one of the eight specializations offered. Each specialization requires the completion of three (four for students admitted prior to Fall 2012) technical elective courses at the 300 level or higher.
6. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: CME 300 Writing in Chemical and Molecular Engineering
All degree candidates must demonstrate skill in written English at a level acceptable for engineering majors. All Chemical and Molecular Engineering students must complete the writing course CME 300 concurrently with CME 310. The quality of writing in technical reports submitted for CME 310 is evaluated, and students whose writing does not meet the required standard are referred for remedial help. Satisfactory writing warrants an S grade for CME 300, thereby satisfying the requirement.
Grading
All courses taken to satisfy requirements 1-6 above must be taken for a letter grade of C or higher, except in CME 304 which must be taken for a letter grade of B- or higher.
Specializations
Students must complete three (four for students admitted prior to Fall 2012) courses in a chosen specialization. (In some cases, there is also a pre or co-requisite course attached to one of the courses.) In consultation with a program director, students select their area of specialization by the Spring semester of their junior year in the Chemical and Molecular Engineering program. Students are urged to meet regularly with their advisors regarding completion of the course requirements for the chosen specialization. Other courses may be used towards this requirement with the prior permission of the undergraduate program director.
A. Materials Science
Provides a foundation in properties of materials, engineering mechanics, and electronic materials for students interested in computer-related industries, nanotechnology, and electronics.
CME 360 Nanomaterials and Applications
CME 369 or ESM 469 Polymer Engineering
CME 375 Fundamentals of Industrial Corrosion and Corrosion Protection
CME 460 Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization
ESG 332 Materials Science I: Structure and Properties of Materials
ESG 333 Materials Science II: Electronic Properties
ESM 335 Strength of Materials
ESM 336 Electronic Materials
B. Nanotechnology
CME 360 Nanomaterials and Applications
CME 460 Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization
Students can select any one of the following courses (provided the course was not used to satisfy a core requirement):
CME 425 Intro to Catalysis
CME 427 Molecular modeling
CME 369
or
ESM 469
Polymer Engineering
CME 372 Colloids, emulsions, micelles
C. Polymer specialization
CME 369
or
ESM 469
Polymer Engineering
CME 371 Biomaterials
CME 460 Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Processing and Characterization
CME 470 Polymer Synthesis
Students may replace any one of the above by selecting any one of the following courses (provided the course was not used to satisfy a core requirement):
CME 425 Intro to Catalysis
CME 427 Molecular modeling
D. Tissue Engineering
Recommended for students who are interested in the biochemical foundations of cellular function and the design of materials scaffolds for tissue engineering. It is also recommended for students interested in drug delivery systems and premedical or pharmacological professions.
The following courses can be used to satisfy the CME Tissue Engineering Specialization:
BME 404 Essentials of Tissue Engineering
Any TWO (three for students admitted prior to Fall 2012) of the following courses:
BIO 310 Cell Biology
BIO 328 Mammalian Physiology
BIO 335 Neurobiology Laboratory
BIO 317 Principles of Cellular Signaling
BME 354 Advanced Biomaterials
CHE 346 Biomolecular Structure and Reactivity
CME 371 Biomaterials or BME 353 Introduction to Biomaterials
CME 481 Advanced Cell Biology for Chemical Engineers
E. Business
The Business specialization is recommended for students interested in the economic implications of chemical engineering and in financial management of intellectual property.
The Business specialization consists of 9 credits of any upper division (300 level or above) Business courses not required for the CME major.
F. Chemistry
The Chemistry specialization consists of 9 credits of upper level CHE 300 courses not already required for the CME Major.
G. Physics
The Physics specialization consists of 9 credits of any upper division (300 level or above) Physics courses not required for the CME major.
H. Custom Specialization
This category is created to allow students to choose their own specialization. Students will select three upper level courses (four for students admitted prior to fall 2012) related to the chosen specialty within the courses offered at the university and approved by the CME undergraduate program director. The goal is to provide a basic foundation for students and prepare them for the job market in the chosen specialty.
The Accelerated B.E./M.S. Degree Program in Chemical and Molecular Engineering
The accelerated B.E./M.S. program in chemical and molecular engineering allows students to use up to six graduate credits taken as an undergraduate toward both B.E. and M.S. degree requirements, thus reducing the normal time required to complete both degrees. The program is designed for upper-division chemical and molecular engineering students with superior academic records. For detailed program requirements, including admission requirements, please refer to the Graduate Bulletin.
