Biomolecular Engineering Concentration, Fall 2012

Suggested four-year program to attain a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with concentration in Biomolecular Engineering, for students entering as freshmen in Fall 2012.

What is chemical engineering?

Chemical engineering is the study and practice of transforming substances on a large scale to produce products or energy for the improvement of society. Such processes are the fundamental core of the chemical, petroleum, food and beverage, consumer products, pharmaceutical, environmental consulting, and electronics industries. Chemical Engineers work in a variety of segments within these industries, including processing, manufacturing, research and development, management, environmental compliance, and business. Chemical engineering differs from chemistry in that chemical engineers produce products on a large scale, so that they are affordable and available to as many consumers as possible. In this way, Chemical Engineering emphasizes fundamentals required to design, optimize, and operate chemical processes as safely and efficiently as possible.

What is the program like?

The first two years of the chemical engineering curriculum provide a strong foundation in basic sciences through physics, mathematics, chemistry, an introduction to what chemical engineers do, and the fundamental basis of chemical engineering (mass and energy balances and thermodynamics.) In the third year, students delve deeper into more specialized chemistry courses such as physical and analytical chemistry, while exploring fundamental chemical engineering courses such as Momentum Transfer, Separations, and Reactor Design. The senior year incorporates all of this learning through high level technical electives, Process Control, Capstone Lab, and Capstone Design courses. It is through the lab and design class that students apply everything they have learned in previous chemical engineering courses to real-world team projects and presentations.

What are my choices?

The chemical engineering curriculum provides two professional degrees: Bachelor's of Science in Chemical Engineering with concentration in Chemical Engineering and Bachelor's of Science in Chemical Engineering with concentration in Biomolecular engineering. Each concentration area is based on a strong fundamental understanding of chemical engineering, however the biomolecular concentration's technical electives focus more on bio-applied processing and technology. The biomolecular concentration is reflected on the transcript, not the diploma.

What is Biomolecular Engineering?

The biomolecular engineering concentration builds upon the traditional principles of chemical engineering, but specializes in biological and biotechnological systems in order to better prepare students who are interested in or seek employment in the food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. The program emphasizes fundamentals required to develop models for the design, control, and operation of bio-related chemical processes.

What do I need to get started?

Students entering without adequate preparation in mathematics and chemistry may find it difficult to complete the chemical engineering curriculum in four years. Please see Undergraduate Admissions information on Advanced Placement for information regarding AP credit transfer.  Note that AP Chemistry credit will not be accepted for chemical engineering students. Also, all incoming freshmen must take the ALEKS exam for math placement. It is advantageous to develop a semester-by-semester course plan on your own and then meet with your SCS academic advisor as early as possible to verify your plans. For more information, contact:

Elaina Bielser (last names from A-L)
ebielserillinois [dot] edu
217-244-6605
110B Noyes Lab

Todd Spinner (last names from M-Z)
spinnerillinois [dot] edu
217-244-6605
110A Noyes Lab

What are some of the requirements?

The curriculum requires 129 hours for graduation. A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher, excluding military training, is required to be eligible to take CHBE 430, 431, and 440. To graduate with distinction, one must have a 3.0 GPA or higher and have completed 6 credit hours of ChBE 499. To graduate with honors, one must graduate with a 3.5-3.79 GPA, high honors 3.8-3.95 and highest honors 3.95 or above.

How do I get an internship?

For information regarding the Co-operative Education Program and internships in the School of Chemical Sciences, contact Patricia (Blum) Simpson at plblumillinois [dot] edu. call 217-333-1050, or visit 105 Noyes Lab.

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

Notes

1. Students who do not place into Chem 202, or who do not satisfy the mathematics prerequisite for Chem 202, may substitute the sequence Chem 102, 103, 104, 105, 222 and 223 for Chem 202, 203, 204, and 205.
2. MATH 220 — Calculus may be substituted, with four of the five credit hours applying toward the degree. Math 220 is appropriate for students with no background in calculus. It is recommended to students not to take the Mathematica Calculus course.
3. The CHBE 121 and ENG 100 requirement will be waived for students who transfer into the chemical engineering curriculum after their freshman year. Under no circumstances will this requirement be waived for students who are in the chemical engineering curriculum during their freshman year.
4. At least 16 hours must be taken. All campus General Education requirements must be satisfied, including those in approved course work in the Humanities/Arts, Social/Behavioral Sciences, and Cultural Studies, including the Western, Non-Western and/or U.S. Minorities components. The requirements for the Campus General Education categories Natural Sciences/Technology, Quantitative Reasoning I and II, and Composition I and II are fulfilled through required course work in the curriculum.
5. Three semesters of college credit in one foreign language is required. Three years of high school credit in one foreign language are equivalent to three semesters of college credit.
6. At least 19 hours must be selected from the departmentally approved List of Approved Biomolecular Engineering Technical Electives Categories A and B and List 2, satisfying these distribution requirements:
   
   1. 9 hours must be from Category A
   2. 4 credit hours must be from List 2
   3. 6 hours must be from Category B

   A maximum of 3 hours from Category A may be undergraduate research credit. A maximum of 9 total hours of undergraduate research may be counted toward Technical Elective credit. If you have taken STAT 400 prior to Summer 2009, you do not need to take IE 300. A maximum of 3 hours from Category A may be undergraduate research credit. A maximum of 9 total hours of undergraduate research may be counted toward technical elective credit.

7. MATH 385 has been renumbered as MATH 285. MATH 441 may be substituted for MATH 285. MATH 286 (4 hours) may be substituted for MATH 285. The additional credit hour earned for MATH 286 will be counted as a Category B Biomolecular Engineering Technical Elective hour.
8. Under no circumstances will PHYS 101-102 be accepted as a substitute for any part of the Physics sequence
9. Enrollment in CHBE 430 is limited. Thus CHBE 430 may need to be taken in the second semester and CHBE 431 and/or additional electives taken in the first semester instead. Students in their final semester will have priority for getting into CHBE 430 and CHBE 431.
10. The sequence CHBE 430 and CHBE 431 satisfies the General Education Advanced Composition requirement.

Additional notes

Substitutions for courses other than those described in the notes above will not normally be accepted. Any exceptions must be approved by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. A student requesting an exception must submit a petition to the Department. Fill the petition form out, have your advisor sign it, and submit it. The form may also be obtained in 209 Roger Adams Laboratory.