Engineering Chemical Engineering
Description
The mission of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Chemical and Biomolecular engineering program is to provide qualified students with a foundation in engineering sciences and engineering design methods to prepare them for successful professional careers and to contribute to the needs of society.
Program Educational Objectives
In pursuit of the program’s mission, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has established the Educational Objectives given below.
Succeeds professionally. Graduates will succeed professionally by making positive contributions to address the needs of society, generate new knowledge, and provide leadership in their respective industry or field.
Solves engineering and scientific challenges. Graduates will use critical thinking, engineering techniques, and engineering strategies to develop sustainable solutions associated with technical challenges, with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
Communicates effectively to diverse audiences. Graduates will use effective written and verbal communication skills with broad and diverse audiences while demonstrating respect for different perspectives.
Contributes on a team. Graduates will work collaboratively in team-based environments to provide solutions to problems.
Acts safely and ethically. Graduates will complete responsibilities in a safe, ethical, and professional manner while considering the impact on global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. Graduates will uphold the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Code of Ethics and will influence others to do the same.
Exhibits self-management and leadership. Graduates will lead and manage themselves, teams, organizations, and projects.
Engages in lifelong learning. Graduates will engage in self-initiated, life-long learning for professional growth in their chosen career paths.
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering offers a course of study designed for students who plan careers in a wide variety of industries, ranging from the chemical and process industries to biotechnology, electronics, and the environment. Students receive training in the basic subjects of mathematics, English, and physics like other engineering students, but in addition receive extensive training in chemistry. In various courses, the emphasis is placed on the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, separation processes, thermodynamics, kinetics, and process dynamics, as well as process economics and design of chemical processes.
The instructional laboratories provide opportunities for students to operate experimental equipment, test the theories and correlations developed in the classroom, and design their own experiment for the solution of special problems.
Graduates are qualified to undertake work in research, design, development, production, maintenance, and technical sales in a wide variety of industries including chemicals, petroleum, petrochemicals, rubber, plastics, agricultural chemicals, food, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, paper, fabrics, aircraft, automotive, electronics, energy conversion, and environmental pollution prevention and control.
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is located in Othmer Hall. A state-of-the-art unit operations laboratory, used to give hands-on chemical process experience, is located there. Laboratory equipment is provided for the study of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, staged operations, process control, thermodynamics, and reaction kinetics. The department operates its own microcomputer facility. Additional research equipment is available for independent and graduate study in several areas.
Major Department Admission
To earn Professional Admission to the chemical engineering degree program, a student must complete a minimum of 43 credit hours applicable to the chemical engineering degree and complete CHME 202 Mass and Energy Balances with a grade of C- or higher. The student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.4 or higher to be professionally admitted. The faculty of the chemical and biomolecular engineering department reviews students for professional admission once they have earned 43 credit hours and completed CHME 202. A student may be reviewed twice for professional admission to chemical engineering. If the student is denied professional admission to chemical engineering twice, then the student will be required to change their major and will not be allowed to complete a chemical engineering degree. After the student is awarded professional admission to chemical engineering, they will be allowed to enroll in the appropriate 300- and 400-level engineering courses.
Other
University Honors Program
For those students who have been admitted to the University Honors Program, junior- and senior-level chemical and biomolecular engineering classes are available as honors-designated classes (i.e., CHME xxxH) on a “contract basis” between the student and the instructor with approval by the department faculty. The requirement of an honors thesis research project is fulfilled by the completion of a minimum of 3 credits of CHME 499H Honors Thesis under the direction of a department faculty member. Additional information on the University Honors Program, including admission requirements, can be found in the Honors Program section.
College Requirements
College Admission
College Entrance Requirements
Students must meet both the University and College of Engineering entrance requirements. The following includes both the University and College of Engineering entrance requirements.
Students must have high school credit for (one unit is equal to one high school year):
- Mathematics – 4 units: 2 of algebra, 1 of geometry, and 1 of precalculus and trigonometry
- English – 4 units
- Natural sciences – 3 units that must include 1 unit of physics and 1 unit of chemistry (chemistry requirement waived for students in construction management or computer science)
- Foreign language – 2 units of a single foreign language
- Social studies – 3 units
- Students having a composite ACT score of 28 or greater (or equivalent SAT score) will be admitted to the College of Engineering even if they lack any one of the following: trigonometry, chemistry, or physics. Students without test scores who are missing a full unit of trigonometry/pre-calculus/calculus or chemistry or physics will be evaluated through College Review.
- Students having an ACT score of 19 or less in English (or equivalent SAT score) or a grade lower than B in high school English, must take ENGL 150 Writing and Inquiry or ENGL 151 Writing for Change.
A total of 16 units is required for admission.
Engineering requires that student performance meet one of the following standards: composite ACT of 24, SAT of 1180, ACT Math subscore of 24, SAT Math subscore of 580, or a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
Any domestic first-year student who does not gain admission to Engineering but does gain admission to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will be reviewed through College Review. College Review is conducted through the College Review Committee which considers factors beyond standardized testing. Any first-year student who is not admitted through college review is placed in Pre-Engineering (PENG) with the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center (Explore Center). Students in the Explore Center can transfer to the College of Engineering once college admission requirements are met.
Students for whom English is not their language of nurture must meet the minimum English proficiency requirements of the University.
Students who lack entrance units may complete precollege training by Independent Study through the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Office of On-line and Distance Education, in summer courses, or as a part of their first or second semester course loads while in the Explore Center or other colleges at UNL.
Students should consult their advisor, their department chair, or Engineering Student Services (ESS) if they have questions on current policies.
Other Admission Requirements
Students who transfer to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from other accredited colleges or universities and wish to be admitted to the College of Engineering (COE) must meet COE first-year student entrance requirements, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, and be calculus-ready. Students not meeting either of these requirements must enroll in the Explore Center or another University college until they meet COE admission requirements. Students transferring from UNO, UNL, or UNK to the College of Engineering must be in good academic standing with their institution.
The COE accepts courses for transfer for which a C or better grade was received. Although the University of Nebraska–Lincoln accepts D grades from the University of Nebraska Kearney and the University of Nebraska Omaha, not all majors in the COE accept such low grades. Students must conform to the requirements of their intended major and, in any case, are strongly encouraged to repeat courses with a grade of C- or less.
Students who were previously admitted to COE and are returning to the College of Engineering must demonstrate a cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be readmitted to COE.
College Degree Requirements
Grade Rules
Grade Appeals
In the event of a dispute involving any college policies or grades, the student should appeal to their instructor, and appropriate department chair or school director (in that order). If a satisfactory solution is not achieved, the student may appeal their case through the College Academic Appeals Subcommittee.
Catalog Rule
Students must fulfill the requirements stated in the catalog for the academic year in which they are first admitted at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In consultation with advisors, a student may choose to follow a subsequent catalog for any academic year in which they are admitted to and enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Nebraska in the College of Engineering. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year. The catalog which a student follows for degree requirements may not be more than 10 years old at the time of graduation.
Students who have transferred from a community college may be eligible to fulfill the requirements as stated in the catalog for an academic year in which they were enrolled at the community college prior to attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This decision should be made in consultation with the student’s College of Engineering academic advising team (e.g., ESS professional advisor and the chief faculty advisor for the student’s declared degree program). The chief faculty advisor has the final authority for this decision. Eligibility is based on a) enrollment in a community college during the catalog year the student wishes to utilize, b) maintaining continuous enrollment of at least 12 credit hours per semester at the previous institution for at least 2 semesters, and c) continuous enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within 1 calendar year from the student’s last term at the previous institution. Students must complete all degree requirements from a single catalog year and within the timeframe allowable for that catalog year.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the chemical engineering program will have:
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- An ability to 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.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to 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.
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
The above student outcomes have been approved by the ABET Engineering Area Delegation for use beginning with the 2019-20 academic year, and have been adopted by the faculty of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
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