Chemical Engineering (BS): Biomolecular Concentration
The Biomolecular Concentration emphasizes hands-on laboratory molecular biology skills that are highly relevant to pharmaceutical, medical, engineering, and agricultural fields. Students completing this concentration also fulfill the requirements for a Minor in Biotechnology.
Plan Requirements
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| CH 101 or CH 103 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 or General Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CH 102 or CH 104 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 or General Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| E 101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 | 1 |
| E 115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 2 | 4 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 201 or CH 203 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 2 or General Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CH 202 or CH 204 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 2 or General Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY 205 & PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following Economics Courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Fundamentals of Economics | ||
| E 102 | Engineering in the 21st Century | 2 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 221 or CH 225 | Organic Chemistry I 2 or Organic Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CH 222 or CH 226 | Organic Chemistry I Lab 2 or Organic Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| CHE 205 | Chemical Process Principles 2 | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III 2 | 4 |
| PY 208 & PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 223 or CH 227 | Organic Chemistry II or Organic Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CH 224 or CH 228 | Organic Chemistry II Lab or Organic Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| CHE 225 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis 2 | 3 |
| MA 341 | Applied Differential Equations I 2 | 3 |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
| CHE 311 | Transport Processes I 2 | 3 |
| CHE 315 | Chemical Process Thermodynamics 2 | 3 |
| BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 |
| CHE 395 | Professional Development Seminar | 1 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIT Laboratory Modules | 4 | |
| CHE 312 | Transport Processes II | 3 |
| CHE 316 | Thermodynamics of Chemical and Phase Equilibria | 3 |
| CHE 330 | Chemical Engineering Lab I | 4 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHE 446 | Design and Analysis of Chemical Reactors | 3 |
| CHE 450 | Chemical Engineering Design I | 3 |
| Biotech Minor Group E Elective | 3 | |
| CHE 497 | Chemical Engineering Projects I | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHE 435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 |
| CHE 448 | Bioreactor Design | 2 |
| CHE 451 | Chemical Engineering Design II | 3 |
| CHE 452 | Biomolecular Engineering | 2 |
| Technical Elective | 2 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 114 | |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C- or higher is required.
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEP Courses | |||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Total Hours | 14 | ||
BIT Lab Modules
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEC 463/563/CHE 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIT 462/562 | 2 | ||
| BIT 464/564 | Protein Purification | 2 | |
| BIT 465/565 | Real-time PCR Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 466/566/PO 466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 467/567 | PCR and DNA Fingerprinting | 2 | |
| BIT 468/568 | 2 | ||
| BIT 471/571 | RNA Interference and Model Organisms | 2 | |
| BIT 473/573 | Protein Interactions | 2 | |
| BIT 474/574 | Plant Genetic Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT 476 | Applied Bioinformatics | 2 | |
| BIT 477/577 | Metagenomics | 2 | |
| BIT 478/578 | 2 | ||
| BIT 479/579 | High-Throughput Discovery | 2 | |
| BIT 480/580 | Yeast Metabolic Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT/PB 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| BIT 492 | External Learning Experience | 1-6 | |
| BIT 493 | Special Problems in Biotechnology | 1-6 | |
| BIT 495 | Special Topics in Biotechnology | 1-3 | |
| BIT/BIO/CH 572 | Proteomics | 3 |
Biotech Minor Group E Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDS 201 | Environmental Ethics | 3 | |
| IDS 303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| NR 303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| PHI 325 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 | |
| STS 302 | Contemporary Science, Technology and Human Values | 3 | |
| STS 304 | Ethical Dimensions of Progress | 3 | |
| STS 325 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 |
Technical Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBS 426/526/BEC 426/526 | Upstream Biomanufacturing Laboratory | 2 | |
| BEC 330 | Principles and Applications of Bioseparations | 2 | |
| BEC 462/562 | Fundamentals of Bio-Nanotechnology | 3 | |
| BEC 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BEC 480/580 | cGMP Fermentation Operations | 2 | |
| BEC 485/585 | cGMP Downstream Operations | 2 | |
| BEC/CHE 488 | Animal Cell Culture Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIT 464/564 | Protein Purification | 2 | |
| BME 466/566 | Polymeric Biomaterials Engineering | 3 | |
| CE 373 | Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering | 3 | |
| CHE 462/562 | Fundamentals of Bio-Nanotechnology | 3 | |
| CHE 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| ECE 331 | Principles of Electrical Engineering | 3 | |
| FS 426/526 | Upstream Biomanufacturing Laboratory | 2 | |
| MSE 201 | Structure and Properties of Engineering Materials | 3 | |
| NE 419 | Introduction to Nuclear Energy | 3 | |
| PSE 425 | Bioenergy & Biomaterials Engineering | 3 | |
| TE 466/566 | Polymeric Biomaterials Engineering | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| CH 101 & CH 102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| E 101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 1 | 1 |
| E 115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 201 & CH 202 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY 205 & PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| E 102 | Engineering in the 21st Century | 2 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 221 & CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| CHE 205 | Chemical Process Principles 2 | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III 2 | 4 |
| PY 208 & PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 223 & CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| CHE 225 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis 2 | 3 |
| MA 341 | Applied Differential Equations I 2 | 3 |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
| CHE 311 | Transport Processes I 2 | 3 |
| CHE 315 | Chemical Process Thermodynamics 2 | 3 |
| CHE 395 | Professional Development Seminar | 1 |
| CHE 497 | Chemical Engineering Projects I | 3 |
| BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIT Lab Modules | 4 | |
| CHE 312 | Transport Processes II | 3 |
| CHE 316 | Thermodynamics of Chemical and Phase Equilibria | 3 |
| CHE 330 | Chemical Engineering Lab I | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHE 446 | Design and Analysis of Chemical Reactors | 3 |
| CHE 450 | Chemical Engineering Design I | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Biotech Minor Group E Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHE 435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 |
| CHE 451 | Chemical Engineering Design II | 3 |
| CHE 452 | Biomolecular Engineering | 2 |
| CHE 448 | Bioreactor Design | 2 |
| Technical Elective | 2 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 128 | |
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C or higher is required.
Career Opportunities
Careers in chemical engineering are sometimes exciting, always demanding, and ultimately provide a sense of accomplishment and achievement. Graduates find employment in sub-disciplines such as production, technical service, sales, management and administration; research and development; and consulting and teaching. Students desiring careers in teaching, research, or consulting are encouraged to continue their education and pursue a graduate degree (consult the Graduate Catalog). The undergraduate curriculum also provides strong preparation for graduate study in a wide range of professional specialties, and chemical engineering graduates often pursue careers in the medical sciences, business management, and law.
Career Titles
- Agricultural Engineer
- Automotive Engineer
- Biochemist
- Biomedical Engineer
- Chemical Engineer
- Chemist
- Dairy Technologist
- Electronics Engineer
- Engineering Professor
- Environmental Engineer
- Fire Prevention Engineer
- Industrial Air Pollution Analyst
- Industrial Waste Inspector
- Laboratory Tester
- Materials Engineer
- Materials Scientist
- Nanosystems Engineers
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
- Nuclear Engineer
- Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer
- Occupational Safety & Health Inspector
- Perfumer
- Petroleum Engineer
- Physicist
- Physics Professor
- Product Safety Engineer
- Quality Control Managers
- Radiation Protection Engineer
- Safety Inspector
- Sales Engineers
- Sales Representative (Chemicals & Drugs)
- Soil Engineer
- Solar Energy Systems Engineers
- Sustainability Specialists
- Toxicologist
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
Learn More About Careers
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American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Chemical Society
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