Chemical Engineering (BS): Biomolecular Concentration
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The Biomolecular Concentration emphasizes hands-on laboratory molecular biology skills that are highly relevant to pharmaceutical, medical, engineering, and agricultural fields. Students completing this concentration also fulfill the requirements for a Minor in Biotechnology.
Plan Requirements
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| °ä±áÌý101 or °ä±áÌý103 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 or General Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| °ä±áÌý102 or °ä±áÌý104 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 or General Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| ·¡Ìý101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 | 1 |
| ·¡Ìý115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| ²Ñ´¡Ìý141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| ·¡±·³ÒÌý101 | Academic Writing and Research 2 | 4 |
| Ìý | Hours | 14 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHÌý201 or CHÌý203 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 2 or General Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CHÌý202 or CHÌý204 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 2 or General Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| MAÌý241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PYÌý205 &ÌýPYÌý206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following Economics Courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | Ìý | |
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | Ìý | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | Ìý | |
| Fundamentals of Economics | Ìý | |
| EÌý102 | Engineering in the 21st Century | 2 |
| Ìý | Hours | 17 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHÌý221 or CHÌý225 | Organic Chemistry I 2 or Organic Chemistry I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CHÌý222 or CHÌý226 | Organic Chemistry I Lab 2 or Organic Chemistry Laboratory I for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| CHEÌý205 | Chemical Process Principles 2 | 4 |
| MAÌý242 | Calculus III 2 | 4 |
| PYÌý208 &ÌýPYÌý209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| Ìý | Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHÌý223 or CHÌý227 | Organic Chemistry II or Organic Chemistry II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 3 |
| CHÌý224 or CHÌý228 | Organic Chemistry II Lab or Organic Chemistry Laboratory II for Students in Chemical Sciences | 1 |
| CHEÌý225 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis 2 | 3 |
| MAÌý341 | Applied Differential Equations I 2 | 3 |
| BIOÌý183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Ìý | Hours | 14 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BCHÌý451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
| CHEÌý311 | Transport Processes I 2 | 3 |
| CHEÌý315 | Chemical Process Thermodynamics 2 | 3 |
| BITÌý410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 |
| CHEÌý395 | Professional Development Seminar | 1 |
| Ìý | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIT Laboratory Modules | 4 | |
| CHEÌý312 | Transport Processes II | 3 |
| CHEÌý316 | Thermodynamics of Chemical and Phase Equilibria | 3 |
| CHEÌý330 | Chemical Engineering Lab I | 4 |
| Ìý | Hours | 14 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHEÌý446 | Design and Analysis of Chemical Reactors | 3 |
| CHEÌý450 | Chemical Engineering Design I | 3 |
| Biotech Minor Group E Elective | 3 | |
| CHEÌý497 | Chemical Engineering Projects I | 3 |
| Ìý | Hours | 12 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHEÌý435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 |
| CHEÌý448 | Bioreactor Design | 2 |
| CHEÌý451 | Chemical Engineering Design II | 3 |
| CHEÌý452 | Biomolecular Engineering | 2 |
| Technical Elective | 2 | |
| Ìý | Hours | 12 |
| Ìý | Total Hours | 114 |
| 1 | A grade of C or higher is required. |
| 2 | A grade of C- or higher is required. |
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEP Courses | |||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP Additional Breadth (Humanities/Social Sciences/Visual and Performing Arts) | 3 | ||
| GEP U.S. Diversity (verify requirement) | |||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Total Hours | 14 | ||
BIT Lab Modules
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEC 463/563/CHEÌý463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIT 462/562 | Gene Expression Analysis: Microarrays | 2 | |
| BIT 464/564 | Protein Purification | 2 | |
| BIT 465/565 | Real-time PCR Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 466/566/POÌý466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 467/567 | PCR and DNA Fingerprinting | 2 | |
| BIT 468/568 | Genome Mapping | 2 | |
| BIT 471/571 | RNA Interference and Model Organisms | 2 | |
| BIT 473/573 | Protein Interactions | 2 | |
| BIT 474/574 | Plant Genetic Engineering | 2 | |
| BITÌý476 | Applied Bioinformatics | ||
| BIT 477/577 | Metagenomics | 2 | |
| BIT 478/578 | Mapping the Brain | 2 | |
| BIT 479/579 | High-Throughput Discovery | 2 | |
| BIT 480/580 | Yeast Metabolic Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT/PB 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| BITÌý492 | External Learning Experience | ||
| BITÌý493 | Special Problems in Biotechnology | ||
| BITÌý495 | Special Topics in Biotechnology | ||
| BIT/BIO/CH 572 | Proteomics | 3 |
Biotech Minor Group E Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDSÌý201 | Environmental Ethics | 3 | |
| IDSÌý303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| NRÌý303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| PHIÌý325 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 | |
| STSÌý302 | Contemporary Science, Technology and Human Values | 3 | |
| STSÌý304 | Ethical Dimensions of Progress | 3 | |
| STSÌý325 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 |
Technical Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBS 426/526/BECÌý426/526 | Upstream Biomanufacturing Laboratory | 2 | |
| BECÌý330 | Principles and Applications of Bioseparations | 2 | |
| BEC 462/562 | Fundamentals of Bio-Nanotechnology | 3 | |
| BEC 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BEC 480/580 | cGMP Fermentation Operations | 2 | |
| BEC 485/585 | cGMP Downstream Operations | 2 | |
| BEC/CHE 488 | Animal Cell Culture Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIT 464/564 | Protein Purification | 2 | |
| BME 466/566 | Polymeric Biomaterials Engineering | 3 | |
| CEÌý373 | Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering | 3 | |
| CHE 462/562 | Fundamentals of Bio-Nanotechnology | 3 | |
| CHE 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| ECEÌý331 | Principles of Electrical Engineering | 3 | |
| FS 426/526 | Upstream Biomanufacturing Laboratory | 2 | |
| MSEÌý201 | Structure and Properties of Engineering Materials | 3 | |
| NEÌý419 | Introduction to Nuclear Energy | 3 | |
| PSEÌý425 | Bioenergy & Biomaterials Engineering | 3 | |
| TE 466/566 | Polymeric Biomaterials Engineering | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| °ä±áÌý101 &Ìý°ä±áÌý102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| ·¡Ìý101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 1 | 1 |
| ·¡Ìý115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| ·¡±·³ÒÌý101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| ²Ñ´¡Ìý141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Ìý | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHÌý201 &ÌýCHÌý202 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| MAÌý241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PYÌý205 &ÌýPYÌý206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| EÌý102 | Engineering in the 21st Century | 2 |
| Ìý | Hours | 15 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHÌý221 &ÌýCHÌý222 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| CHEÌý205 | Chemical Process Principles 2 | 4 |
| MAÌý242 | Calculus III 2 | 4 |
| PYÌý208 &ÌýPYÌý209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| Ìý | Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHÌý223 &ÌýCHÌý224 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| CHEÌý225 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis 2 | 3 |
| MAÌý341 | Applied Differential Equations I 2 | 3 |
| BIOÌý183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Ìý | Hours | 17 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BCHÌý451 | Principles of Biochemistry | 4 |
| CHEÌý311 | Transport Processes I 2 | 3 |
| CHEÌý315 | Chemical Process Thermodynamics 2 | 3 |
| CHEÌý395 | Professional Development Seminar | 1 |
| CHEÌý497 | Chemical Engineering Projects I | 3 |
| BITÌý410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 |
| Ìý | Hours | 18 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIT Lab Modules | 4 | |
| CHEÌý312 | Transport Processes II | 3 |
| CHEÌý316 | Thermodynamics of Chemical and Phase Equilibria | 3 |
| CHEÌý330 | Chemical Engineering Lab I | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Ìý | Hours | 17 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHEÌý446 | Design and Analysis of Chemical Reactors | 3 |
| CHEÌý450 | Chemical Engineering Design I | 3 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Biotech Minor Group E Elective | 3 | |
| Ìý | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CHEÌý435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 |
| CHEÌý451 | Chemical Engineering Design II | 3 |
| CHEÌý452 | Biomolecular Engineering | 2 |
| CHEÌý448 | Bioreactor Design | 2 |
| Technical Elective | 2 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Ìý | Hours | 15 |
| Ìý | Total Hours | 128 |
| 1 | A grade of C- or higher is required. |
| 2 | A grade of C or higher is required. |
Career Opportunities
Careers in chemical engineering are sometimes exciting, always demanding, and ultimately provide a sense of accomplishment and achievement. Graduates find employment in sub-disciplines such as production, technical service, sales, management and administration; research and development; and consulting and teaching. Students desiring careers in teaching, research, or consulting are encouraged to continue their education and pursue a graduate degree (consult the Graduate Catalog). The undergraduate curriculum also provides strong preparation for graduate study in a wide range of professional specialties, and chemical engineering graduates often pursue careers in the medical sciences, business management, and law.