The Department of Chemical Engineering provides a broad and strong foundation which prepares graduates for entry into all areas of chemical engineering or pursuit of advanced degrees in chemical engineering and other disciplines. The demand for Howard's Chemical Engineering graduates is high and greatly exceeds the supply.

The undergraduate program leads to the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Studies leading to the Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and Chemical Engineering/Materials Science are also offered.

Lists of all Chemical Engineering undergraduate and graduate course descriptions are available on separate pages. Please review the department's mission, educational objectives and program outcomes.

Chemical Engineering primarily deals with the many aspects of processes in which matter and energy undergo change. It is based on the sciences of chemistry, physics and mathematics and the principles of economics and environmental protection.

Chemical engineers are generally regarded as versatile problem-solvers. Working in consultation with other engineers and scientists, chemical engineers define problems, determine objectives, plan and carry out the research, and then design, develop, computerize and control the processes.

Concentrations

The Department of Chemical Engineering, through elective sequences, gives students the opportunity to concentrate their studies in the following areas: computer-assisted process design and control; processing of energy and natural resources; electronic materials and devices; environmental protection and hazardous waste treatment; and biotechnology and biomedicine.

Computer-Assisted Process Design and Control. Chemical engineers construct theoretical models that incorporate the chemistry and physics of processes that produce plastics, chemicals and detergents using computers to design, control and optimize the processes.

Processing of Energy and Natural Resources. Chemical engineers find new chemical process pathways to convert natural resources into energy and useful products. Some in-situ processes use the earth itself as a reaction vessel for extracting underground resources.

Electronic Materials and Devices. Chemical engineers develop processes for deposition and coating of thin films that are essential for the fabrication of integrated circuits.

Environmental Protection and Hazardous Waste Treatment. Chemical engineers use chemical techniques to leach hazardous chemicals from landfills and use micro- organisms and combustion technology to destroy hazardous waste. They develop catalytic reaction devices to convert air and water pollutants to harmless compounds.

Biotechnology and Biomedicine. Chemical engineers design and develop separation processes and bioreactors to produce complex bioproducts such as therapeutic drugs and agricultural biochemicals. They also make important contributions in the development of artificial organs, artificial tissues and prostheses.

The undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.

Students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering must complete a minimum of 135 credits. This includes 78 credits in arts and sciences/social sciences; 51 credits in engineering; and six credits in technical electives (credits may not total 135 because of varying credits for electives).

The general curriculum is shown below with credits on the right. Follow the linked course titles for the course description listed on the undergraduate course description page.

Arts & Science/Social Science
English	6
Social Science/Humanities	18
Physical Education or ROTC	4
General Chemistry	9
Organic Chemistry	9
Physical Chemistry	8
Physics	8
Calculus/Differential Equations	16
Engineering Courses
Digital Computation (Systems & Computer Science)	2
Introduction to Engineering	2
Introduction to Engineering Design	2
Chemical Engineering Calculations I, II	6
Unit Operations I, II, III	9
Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics	3
Chemical Engineering Analysis	2
Chemical Engineering Laboratory I, II	4
Chemical Engineering Kinetics	3
Process Control	3
Process Design I	3
Process Design II	3
ChE Technical Elective	3
Electronics Lecture/Laboratory (Electrical Engineering)	3
Statics (Civil Engineering)	3
Technical Electives	6
Total Credit Hours	135

The department of Chemical Engineering offers studies leading to the Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. This degree requires 24 credit hours of course work; 6 credit hours for the thesis; and a written thesis and an oral defense. Students must maintain a B average overall in course work and pass the "Proficiency in Expository Writing" examination, administered by the Graduate School (consult Graduate School for examination dates).

The program offers advanced courses in chemical reaction engineering, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, process control, process design and applied mathematics for chemical engineers. Research interests of the faculty include hazardous waste remediation, biopolymers, biochemical engineering, biomedical engineering, fluid and thermal sciences, environmental engineering, process control and design, numerical analysis, combustion and incineration, dynamics of reacting systems and electronic materials processing. Graduate students work closely with faculty to design research programs suitable to their talents and interests. Complete descriptions of all graduate courses offered by the department are available on the graduate course description page.