Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
B.S. in Chemical Engineering Program
Chemical engineering has grown out of a combination of chemistry and engineering associated with industrial processes. Today, it possesses a body of knowledge used in the synthesis, design testing, scale-up, operation, control, and optimization of processes that change the physical state or composition of materials. Chemical engineers have played central roles in the industrial development of materials that have had major social influence, such as the production of fuels and lubricants, fertilizer, synthetic fibers, and plastics. They will be centrally involved in reducing the polluting effects of certain byproducts and cleaning up unwanted residues from previous processes.
The first part of the program offers courses on the fundamental principles underlying the conversion of raw materials into a desired product by chemical and physical processes. Development of the concepts of engineering design begins with the application of fundamental principles to solve engineering problems in these courses and culminates in a series of senior-level design courses that require comprehensive integration of technical knowledge as well as consideration of economic, environmental, safety, and societal concerns. This experience is essential in preparing graduates for entry-level positions.
Educational Objective
The objective of the program is to prepare graduates for professional practice in industry, government, or post-undergraduate training in chemical engineering, medicine, and other related disciplines.
Professional Opportunities
Chemical engineers are concerned with the chemical processes that turn raw materials into valuable products. They serve industrial and other activities where processes occur in which materials undergo a chemical or physical change. Chemical engineers build a bridge between science and manufacturing, applying the principles of chemistry, biology and engineering to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals. Chemical engineers typically work for manufacturing companies, environmental companies, health care and pharmaceuticals, petroleum industry, biotechnology, or consulting firms.
Undergraduate Admission to the School of Engineering
Admission to the KU School of Engineering and its degree programs is selective. Students may be admitted to an engineering or computer science degree program as freshmen (first-year) students, but all admissions, for both in-state and out-of-state students, are selective. Applications are judged on several factors, such as high school record, scores on national tests, academic record at college or university level, and trend of grades and more. High school transcripts are required.
Freshman Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
To be considered for admission to the School of Engineering, beginning freshmen (first-year) students must meet or exceed the following minimum standards:
- Must be admissible to the University of Kansas by assured admissions or individual review, AND
- Have a 3.0+ high school GPA, AND
- Demonstrate mathematics preparedness by:
- Obtaining a mathematics ACT score of 22+ (or math SAT score of 540+), OR
- Achieving a B or better in college algebra or a more advanced mathematics course, OR
- Achieving a C or better in a high school calculus course; OR
- Earning credit via IB or AP credit for the above-mentioned courses in accordance with KU placement credit requirements; OR
- Achieving at minimum a qualifying score for MATH 104 on the ALEKS mathematics placement exam.
Pre-Engineering
Students not admitted directly to the School of Engineering and their department but who are admissible to the university may be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as an pre-engineering student. They can later re-apply to the School of Engineering during the semester they are completing the admission requirements for transfer students.
Transfer Student Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
Applications from all transfer students, whether from other institutions or from other academic schools at the University of Kansas, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Transfer students must:
- Be admissible to KU, AND
- Earn a cumulative college transferable grade-point average of 2.5+, AND
- Earn a grade of C or better in MATH 125 (Calculus I, or its direct equivalent), AND
- Earn grades of C or better in math, science, and engineering courses applicable to the engineering degree.
Students must also complete their last 30 hours of credit at KU.
Current Student Admission Standards to the School of Engineering
Students who are currently enrolled at KU, need to meet the following:
- Earn a 2.5+ KU GPA, AND
- Earn a grade of C or better in MATH 125 or its direct equivalent, AND
- Earn a grade of C or better in all math, science, and engineering courses.
Current KU Students admitted to other academic units may apply to the School of Engineering by completing a Change of School form. Contact the engineering recruitment team if you have any questions. Per University Registrar deadlines for processing, Change of School applications for the fall semester will be accepted until the last Friday in October of each school year; Change of School applications for the spring semester will be accepted until the last Friday in March of each school year.
Already Applied to KU, But Not Engineering?
Don't worry. It's not too late to change your mind if you’ve already applied to KU and selected a major outside the School of Engineering. If you think one of the 12 engineering or computer science majors is a better fit for your talents, you can still change your requested major — preferably before May 1 — and be considered for admission to the School of Engineering and all the benefits that go with it.
To update your application, visit Undergraduate Admissions and click on “Change application term, major, mailing address, and/or email address.”
Please contact a member of our recruitment team, 785-864-3881, if you have any difficulty.
Application Deadlines For New Freshman and Transfer Applicants
| Semester | Applicants | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| November 1 | Priority scholarship deadline for incoming freshmen. | |
| December 1 | Deadline to apply for the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program for incoming freshmen. | |
| May 1 | Enrollment Deposit due. | |
| Last Friday in October | Deadline to submit Change of School applications for fall semester admission. | |
| Last Friday in March | Deadline to submit Change of School applications for spring semester admission. |
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering Degree Requirements
Following are descriptions of the Chemical Engineering Program, the Biomedical concentration, the Data Science concentration, the Environmental concentration, the Materials Science concentration, the Petroleum concentration and the Premedical concentration.
- In order to progress to a junior year course (any C&PE course labeled 500 and above), a student must have earned a C‐ or better in the following courses: MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 127, MATH 220, MATH 290; CHEM 170, CHEM 175 (CHEM 130/135 acceptable alternatives); EPHX 210 (PHSX 211 acceptable alternative), and PHSX 212. Honors versions of the listed courses would also be subject to the rule.
- Chemical Engineering students must earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA in C&PE 211, C&PE 221, and C&PE 325 in order to progress to C&PE 511, C&PE 512, C&PE 524, or C&PE 525. The cumulative GPA is calculated using the highest grade earned in each course.
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Chemical Engineering students must earn a cumulative 1.8 GPA in C&PE 511, C&PE 512, C&PE 524, and C&PE 525 in order to progress to C&PE 611, C&PE 613, C&PE 615, C&PE 616, or C&PE 626. The cumulative GPA is calculated using the highest grade earned in each course.
- Chemical Engineering students must attain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in C&PE courses taken at KU for graduation with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering Courses | ||
| C&PE 111 | Introduction to the Chemical Engineering Profession I | 1 |
| C&PE 112 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Profession II | 1 |
| C&PE 211 | Material and Energy Balances | 3 |
| C&PE 221 | Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I | 3 |
| C&PE 325 | Numerical Methods and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| C&PE 511 | Momentum Transfer | 3 |
| C&PE 512 | Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II | 3 |
| C&PE 524 | Chemical Engineering Kinetics and Reactor Design | 3 |
| C&PE 525 | Heat and Mass Transfer | 4 |
| C&PE 611 | Design of Unit Operations | 3 |
| C&PE 615 | Introduction to Process Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| C&PE 616 | Chemical Engineering Laboratory I | 4 |
| C&PE 624 | Process Safety and Sustainability | 3 |
| C&PE 626 | Chemical Engineering Laboratory II | 3 |
| Capstone Course | ||
| C&PE 613 | Chemical Engineering Design I | 4 |
| Engineering and Advanced Science Electives | ||
| Out of the 15 required hours of engineering and advanced science electives, a minimum of 9 hours of must be engineering elective hours and a minimum of 3 hours must be advanced science elective hours. The remaining 3 hours may be either option. A minimum of 3 hours must be taken within the C&PE department (except for the Environmental concentration). A maximum of 6 hours may be taken in research. Please see the C&PE website for a complete list of commonly selected electives. | 15 | |
| Basic Sciences | ||
| CHEM 170 | Chemistry for the Chemical Sciences I | 5 |
| or CHEM 130 | General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 175 | Chemistry for the Chemical Sciences II | 5 |
| or CHEM 135 | General Chemistry II | |
| EPHX 210 | General Physics I for Engineers (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)) 040 | 3 |
| or PHSX 211 | General Physics I | |
| PHSX 216 | General Physics I Laboratory (Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)) 040 | 1 |
| PHSX 212 | General Physics II | 3 |
| PHSX 236 | General Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| Advanced Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 330 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| or CHEM 380 | Organic Chemistry I, Honors | |
| CHEM 525 | Physical Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 125 | Calculus I (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE)) 020 | 4 |
| or MATH 145 | Calculus I, Honors | |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| or MATH 146 | Calculus II, Honors | |
| MATH 127 | Calculus III | 4 |
| or MATH 147 | Calculus III, Honors | |
| MATH 220 | Applied Differential Equations | 3 |
| or MATH 221 | Applied Differential Equations, Honors | |
| or MATH 320 | Elementary Differential Equations | |
| MATH 290 | Elementary Linear Algebra | 2 |
| or MATH 291 | Elementary Linear Algebra, Honors | |
Credit for ROTC Courses: Only ROTC courses qualifying as engineering electives and humanities/social sciences may be used.
Credit for Honors Courses: Honors versions of listed courses can also be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Concentrations
Students completing the requirements described above will earn a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree. Within Chemical Engineering, students may also choose to complete a concentration: Biomedical, Data Science, Environmental, Materials Science, Petroleum, or Premedical. Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. In addition, each concentration has specific requirements for some of the engineering and advanced science electives. The coursework required for each concentration is described below.
Biomedical Concentration
Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. The following advanced science and engineering elective courses must be completed as part of the advanced science and engineering electives required for the degree:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Counts as Advanced Science elective credit: | ||
| BIOL 150 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 151 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Honors | |
| BIOL 600 | Introductory Biochemistry, Lectures | 3 |
| or BIOL 546 | Mammalian Physiology | |
| Counts towards Engineering elective credit: | ||
| C&PE 656 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
Data Science Concentration
Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. The following engineering elective courses must be completed as part of the advanced science and engineering electives required for the degree:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 168 | Programming I | 4 |
| or EECS 169 | Programming I: Honors | |
| EECS 268 | Programming II | 4 |
3 credit hours from EECS pertaining to Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Machine Learning:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EECS 331 | Introduction to Data Science | 3 |
| EECS 649 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| EECS 658 | Introduction to Machine Learning | 3 |
3 credit hours from C&PE on Data Science, Machine Learning, or Optimization:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| C&PE 678 | Applied Optimization Methods | 3 |
| C&PE 715 | Topics in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering: _____ (Appl Mach Learn for Sci & Engr) | 3 |
Other electives may be approved by petition.
Environmental Concentration
Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. The following engineering elective courses must be completed as part of the engineering electives required for the degree:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CE 477 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science (required) | 3 |
| Select a minimum of 6 hours from the following courses to satisfy the Environmental Engineering electives required. Generally, Environmental Engineering electives will require CE 477 as a prerequisite. Please talk to your academic advisor to make sure the engineering elective counts towards the environmental emphasis. | 6 | |
| Life Cycle Assessment | ||
| Concepts of Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Environmental Engineering Laboratory | ||
| Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering | ||
| Municipal Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment | ||
| Physical Principles of Environmental Engineering Processes | ||
| Chemical Principles of Environmental Engineering Processes | ||
Material Science Concentration
Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. The following engineering and advanced science elective courses must be completed as part of the engineering electives required for the degree:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 9 hours from the courses below: | 9 | |
| Statics and Introduction to Mechanics | ||
| Building Materials Science | ||
| Aerospace Structures I | ||
| Aerospace Materials and Processes | ||
| Strength of Materials | ||
| Structural Engineering Materials | ||
| Structural Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Semiconductor Processing | ||
| Polymer Science and Technology | ||
| Basic Rheology | ||
| Tissue Engineering | ||
| Corrosion Engineering | ||
| Science of Materials | ||
| Mechanics of Materials | ||
| Molecular Biomimetics | ||
| Undergraduate Problems ((By petition)) | ||
| Undergraduate Honors Research ((By petition)) | ||
| The following courses can be used to satisfy 3 hours of Advanced Science Electives but are not required: | ||
| General Physics III | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology | ||
or BIOL 150 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology | |
| Analytical Chemistry | ||
| Analytical Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Instrumental Methods of Analysis | ||
| Instrumental Methods of Analysis Laboratory | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry | ||
Petroleum Concentration
The Petroleum concentration in chemical engineering is distinct from the B.S. in Petroleum Engineering degree (see below). Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. The following advanced science and engineering elective courses must be completed as part of the advanced science and engineering electives required for the degree:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 101 | The Way The Earth Works | 3 |
| C&PE 127 | Introduction to Petroleum Engineering Profession (Recommended instead of C&PE 111) | 1 |
| C&PE 327 | Reservoir Engineering | 3 |
| C&PE 527 | Reservoir Engineering II | 3 |
| Select 3 hours from Petroleum Engineering electives below | 3 | |
| Well Logging | ||
| Drilling and Well Completion | ||
| Improved Oil Recovery | ||
| Petroleum Engineering Laboratory | ||
| Petroleum Production | ||
| Natural Gas Engineering | ||
| Introduction to AI and Machine Learning for Subsurface Energy Engineering | ||
| New Energy Ventures | ||
Premedical Concentration
Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Additional courses may be required by each specific medical school, and students should consult the medical school of interest to verify requirements for admission. The following advanced science courses must be completed as part of the advanced science electives required for the Premedical concentration:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 335 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| BIOL 150 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 151 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Honors | |
| BIOL 152 | Principles of Organismal Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 153 | Principles of Organismal Biology, Honors | |
| The following courses may be required for admission into specific medical schools or be recommended for the MCAT. These classes are recommended but not required: | ||
| CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 2 |
| SOC 104 | Elements of Sociology | 3 |
| PSYC 104 | General Psychology | 3 |
| BIOL 154 | Introductory Biology Lab for STEM Majors | 2 |
| BIOL 350 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 416 | Cell Structure and Function | 3 |
| BIOL 503 | Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 546 | Mammalian Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 600 | Introductory Biochemistry, Lectures | 3 |
Sample 4-year plans for the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering can be found here: BS in Chemical Engineering, concentration in Biomedical, concentration in Data Science, concentration in Environmental, concentration in Material Science, concentration in Petroleum, concentration in Premedical or by using the left-side navigation.
Departmental Honors
Students wishing to receive Departmental Honors in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering must apply to the Department in writing by September 1st for a December graduation or February 1st for a May graduation. The criteria for Departmental Honors are:
- A cumulative 3.5 GPA in courses taken at KU
- A cumulative 3.5 GPA in engineering courses taken at KU
- Completion of an experience or an achievement that is deemed worthy of Departmental Honors. Examples of achievements include (not limited to):
- Completion of 3 hours of C&PE 661 (Honors research ) or equivalent with an A or B
- Completion of Senior Thesis
- Co-author on a publication – may require research advisor verification
- Presentation at a National Conference – may require research advisor verification
- Receiving an award for scholarly work – may require research advisor verification
The application must include:
- Completed application form
- Approximately 200-500 word statement of the achievement or experience that is worthy of Departmental Honors.
A departmental committee will review all applications and make the final decision on the awarding of Departmental Honors. Some applications may require verification from the research advisor. Students awarded Departmental Honors will be recognized at the end of the year banquet.