University Catalog 2024-2025

Chemical Engineering

Research activities in the department include: computational nanoscience and biology; biomolecular engineering and biotechnology; catalysis, combustion, kinetics and electrochemical engineering; biofuels and renewable energy technology; green chemistry and engineering; innovative textiles, polymers and colloids; nanoscience and nanoengineering; and thermodynamics and molecular simulation.

Master of Science Degree Requirements

The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours. A set of four core courses is required. Two options are provided. In the thesis option, the thesis must be defended in a final public oral examination. In the non-thesis option, the student must satisfactorily complete a total of 10 graduate courses. A unique feature of the non-thesis option is the availability of a Distance Education Masters in which the students can complete all 30 credit hours remotely through online courses offered via streaming videos without being on campus.

Master of Chemical Engineering Degree Requirements

The M.Ch.E. degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours. A set of four core courses is required. A three-credit project is also required.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements

Students normally take a set of five core courses, two advanced courses and at least 6 credits of dissertation research. A thesis is required; this must be defended in a final public oral examination. In addition, the candidate must: (1) submit and defend an original written proposition in any area of chemical engineering, and (2) submit and defend a proposal to perform his/her thesis research.

More Information

Chemical Engineering Program Website

Distance Website

Admissions Requirements

Students admitted to the graduate program normally have a Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or its equivalent. Students with undergraduate degrees in chemistry, physics or other engineering disciplines may be admitted but will be required to make up undergraduate course work deficiencies in chemical engineering without graduate credit. The most promising candidates will be accepted up to the number of spaces available.

Applicant Information

Chemical Engineering (MR and PhD)

  • Delivery Method: On-Campus
  • Entrance Exam: None
  • Interview Required: None

Chemical Engineering (MS)

  • Delivery Method: On-Campus, Online, Hybrid
  • Entrance Exam: None
  • Interview Required: None

Application Deadlines

  • Fall: March 15
  • Spring: November 15 (admitting distance education students only)

Faculty

Full Professors

  • Milad Abolhasani
  • Ruben G. Carbonell
  • Michael David Dickey
  • Peter S. Fedkiw
  • Jan Genzer
  • Harvinder Gill
  • Christine S. Grant
  • Carol K. Hall
  • Jason M. Haugh
  • Hasan Jameel
  • Robert M. Kelly
  • Saad A. Khan
  • Fanxing Li
  • Gregory N Parsons
  • Walter James Pfaendtner
  • Behnam Pourdeyhimi
  • Balaji M. Rao
  • Sindee Lou Simon
  • Richard J. Spontak
  • Orlin Dimitrov Velev
  • Phillip R. Westmoreland

Associate Professors

  • Adriana San Miguel Delgadillo
  • Chien Ching Lilian Hsiao
  • Albert Jun Qi Keung
  • Stefano Menegatti
  • Erik Emilio Santiso
  • Qingshan Wei

Assistant Professors

  • Nathan Crook
  • Artem Rumyantsev
  • Wentao Tang

Practice/Research/Teaching Professors

  • Cristina Boi
  • Lisa G. Bullard
  • Matthew Ellis Cooper
  • Kirill Efimenko
  • Gary Louis Gilleskie
  • Hassan Golpour
  • Gregory McKenna
  • Luke Neal
  • John H. van Zanten

Adjunct Faculty

  • Anthony L. Andrady
  • Orlando J. Rojas

Emeritus Faculty

  • Joseph M. DeSimone
  • Richard M. Felder
  • Michael Carl Flickinger
  • Keith Gubbins
  • Harold B. Hopfenberg
  • Harold Henry Lamb
  • Phooi K. Lim
  • Steven W. Peretti
  • Hubert Winston

Courses

CHE 525  Process System Analysis and Control  (3 credit hours)  

Dynamic analysis and continuous control of chemical engineering processes. Process modeling; stability analysis, design and selection of control schemes. Solution of differential equations using Laplace transform techniques. Credit for both CHE 425 and CHE 525 is not allowed.

Prerequisite: CHE 312

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 531  Chemical Engineering Core Concepts I  (3 credit hours)  

This online/hybrid chemical engineering bridging course is part of a comprehensive two-course sequence (three credits each) consisting of core undergraduate level chemical engineering topics. This homework-intensive course is designed to prepare students with backgrounds in chemistry, biology and other non-chemical engineering subjects for graduate study in chemical engineering. It is not equivalent to a four-year degree in chemical engineering, but the proposed course is designed to help students obtain the additional knowledge and skills to successfully undertake graduate classes offered by a chemical engineering program.

Prerequisite: Graduate Standing

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 532  Chemical Engineering Core Concepts II  (3 credit hours)  

This online/hybrid chemical engineering bridging course is part of a comprehensive two-course sequence (three credits each) consisting of core undergraduate level chemical engineering topics. This homework-intensive course is designed to prepare students with backgrounds in chemistry, biology and other non-chemical engineering subjects for graduate study in chemical engineering. It is not equivalent to a four-year degree in chemical engineering, but the proposed course is designed to help students obtain the additional knowledge and skills to successfully undertake graduate classes offered by a chemical engineering program.

Prerequisite: Graduate Standing

Typically offered in Spring and Summer

CHE 543  Polymer Science and Technology  (3 credit hours)  

Concepts and techniques for polymerization of macromolecules. Structure, properties, and applications of commercially important polymers.

Prerequisite: CHE 223, CHE 316

Typically offered in Fall and Summer

This course is offered alternate years

CHE 546  Design and Analysis of Chemical Reactors  (3 credit hours)  

Characterization and measurement of rates of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. Design and analysis of chemical reactors. Credit for both CHE 446 and CHE 546 is not allowed.

Prerequisite: CHE 316

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 548/CHE 448/BEC 448/BEC 548  Bioreactor Design  (2 credit hours)  

This course will cover critical aspects of bioreactor design, including design of reactors for enzyme-catalyzed reactions, fermentation of microorganisms, and scale-up considerations for bioreactors. Hands-on experiments involving fermentation of microorganisms and scale-up of bioreactors will be included. Students cannot get credit for both CHE 448 and CHE 548.

Prerequisite CHE 446 or instructor permission; Co-requisite BCH 451 or instructor permission

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 551  Biochemical Engineering  (3 credit hours)  

Enzyme and microbial kinetics and reactor designs for processes involving enzymes and single and mixed cultures. Samples drawn from full range of applications: food processing, single cell proteins, tissue culture and vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant DNA and hybridomas, artificial organs, biological waste treatment and environmental processes.

Prerequisite: CHE 312 and (CHE 446 or CHE 447)

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 552/CHE 452  Biomolecular Engineering  (2 credit hours)  

This course will cover modern methods in biomolecule design, including gene expression regulators, RNA structure, protein structure, and metabolic networks. Current methods in genetic engineering and 'omics-based analysis will be discussed, followed by a critical review of current literature on the applications of these methods to engineering microbes, cells, and multi-species communities. Hands-on assignments involving computational design will be included.

Corequisites: CHE 448 and BCH 451

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 560/CHE 460  Chemical Processing of Electronic Materials  (3 credit hours)  

This course is an introduction to electronic materials, chemical processes used in their fabrication, and basic physical principles of electronic device operation and function. The course will address how principles of chemical engineering are applied to design and fabricate current and emerging electronic systems. We will also discuss emerging areas of electronic technologies, including organic semiconductors, advanced energy conversion, and quantum computing and related systems. Credit for both CHE 460 and CHE 560 is not allowed.

Prerequisite: CHE 446 or permission of instructor

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 562/BEC 462/BEC 562/CHE 462  Fundamentals of Bio-Nanotechnology  (3 credit hours)  

Concepts of nanotechnology are applied in the synthesis, characterization, recognition and application of biomaterials on the nanoscale. Emphasis will be given to hands-on experience with nanostructured biomaterials; students will also be familiarized with the potential impact of these materials on different aspects of society and potential hazards associated with their preparation and application.

Prerequisite: MA 241 and PY 208 and (CH 223 or CH 227)

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 563/BEC 563/CHE 463/BEC 463  Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms  (2 credit hours)  

Students completing this course will be able to conduct small-scale fermentations of recombinant microorganisms as well as having an understanding of ways to approach optimization of such processes. One of the focus areas of this course is on protein production and factors that affect gene expression and recombinant protein yield.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 568/ECE 568/ECE 468/CHE 468  Conventional and Emerging Nanomanufacturing Techniques and Their Applications in Nanosystems  (3 credit hours)  

Conventional and emerging nano-manufacturing techniques and their applications in the fabrication of various structures and devices. Review of techniques for patterning, deposition, and etching of thin films including emerging techniques such as an imprint and soft lithography and other unconventional techniques. Electronic and mechanical properties of 0 to 3-D nanostructures and their applications in nano-electronics, MEMS/NEMS devices, sensing, energy harvesting, storage, flexible electronics and nano-medicine. Credit for both ECE/CHE 468 and ECE/CHE 568 is not allowed.

Prerequisite: E 304

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 572/BEC 472/BEC 572/CHE 472  Drug Delivery - Theory and Modern Practices  (3 credit hours)  

The course discusses conventional and advanced drug delivery methods and systems and modern practices in drug delivery manufacturing.

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 575/CHE 475  Advances in Pollution Prevention: Environmental Management for the Future  (3 credit hours)  

Design of industrial processes which minimize or eliminate wastes. Regulations and the corporate organization of current pollution prevention efforts. Current pollution prevention research. Product life cycle analysis and the application to design of more efficient processes.

Prerequisite: PY 208, MA 341

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 577/BEC 577  Advanced Biomanufacturing and Biocatalysis  (3 credit hours)  

Overview of biomanufacturing using microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, fungi), eukaryotic cells (hybridomas, insect, plant, CHO) and recombinant enzymes focusing on methods used in industry. Course will emphasize process design for optimization of heterologous protein expression, metabolic/cell line engineering, metabolomics, protein engineering to alter enzymes and antibodies. Pathway engineering strategies include developing microbes to produce new therapeutic compounds or overproduce primary metabolites, antibiotics, biotherapeutics, therapeutic enzymes, diagnostics, recombinant vaccines, and biopharmaceuticals. Utilization of immobilized biocatalysts, and microbial kinetics are covered.

Graduate standing in engineering or life-science graduate program

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 588/BEC 488/CHE 488/BEC 588  Animal Cell Culture Engineering  (2 credit hours)  

Design and operation of animal cell culture bioreactors for therapeutic protein production. Topics include: batch, fed-batch and perfusion bioreactors, agitation and aeration for mixing and oxygen mass transfer, bioreactor monitoring and control, optimizing bioreactor performance, single-use [disposal] bioreactors, and the production of gene therapy vectors. This is a half-semester course. Time outside of the regularly scheduled class time may be required.

Prerequisite: BEC 463 or CHE 563 or BEC 363 or BEC 440/540 or BEC 441/541 or equivalent; or consent of instructor.

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 596  Special Topics in Chemical Engineering  (1-3 credit hours)  

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 597  Chemical Engineering Projects  (1-3 credit hours)  

Independent study of some phase of chemical engineering or related field.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

CHE 601  Seminar  (1 credit hours)  

Weekly seminars on topics of current interest given by resident faculty members, graduate students and visiting lecturers.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 610  Special Topics  (1-6 credit hours)  

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

CHE 685  Master's Supervised Teaching  (1-3 credit hours)  

Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 689  Non-Thesis Master Continuous Registration - Full Time Registration  (3 credit hours)  

For students in non-thesis master's programs who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree but need to maintain full-time continuous registration to complete incomplete grades, projects, final master's exam, etc. Students may register for this course a maximum of one semester.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 690  Master's Examination  (1-9 credit hours)  

For students in non-thesis master's programs who have completed all other requirements of the degree except preparing for and taking the final master's exam.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 693  Master's Supervised Research  (1-9 credit hours)  

Instruction in research and research under the mentorship of a member of the Graduate Faculty.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Spring and Summer

CHE 695  Master's Thesis Research  (1-9 credit hours)  

Thesis research.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

CHE 696  Summer Thesis Research  (1 credit hours)  

For graduate students whose programs of work specify no formal course work during a summer session and who will be devoting full time to thesis research.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Summer only

CHE 697  Advanced Chemical Engineering Projects  (1-12 credit hours)  

Independent study of some phase of chemical engineering or related field.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing in CHE

Typically offered in Summer only

CHE 699  Master's Thesis Preparation  (1-9 credit hours)  

For students who have completed all credit hour requirements and full-time enrollment for the master's degree and are writing and defending their thesis.

Prerequisite: Master's student

Typically offered in Summer only

CHE 701  Introduction to Chemical Engineering Research  (2 credit hours)  

Introduction to graduate research guidelines and practices. Topics include research ethics, electronic literature searching, research proposal structure, technical writing styles, research problem identification, advisor expectations, intellectual property and patents, laboratory notebooks, proposal creation and oral presentation. Graduate standing in chemical engineering or permission of instructor.

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 702  Chemical Engineering Research Proposition  (2 credit hours)  

Preparation of a professional quality chemical engineering research proposal. Includes selecting a novel research topic, drafting and finalizing the proposal according to NSF formats, and orally presenting and defending the proposal to a faculty advisory committee. Ethics in proposal preparation.

Prerequisite: CHE 701

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 711  Chemical Engineering Process Modeling  (3 credit hours)  

Applications of methods of mathematical analysis to formulation and solution of problems in transport phenomena, process dynamics and chemical reaction engineering.

Prerequisite: (CHE 312, MA 301 or MA 341) or equivalent

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 713  Thermodynamics I  (3 credit hours)  

In-depth coverage of chemical engineering thermodynamics principles. Application of non-ideal fluid-phase chemical potentials to problems in phase and chemical reaction equilibria. Relations of molecular structure and intermolecular forces to macroscopic thermodynamic properties.

Prerequisite: CHE 316 or equivalent

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 715  Transport Phenomena  (3 credit hours)  

A theoretical unified study of transport of momentum, energy and matter. Introduction to diffusional operations including coupled heat and mass transfer in light of the theory.

Prerequisite: CHE 311 or equivalent

Typically offered in Spring and Summer

CHE 717  Chemical Reaction Engineering  (3 credit hours)  

Rates and mechanisms of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. Design, analysis and scale-up of batch and continuous chemical reactors.

Prerequisite: CHE 446 or CHE 447 or equivalent

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 718  Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering  (3 credit hours)  

Topics relating to design, analysis and operation of homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactors.

Prerequisite: CHE 717

This course is offered alternate years

CHE 719  Electrochemical Systems Analysis  (3 credit hours)  

Electrochemical thermodynamics, electrochemical kinetics and catalysis, coupled charge and material transport in an electric field and electrophoretic effects. Design and analysis of electrochemical reactors. Survey of electrochemical industry.

Prerequisite: CHE 715, 717

Typically offered in Spring only

This course is offered alternate years

CHE 752  Separation Processes For Biological Materials  (3 credit hours)  

Definition and engineering analysis of major bioseparation techniques useful in product isolation and purification. Solid-liquid separation, crystallization, filtration, extraction, chromatography, membrane processes, distillation, drying, combined operations and process economics.

Prerequisite: CHE 721 or CHE 551

This course is offered alternate years

CHE 761/MSE 761  Polymer Blends and Alloys  (3 credit hours)  

Thermodynamics, morphological characteristics and properties of multiphase polymer systems composed of homopolymers or copolymers. Interfacial characteristics and modification of multicomponent polymer blends through emulsification and reactive blending. Microphase ordering in block copolymers, and emerging technolgies employing these nanostructured materials. Conformational properties and dynamics of macromolecules constrained near an interface.

Prerequisite: CHE 316 or MAT 301

Typically offered in Fall only

This course is offered alternate odd years

CHE 775  Multi-Scale Modeling of Matter  (3 credit hours)  

Current methods for modeling liquids, soft matter (polymers, surfactant solutions, colloids, liquid crystals, etc), nano-structured materials (nanoparticles, nano-composites, nano-porous materials, etc.), biomolecular systems, and reacting systems at the electronic, atomistic, meso-scale and continuum levels. Graduate level thermodynamics and differential and integral calculus required.

Prerequisite: Graduate level thermodynamics, and differential and integral calculus

Typically offered in Spring only

This course is offered alternate even years

CHE 796  Special Topics In Chemical Engineering  (1-6 credit hours)  

Directed reading of chemical engineering literature, introduction to research methodology, and lectures and seminar discussion on topics which vary from term to term.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 797  Chemical Engineering Projects  (1-3 credit hours)  

Independent study of some phase of chemical engineering or related field.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 798  Advanced Chemical Engineering Projects  (1-3 credit hours)  

Independent study of some phase of chemical engineering or related field.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing in CHE

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

CHE 801  Seminar  (1 credit hours)  

Weekly seminars on topics of current interest given by resident faculty members, graduate students and visiting lecturers.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 810  Special Topics  (1-6 credit hours)  

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

CHE 885  Doctoral Supervised Teaching  (1-3 credit hours)  

Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 890  Doctoral Preliminary Examination  (1-9 credit hours)  

For students who are preparing for and taking written and/or oral preliminary exams.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Spring only

CHE 893  Doctoral Supervised Research  (1-9 credit hours)  

Instruction in research and research under the mentorship of a member of the Graduate Faculty.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 895  Doctoral Dissertation Research  (1-9 credit hours)  

Dissertation research.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

CHE 896  Summer Dissertation Research  (1 credit hours)  

For graduate students whose programs of work specify no formal course work during a summer session and who will be devoting full time to thesis research.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Summer only

CHE 899  Doctoral Dissertation Preparation  (1-9 credit hours)  

For students who have completed all credit hour, full-time enrollment, preliminary examination, and residency requirements for the doctoral degree, and are writing and defending their dissertations.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer