Chemical Engineering - Bachelor of Science (BSCHE)

Chemical engineers are responsible for producing products based on chemical processing and chemical transformations. They carry out basic research; they design, build, operate and manage chemical processes and plants; and they supply petroleum products, renewable resources, plastics, detergents, agricultural chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biological compounds, photographic materials, microelectronic devices and various food and other products. Today's processes must be energy efficient, nonpolluting and profitable. Thus, students must master inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, mathematics, statistics, computers, physics and often biology and biochemistry. Students must learn to apply these fundamentals in the process industries. Paralleling the technical courses are studies in the humanities and the social sciences.

Requirements

Prerequisites and Passing Grades

Unless specified otherwise, the minimum passing grade for a course that is a prerequisite for another required course is C-. If a grade of D+ or lower is received in a course which is a prerequisite to another, the student may not register for the subsequent course until the first grade has been raised to a C- or higher.

Unless specified otherwise, the minimum passing grade for a course that is not specifically a prerequisite for another required course is D-.

Students may be dropped from courses if they do not meet the minimum prerequisite grade requirements. It is the student's responsibility to communicate with the department if summer coursework and/or transfer credit will be used to meet the prerequisite requirement.

Course Requirements

A total of 128 credit hours is required.

Program Tracks

Curricular options have been established in fields of major importance and particular interest. To follow one of these options requires careful planning and course selection by student and advisor.

Materials Track

The need to develop new materials for a rapidly broadening spectrum of applications is one of the major technological challenges confronting applied science. Chemical engineers have the required background in chemistry and transport theory to contribute significantly in this area. This option focuses on polymeric and ceramic materials by complementing the chemical engineering curriculum with elective courses stressing the interrelationship between materials fabrication, structure, properties and performance.

Premed Track

This track is offered for students preparing for medical school. Since chemical and engineering already requires most of the premed courses, it is a logical choice for students who desire an engineering degree and the opportunity to pursue a medical profession.

Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study

While there are several tracks, only the Standard Curriculum is shown here. For details on the other tracks, visit the department's Current Students webpage and consult the current advising guide.

Learning Outcomes

Program Educational Objectives

The department prepares graduates to make significant contributions in many diverse areas. Specifically, within a few years of graduation our graduates will have achieved one or more of the following attributes:

• In their chosen field, be established in a professional career, be pursuing an advanced degree or be seeking advanced certification.
• Be recognized as academic, industrial or entrepreneurial leaders.
• Be successfully working and communicating in a variety of technical fields.
• Be adapting to new technologies and changing professional environments

Student Outcomes

At the time of graduation, students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify, formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science and mathematics.
• Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
• Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
• Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental and societal contexts.
• Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives.
• Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
• Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s Degree Program(s)

The Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor’s and master’s degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the bachelor’s degree first, but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically in their senior year). Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor’s and the master’s degrees, students receive a master’s degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master’s degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue a bachelor’s–accelerated master’s program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.

BS and MS in Chemical Engineering

Admissions Requirements

In order to gain admission to the BAM program named above, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.250 or higher.
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in CHEN coursework.
• Students must have completed CHEN 2120, CHEN 3200, CHEN 3210, CHEN 3320 and CHEN 3010 prerequisite courses with grades of B- in each course.
• Have at least junior class standing.
• Complete MAPS requirements.
• Provide a one-page Statement of Purpose. The statement should briefly describe your past work in the field, including noncourse educational experiences, teaching, or other relevant employment, publication, theses, research in progress, other scholarly activities and your plans for graduate study and a professional career
• GRE.
• Provide an unofficial transcript.

Program Requirements

Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master’s degree. However, only six credit hours may be double counted toward the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor’s degree, and apply to continue with the master’s degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.¹

Please see the BAM degree program web page for more information.

¹ Students who were admitted prior to July 2019 follow a concurrent Bachelor’s/Master’s structure, and the two degrees are awarded simultaneously when requirements for both degrees are met.