Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate students acquire a solid background in mathematics, chemistry and physics and take additional upper-level courses in chemistry. The basis of the chemical engineering program is in transport phenomena, thermodynamics, separations and kinetics. Other courses deal with the principles and techniques of chemical engineering analysis and design, along with economic analysis and process control. Laboratory courses offer the student an opportunity to make fundamental measurements of momentum, heat and mass transport and to gain hands-on experience with bench scale and small scale pilot-plant apparatus, which can be computer controlled. Report writing is a principal focus in the laboratory courses. Selected students are offered the opportunity to carry out individual research projects.

The curriculum for a chemical engineering major includes a number of electives. Students, with the consent of their faculty advisers, may choose elective courses that maintain program breadth or may pursue a minor with the chemical engineering major. Established minors for chemical engineering students are environmental engineering, materials science and engineering, nanoscience and nanotechnology, environmental engineering, scientific computing, engineering management, and business, among others. Double majors may be arranged in consultation with a faculty adviser. 

The department recommends chemical engineering students consider taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) in their senior year. This is the first step in obtaining a license as a professional engineer. The following courses are recommended for preparation for the FE: ECE 2112, CE 2280 and ME 2190.

Undergraduate Honors Program

The Honors Program in chemical engineering provides an opportunity for selected students to develop individually through independent study and research. General requirements are described in the Special Programs chapter of the Undergraduate Catalog. Chemical Engineering requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.5 for the Honors Program, and acceptance into the program is made by petition to the faculty during the junior year. Transfer students may be considered for admission after completing one semester at Vanderbilt. Candidates for honors choose their technical courses with the consent of a faculty honors adviser. Requirements include at least 6 hours of ChBE courses numbered 5000 or above, plus 6 hours of ChBE 3860 and 3861 taken in the junior and/or senior year under the direction of a faculty honors adviser. A formal written research report is submitted each semester ChBE 3860 or 3861 is taken with a final report and presentation given in the spring semester of the senior year to the ChBE faculty and students. The diploma designation is Honors in Chemical Engineering.

Curriculum Structure

  • The B.E. in Chemical Engineering requires a minimum of 125 hours
    1. Mathematics (14 hours): Math 1300, 1301, 2300, 2420.
    2. Basic Science (24 hours): Chemistry 1601/1601L, 1602/1602L, 2221/2221L, 2222/2222L; Physics 1601/1601L, 1602/1602L.
    3. Engineering Fundamentals (6 hours): ES 1401, 1402, 1403; CS 1000 or 1101 or 1103 or 1104 (CS 1100 is recommended except for students minoring in Computer Science).
    4. Liberal Arts Core (18 hours). To be selected to fulfill the Liberal Arts Core requirements listed in the Degree Programs in Engineering.
    5. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (42 hours): ChBE 2100, 2200, 2250, 2900W, 3200, 3250, 3300, 3350, 3600, 3900W, 4500, 4900W, 4950W, 4951W, 4959.
    6. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering electives: 6 hours selected from ChBE courses numbered 4200 or above and ENVE 4625.
    7. Statistics (3 hours): One of DS 2100, BME 2400, CE 3300, or MATH 2810.
    8. Technical electives (6 hours). To be selected from: a) courses numbered 2000 or above in BME, CHBE, CE, CS, DF, ECE, ENVE, ME, MSE, NANO, and SC, except ME 2220 and any School of Engineering course numbered 2860; b) courses numbered 1500 or above in the College of Arts and Science listed in the mathematics and natural sciences (MNS) AXLE distribution category; c) ENGM 3000, 3010, 3300, 3650, 3700, 4500; and d) DS 3100. At least 3 hours must be selected from BSCI 2201, 2520; CHEM 3300, 3310; ENVE 4600 or CHBE courses numbered 4000 and above.
    9. Open electives (6 hours)

    Undergraduates in chemical engineering may apply the pass/fail option only to courses taken as open electives, subject to the school requirements for pass/fail. No more than 6 total hours of courses numbered 2860 and courses numbered 3840 to 3885 inclusive may be applied toward degree requirements.

    Specimen Curriculum (for Class of 2028)

    Specimen Curriculum (for Class of 2027 and earlier)

  • Specimen curricula leading to a B.E. in Chemical Engineering are available that provide additional emphasis

    *Click here to download a spreadsheet with all of the above specimen curricula.

  • Double Majors

    1. The double major in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering requires a minimum of 131 semester hours as follows: (click here for a specimen curriculum)

    a. Mathematics (15 hours): Math 1300, 1301, 2300, 2400.

    b. Engineering Fundamentals (6 hours): ES 1401, 1402, 1403; CS 1100 or 1101 or 1003 or 1104.

    c. Basic Science (28 hours): CHEM 1601, 1601L, 1602, 1602L, 2221, 2221L, 2222, 2222L; PHYS 1601, 1601L, 1602, 1602L; BSCI 1510, 1510L.

    d. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (29 hours): CHBE 2100, 2200, 3200, 3250, 3300, 3350, 4900W, 4950W, 4951W, 4959.

    e. Biomedical Engineering (29 hours): BME 2100, 2301, 2302, 2400, 2900W, 3301, 3302, 3400, 3500, 3900W, 4959.

    f. Electrical Engineering (3 hours): ECE 2112.

    g. CHBE/BME Elective: 3 hours selected from CHBE 4500 (recommended), 4800, 4805, 4810, 4820, 4825, and BME courses numbered 4000 and above except BME 6110. BME 3890 and CHBE 3890 may be substituted upon approval of the Directors of Undergraduate Studies for BME and CHBE.

    h. Liberal Arts Core (18 hours). To be selected to fulfill the Liberal Arts Core requirements listed in the Degree Programs in Engineering.

     

    2. The double major in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry requires a minimum of 130 semester hours. The requirements include those numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 for the B.E. in chemical engineering and the following: (click here for a specimen curriculum)

    a. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (39 hours): ChBE 2100, 2200, 2250, 2900W, 3200, 3250, 3300, 3350, 3600, 4500, 4900W, 4950W, 4951W, 4959.

    b. Science (23 hours): CHEM 2100, 2100L, 3010, 3315; 3 hours selected from CHEM courses numbered 3020 and above except 3320, 3600, 3841, 3842, 3860, 3902; either CHEM 4965 and 4966 or 6 hours selected from CHEM 3980, 4980, and 4999; BSCI 1510, 2520.

     

    3. The double major in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering requires a minimum of 137 semester hours. The requirements include those numbered 1, 2, 3, and 5 for the B.E. in chemical engineering and the following: (click here for a specimen curriculum)

    a. Environmental Engineering Core (24 hours): CE 2120, 3300, 3600, 3705; EES 1510; ENVE 3200, 3200L, 4600, 4625.

    b. Environmental Engineering Electives (6 hours) comprising:

    1. At least 3 hours selected from CE 4150, 4240, 4425, 4430; ENVE 4305, 4610.
    2. At most 3 hours selected from CE 4300; EES 3310, 4550, 4650, 4750; ENVE 4615, 4620.

    c. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering electives: 3 hours selected from CHBE courses numbered 4000 or above (ChBE 4860 is recommended).

    d. Liberal Arts Core (18 hours). To be selected to fulfill the Liberal Arts Core requirements listed in the Degree Programs in Engineering. To include 6 hours of Global Perspective Electives selected from ANTH 2150, 2220W, 2224, 2225, 2400, 3130,3345, 4154; ECON 2170; EES 3333; PHIL 3611; PSCI 3266; SOC 3311, 3312, 3314, 3315, 3316, 3317, 3318, 3319.

     

    4. The double major in Chemical Engineering and Communication and Science and Technology requires a minimum of 1 25 semester hours. The requirements include those for the B.E. in chemical engineering with 12 hours in the Liberal Arts Core as designated by the Communication and Science and Technology requirements. (click here for a specimen curriculum)

    Undergraduates in chemical engineering, including double majors with chemical engineering, may apply the pass/fail option only to courses taken as open electives, subject to the school requirements for pass/fail. No more than 6 total hours of courses numbered 2860 and courses numbered 3840 to 3885 inclusive may be applied toward degree requirements

    * Click here to download a spreadsheet with all of the above specimen curricula.

  • Link to Undergraduate Catalog Listing for Chemical Engineering

    Link to ChE Degree Requirements in the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Catalog