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.
Minimum Academic Standards for Admission to the School of Engineering
To be considered for admission to the School of Engineering, beginning 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.
Minimum Academic Standards for Direct Admission into Degree Program for incoming Freshmen
Students with a 26+ Math ACT (600+ Math SAT) or meet eligibility requirements for MATH 125 (Calculus I) may be admitted directly into their chosen major, with the exception of those seeking admission into the Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Computing (EECS) majors. For EECS program admission, students 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 28+ (or math SAT score of 660+), or
- Achieving a ‘C’ or better in a high school calculus course; or
- Earning credit via IB or AP credit for the above-mentioned course in accordance with KU placement credit requirements; or
- Achieving at minimum a qualifying score for MATH 125 on the ALEKS mathematics placement exam.
Students who are not admissible to their desired major are admitted to the School of Engineering as undecided engineering undergraduate students.
Exploring Engineering
Students not admitted directly to the School of Engineering or their major but who are admissible to the university may be admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as an Undecided student. They can later re-apply to the School of Engineering during the semester they are completing the admission requirements for transfer students.
Transfer Admission Standards
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 have a cumulative college transferable grade-point average of 2.5+ to be considered. In addition, students must have grades of "C" or better in those courses in math (must include MATH 125 Calculus I or equivalent), science, and engineering applicable to the engineering degree.
Current KU Students admitted to other academic units may apply to the School of Engineering by completing a Change of School form.
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 |
---|---|---|
September 15 | Priority deadline for current KU students to apply for spring admission to Engineering. | |
November 1 | Final deadline for scholarship consideration for incoming freshmen planning to enter in fall or summer semesters. | |
December 1 | Final deadline to apply for the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program for incoming freshmen | |
February 1 | Final deadline for scholarship consideration for transfer students planning to enter in fall or summer semesters. Applications available for the Engineering Learning Community | |
February 15 | Priority deadline for current KU students to apply for summer or fall admission to Engineering. | |
May 1 | Enrollment Deposit due. |
General Education Requirements
The KU Core is the university-wide curriculum that all incoming undergraduate students will complete as part of their degree requirements. It comprises three general education goals and three advanced education goals. Associated with each goal are one or more learning outcomes:
- GE 1.1, Goal 1, Outcome 1, Critical Thinking;
- GE 1.2, Goal 1, Outcome 2, Quantitative Literacy;
- GE 2.1, Goal 2, Outcome 1, Written Communication;
- GE 2.2, Goal 2, Outcome 2, Oral Communication;
- GE 3H, Goal 3, Outcome 1, Arts & Humanities;
- GE 3N Goal 3, Outcome 2, Natural Sciences;
- GE 3S Goal 3, Outcome 3, Social Sciences;
- AE 4.1, Goal 4, Outcome 1, Diversity;
- AE 4.2 Goal 4, Outcome 2 Culture;
- AE 5.1, Goal 5, Outcome 1, Social Responsibility & Ethics (course);
- AE 5.2, Goal 5, Outcome 2, Social Responsibility & Ethics (practice);
- AE 6.1, Goal 6, Outcome 1 and 2, Integration & Creativity.
Details of the KU Core can be found at kucore.ku.edu. Some required courses in the Chemical Engineering curricula satisfy a KU Core goal and/or outcome. For these courses, the goal/outcome code is given in parentheses after the course on the pages below. Where required courses do NOT specially satisfy KU Core goals (Goals GE 3H, GE 3S, AE 4.1, and AE 4.2) students must choose from a list of several courses to satisfy the required goals.
First- and Second-Year Preparation
Recommended enrollments for the first 2 years are as follows:
Freshman | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
C&PE 111 | 1 | C&PE 112 | 1 |
ENGL 101 (KU Core GE 2.1) | 3 | ENGL 102 (KU Core GE 2.1) | 3 |
CHEM 130 or 170 (KU Core GE 3N) | 5 | CHEM 135 or 175 | 5 |
MATH 125 | 4 | MATH 126 | 4 |
KU Core GE 3H, GE 3S, AE 4.1, or AE 4.2 | 3 | PHSX 210 | 3 |
PHSX 216 | 1 | ||
16 | 17 | ||
Sophomore | |||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
C&PE 211 | 4 | C&PE 221 | 3 |
PHSX 212 | 3 | C&PE 325 | 3 |
CHEM 330 | 3 | MATH 127 | 4 |
CHEM 331 | 2 | PHSX 236 | 1 |
MATH 220 | 3 | ENGR Elective (See handbook for approved Engineering Electives) | 3 |
MATH 290 | 2 | Advanced Chemistry elective (See handbook for approved electives) | 3 |
17 | 17 | ||
Total Hours 67 |
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering Degree Requirements
Following are descriptions of the Chemical Engineering Program, the Biomedical 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); PHSX 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.
- Chemical Engineering students must earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA in C&PE 511, C&PE 512, C&PE 522, C&PE 524, and C&PE 525 in order to progress to C&PE 611, C&PE 613, C&PE 615, C&PE 616, C&PE 624, 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
A total of 127 hours are required for the B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. Students that are exempt from ENGL 101 based on ACT or SAT test score do not have to make up the 3 credit hours with another course. This exemption results in the total hours required for the B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering to be 124.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Chemical Engineering Courses | ||
C&PE 111 | Introduction to the Chemical Engineering Profession | 1 |
C&PE 112 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Profession II | 1 |
C&PE 211 | Material and Energy Balances | 4 |
C&PE 221 | Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics | 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 522 | Economic Appraisal of Chemical and Petroleum Projects (KU Core Goal 5) | 2 |
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 613 | Chemical Engineering Design I (KU Core Goal 2.2, Goal 6) | 4 |
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 (KU Core Goal 5) | 3 |
C&PE 626 | Chemical Engineering Laboratory II (KU Core Goal 2.2) | 3 |
Engineering Electives | ||
A minimum of 3 engineering elective hours must be taken within the C&PE department. A maximum of 6 hours may be taken in engineering research. You can consult with your advisor to find out commonly selected electives. | 12 | |
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 | |
PHSX 210 | General Physics I for Engineers (KU Core GE 1.1) | 3 |
or PHSX 211 | General Physics I | |
PHSX 216 | General Physics I Laboratory (KU Core AE 5) | 1 |
PHSX 212 | General Physics II | 3 |
PHSX 236 | General Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
Advanced Chemistry | ||
CHEM 330 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 2 |
CHEM 525 | Physical Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
Advanced Science Electives | ||
See approved list of Advanced Science Electives | 6 | |
Mathematics | ||
MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
MATH 127 | Calculus III | 4 |
MATH 220 | Applied Differential Equations | 3 |
MATH 290 | Elementary Linear Algebra | 2 |
General Education Component | ||
Students with an initial term of Fall 2014 or later must meet the minimum requirements of the KU Core. Learn more about KU Core requirements at http://kucore.ku.edu | ||
ENGL 101 | Composition (KU Core GE 2.1 - Students that are exempt from ENGL 101 based on ACT or SAT test score do not have to make up the credit hours with another course.) | 3 |
ENGL 102 | Critical Reading and Writing (KU Core GE 2.2) | 3 |
KU Core GE 3H | 3 | |
KU Core GE 3S | 3 | |
KU Core AE 4.1 | 3 | |
KU Core AE 4.2 - Students that satisfy AE 4.2 with an experience or by being an international student must make up the three credit hours with math, science, engineering, humanities, or social science credit. | 3 |
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, Environmental, Materials Science, Data Science, Premedical, or Petroleum. Students completing a concentration are required to satisfy all the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering general option. 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 Biomedical concentration:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
BIOL 150 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology (Counts towards Advanced Science elective) | 3 |
BIOL 600 | Introductory Biochemistry, Lectures (Counts towards Advanced Science elective) | 3 |
or BIOL 546 | Mammalian Physiology | |
C&PE 656 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (Counts towards Engineering Elective) | 3 |
C&PE 651 | Undergraduate Problems (recommended, not required; Counts towards Engineering Elective) | 3 |
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 Environmental concentration:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
CE 477 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science (required) | 3 |
9 hours of Environmental Engineering electives at 500 level or above. Typical classes include but are not limited to: CE 570, CE 571, CE 573, CE 772, or CE 774. Generally, Environmental Engineering electives will require CE 477 as a prerequisite.Please talk to your academic advisor to make sure that the engineering elective counts towards the environmental emphasis. | 9 |
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 elective courses must be completed as part of the engineering electives required for the Material Science concentration:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 4 courses from the list below to satisfy the 12 hours of Engineering Electives required | ||
ME 211 | Statics and Introduction to Mechanics | 3 |
ARCE 350 | Building Materials Science | 3 |
AE 507 | Aerospace Structures I | 3 |
AE 510 | Aerospace Materials and Processes | 4 |
CE 310 | Strength of Materials | 4 |
CE 412 | Structural Engineering Materials | 3 |
CE 461 | Structural Analysis | 4 |
C&PE 655 | Introduction to Semiconductor Processing | 3 |
C&PE 657 | Polymer Science and Technology | 3 |
C&PE 751 | Basic Rheology | 3 |
C&PE 752 | Tissue Engineering | 3 |
C&PE 765 | Corrosion Engineering | 3 |
ME 306 | Science of Materials | 3 |
ME 311 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
ME 767 | Molecular Biomimetics | 3 |
CHEM 680/C&PE 715/BIOL 420/PHSX 600/EPHX 600 | Topics in Chemistry: _____ (Introduction to Nanotechnology) | 3 |
C&PE 651 | Undergraduate Problems ((By petition)) | 1-4 |
C&PE 661 | Undergraduate Honors Research ((By petition)) | 3 |
The following courses can be used to satisfy the 6 hours of Advanced Science Electives but are not required: | ||
PHSX 313 | General Physics III | 3 |
BIOL 150 | Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology | 3 |
CHEM 400 | Analytical Chemistry | 3 |
CHEM 401 | Analytical Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
CHEM 635 | Instrumental Methods of Analysis | 2 |
CHEM 636 | Instrumental Methods of Analysis Laboratory | 3 |
CHEM 660 | Systematic Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
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 Petroleum concentration:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
GEOL 101 & GEOL 103 | The Way The Earth Works and Geology Fundamentals Laboratory (counts towards Advanced Science requirement of Chemical Engineering BS) | 5 |
C&PE 127 | Introduction to Petroleum Engineering Profession (Recommended instead of C&PE 111) | 1 |
C&PE 327 | Reservoir Engineering (1 hour counts towards Advance Science Elective requirement, 3 hours counts towards Engineering Elective requirement) | 4 |
C&PE 527 | Reservoir Engineering II (counts towards Engineering Elective requirement) | 4 |
Petroleum engineering elective | 3 |
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 |
BIOL 152 | Principles of Organismal Biology | 3 |
BIOL 600 | Introductory Biochemistry, Lectures | 3 |
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: | ||
BIOL 154 | Introductory Biology Lab for STEM Majors ((recommended, not required)) | 2 |
PSYC 104 | General Psychology (KU Core GE 3S (recommended, not required)) | 3 |
SOC 104 | Elements of Sociology (KU Core AE 4.1 (recommended, not required)) | 3 |
BIOL 350 | Principles of Genetics (recommended, not required) | 4 |
BIOL 416 | Cell Structure and Function (recommended, not required) | 3 |
BIOL 546 | Mammalian Physiology (recommended, not required) | 3 |
Credit for ROTC Courses
Only ROTC courses qualifying as engineering electives and humanities/social sciences may be used.
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.