Program
Chemical engineers have the responsibility to discover and implement new products and processes that are useful and economical.
The chemical engineering profession has evolved in concert with the technological landmarks of the last century: from petroleum refining at the beginning of the last century to the biotechnology and biomedical developments, innovations in digital communications and microelectronics, to nanotechnology.
These changes have driven chemical engineering from macroscopic to microscopic to nano-scale and eventually toward molecular dimensions. Although chemical engineers remain actively engaged in the synthesis of known knowledge into large scale processes—traditionally referred to as “scale-up”— the new revolutions in processing and products are involving them in the creation of new technologies at increasingly shrinking dimensions—“scaling down.”
The need for exploitation of new energy and raw materials sources and the increased emphasis on the life sciences offers new opportunities for chemical engineers in diverse industries such as biological, medical, and pharmaceutical firms, and presents new challenges.
Lafayette chemical engineers are well-suited to take on these challenges.
Requirements
Majors must complete Mathematics 161, 162, 263, 264; four courses chosen from an approved humanities and social science list plus English 110, a First-Year Seminar, and a VAST seminar; two free electives and two technical electives, one from departmental electives and another 300-level or higher course in engineering, mathematics, or natural sciences; Chemistry 121, 122, 221, 324 plus two chemistry electives, one of which may be a non-chemistry course with heavy chemistry content; Physics 131; Engineering Science 101, and an elective (Engineering Science 226: Statics or Engineering Science 241: Basic Electric Circuit Analysis); and Chemical Engineering 211, 222, 311, 312, 314, 321, 322, 323, 324, 411, 412, 413, 415, and 422.
