Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and engineering to produce useful commodities, ranging from antibiotics to zirconium. Chemical engineers are increasingly concerned with chemical and engineering processes related to the environment, food and pharmaceutical production, and medicine, working in areas as diverse as integrated circuits and integrated waste management. Preparation for a career in chemical engineering requires an understanding of both engineering and chemical principles to develop proficiency in conceiving, designing, and operating new processes.
The Chemical Engineering curriculum has been planned to provide a sound knowledge of engineering and chemical sciences so that you may achieve competence in treating not only current technical problems but also those that will arise in the technologies of the future.
The Chemical Engineering curriculum is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.
Upper Division Requirements in
Lower Division Program
Requirements for majors in Chemical Engineering and the double majors, Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering/Biochemical Engineering.
Required Courses
| Lower Division Program | ||
| UNITS | QUARTER USUALLY TAKEN | |
| Required Courses | ||
| Calculus--Mathematics 21A-21B-21C-21D | 16 | 1-2-3-4 |
| Linear algebra--Mathematics 22A | 3 | 5 |
| Differential equations-- Mathematics 22B | 3 | 6 |
| General physics-- Physics 9A-9B-9C | 12 | 3-4-5 |
| General chemistry--Chemistry 2A, 2B, 2C (Chemistry 2AH, 2BH, 2CH strongly recommended) | 15 | 1-2-3 |
| Organic chemistry--Chemistry 128A, 128B | 6 | 4-5 |
| Organic chemistry laboratory-- Chemistry 129A | 2 | 4 |
| Biological Sciences 1A | 5 | 6 |
| (required only for Chemical/ Biochemical majors) | ||
| Engineering--Applications of computers--Engineering 5 | 3 | 2 or 5 |
| Circuits--Engineering 17 | 4 | 6 |
| Statics--Engineering 35 | 3 | 5 |
| Properties of materials--Engineering 45 (required only for Materials Science and Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering majors) | 0 or 4 | 6 |
| Expository writing--English 1 or 3, or Comparative Literature 1, 2, 3 or 4, or Native American Studies 5 | 4 | 2 or 3 |
| Introduction to public speaking or group communication-- Communication 1 or 3 (or an acceptable substitute as approved by the Undergraduate Study Committee of the College of Engineering) | 4 | 2 or 3 |
| HumanitiesSocial Sciences electives and/or General Education electives | 16 | |
| Total Lower Division Units | 91-96 | |
In your junior year, you focus on basic engineering courses, particularly thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and energy transfer. In your senior year, you draw these fundamentals together and apply them in a study of mass transfer phenomena, process design, and process dynamics and control. The program is strengthened and broadened with introductory courses in the electrical and mechanical sciences.
The curriculum includes 12 units of technical electives and 6 units of advanced chemistry electives that allow you to strengthen specific areas in chemical engineering, explore new areas, or pursue areas of specialization. The most popular areas of specialization, together with lists of suggested technical electives, are identified and discussed in the following paragraphs. Please talk to the instructors of the courses listed about possible prerequisites before enrolling.
The premedical and prebiomedical engineering areas of specialization have been specifically designed to prepare the student for graduate work in biomedical engineering or to meet the undergraduate requirements for entrance into medical school. Because of the emphasis on the natural sciences and the application of fluid mechanics, mass transport, heat transfer, thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and process dynamics to problems in natural science, you are well prepared to understand problems in living systems. Many biological phenomena, such as blood flow, solute transport, and energy exchange, can be dealt with using the theoretical tools you learned as an undergraduate.
Applied Chemistry. The Chemical Engineering curriculum includes an important core of chemistry courses. You can take advantage of this background to build a strong program in chemistry by choosing electives from among advanced undergraduate chemistry courses.
Applied Mathematics. The mathematics specialization strengthens your understanding of the foundations of engineering science and improves your ability to treat complex engineering problems. Courses in abstract algebra, advanced calculus, and the theory of differential equations provide a sound theoretical background, while courses in analytical and numerical analysis provide the techniques for solving a wide range of engineering problems.
Suggested technical electives:
Biochemical Engineering. This area of specialization prepares you to do graduate work in biochemical engineering and to find employment in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and food industries.
Suggested technical electives:
Strongly recommended
Also recommended
Computers and Automation. This specialization offers you the opportunity to master various computational techniques to formulate, solve, and analyze chemical engineering problems. In addition, you are exposed to the theory and practice of monitoring and operating chemical processes using microprocessor-based control systems. The common ingredient in these studies is the use of computers. Development of expert systems for detecting process failures, using computer-aided design (CAD) packages to optimize product yields, solving large numbers of equations on supercomputers to assess transient behavior of processes, and implementation of plantwide control systems are all examples of chemical engineering endeavors based on the extensive use of computers. The suggested elective courses help you obtain the necessary background in these areas.
Suggested technical electives:
Advanced Materials Processing. Because the manufacture of semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, magnetic memories, tapes, disks, and other devices involves the application of chemical and engineering principles, chemical engineers are finding productive careers in the electronics industry. The electronics processing specialization introduces you to the analysis and design of modern circuits and devices and provides a strong background in the layout and fabrication of such devices.
Energy Conversion and Fuels Processing. This area of specialization introduces you to energy sources, energy conversion methods, and the manufacture of fuels.
Environmental Engineering. Many activities of chemical engineers are motivated by environmental protection. This option prepares you to deal with environmental issues by developing knowledge of fundamental chemical and transport phenomena: chemical reaction processes coupled with fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and mass transfer. Such a foundation in basic chemical engineering science, plus the usual chemical engineering analysis and design courses and courses on environmental topics, prepares you to seek employment with industry or government. For this specialization, select six courses from the following list:
Air Environment
Strongly recommended
Recommended
Water Environment
Strongly recommended
Recommended
Food Process Engineering. This area of specialization prepares you to do graduate work in food science and technology and to work in the food processing industry.
Recommended
Marketing. Specialty chemical and product manufacturers need chemical engineers who have training in market management, which involves the application of economics, psychology, and statistics in market planning and forecasting and in strategically developing and promoting new products.
Polymer Science. Polymer materials and their applications are dependent on the use of chemical and engineering principles to process such materials to meet the end-use functional and environmental requirements. The polymer science specialization also prepares you for graduate work in the interdisciplinary field of polymer science and engineering.
Prebiomedical Engineering. This area of specialization prepares you for graduate work in biomedical engineering. Early planning of a complete course schedule in consultation with a Chemical Engineering adviser is important to schedule necessary Biological Sciences courses into your program.
Premedical. Inclusion of both organic and physical chemistry in the curriculum allows you to complete the premedical requirements while satisfying the requirements of the Chemical Engineering major. If you elect the premedical (including preveterinary) area of specialization, you should verify the specific preparation requirements with the Health Sciences Advising Office before making a final decision on your electives. To ensure that you have provided room in your program for the necessary biology courses, prepare a course schedule with a Chemical Engineering adviser early in your freshman year.
Chemical Engineering Upper Division Requirements
| Chemical Engineering Upper Division Requirements | |
| UNITS | |
| Subject Areas and Courses | |
| Chemical engineering--Chemical Engineering 150A, 150B, 151, 152A, 152B, 153, 154A, 154B, 155A, 155B, 156A, 156B, 157, 157L, 158A, 158B, 158C, 159 | 61 |
| Chemistry--Chemistry 110A, 110C | 6 |
| Quantum mechanics--Physics 9D or Chemistry 110B | 4 or 3 |
| Advanced chemistry electives
Select from upper division courses in Chemistry; Biological Sciences 101, 102, 103; Chemical Engineering 150C, 161A, 161B, 161L, 166, 170; Civil and Environmental Engineering 140, 140L; Materials Science Engineering 134, 144, 147; Environmental Toxicology 112A-112B; Food Science and Technology 100A-100B, 104, 119; Molecular and Cellular Biology 120L, 123, 126; Plant Biology 160; Fiber and Polymer Science 150. | 6 |
| Technical electives | 12 |
| HumanitiesSocial Sciences/General Education electives | 8 |
| Total Upper Division Units | 96-97 |
| Minimum Units Required for Major | 187-188 |
Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering Upper Division Requirements
| Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering Upper Division Requirements | |
| UNITS | |
| Subject Areas and Courses | |
| Chemical engineering--Chemical Engineering 150A, 150B, 151, 152A, 152B, 153, 154A, 154B, 155A, 155B, 156A, 156B, 157, 157L, 158A, 158B, 158C, 159 | 61 |
| Chemistry--Chemistry 110A, 110C | 6 |
| Quantum mechanics--Physics 9D or Chemistry 110B | 4 or 3 |
| Materials science--Materials Science and Engineering 130, 132, 134, 138, and two courses chosen from Materials Science and Engineering 140, 142, 144, 146, 147, 148, 149, 155, and two laboratory courses chosen from Materials Science and Engineering 132L, 134L, and 138L | 22 |
| HumanitiesSocial Sciences and/or General Education electives | 8 |
| Total Upper Division Units | 100-101 |
| Minimum Units Required for Major | 195-196 |
Chemical Engineering/Biochemical Engineering Upper Division Requirements
| Chemical Engineering/Biochemical Engineering Upper Division Requirements | |
| UNITS | |
| Subject Areas and Courses | |
| Chemical engineering--Chemical Engineering 150A, 150B, 151, 152A, 152B, 153, 154A, 155A, 156A, 157, 157L, 158A, 158C, 159, 161C | 51 |
| Biochemical engineering--Biological Sciences 102, Microbiology 102, Chemical Engineering 161A, 161B, 161L | 17 |
| Chemistry--Chemistry 110A, 110C | 6 |
| Biochemical Engineering electives
Choose two laboratory courses from the laboratory electives list and choose additional courses from the lecture elective list to provided at least 10 units total. Laboratory elective list: Food Science and Technology 123L, Microbiology 102L, 177L, Molecular and Cellular Biology 120L (this course counts as two laboratory courses and completely satisfies the laboratory requirement), 160L, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior 104L, Plant Biology 153, 161A, 161B, 192/199 (Students may replace one laboratory course with a laboratory internship (192) or independent study (199) with approval of the chairperson). Lecture elective list: Biological Sciences 1B, 101, 103, 104, Biological Systems Engineering 175, Chemical Engineering 170, Food Science and Technology 123, Microbiology 140, 150, 177, Molecular and Cellular Biology 123, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior 103, Plant Biology 111, 112, 152, Viticulture and Enology 140, 186. | 10 |
| HumanitiesSocial Sciences electives and/or General Education electives | 8 |
| Total Upper Division Units | 92 |
| Minimum Units Required for Major | 188 |
UC Davis 1998-99 Online General Catalog. Posted July 31, 1998.
catalog-comment@ucdavis.edu
Keitha Hunter and Barbara Anderson, Editors
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