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Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
The degree program in chemical engineering
was established in 1898 at the University of
Michigan, one of four schools to introduce the
profession in the United States during the last
decade of the nineteenth century. The
University of Michigan student chapter of the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers was
the first established by that professional
society.
Chemical engineering, among all branches of
engineering, is the one most strongly and
broadly based upon chemical and life sciences.
It has been defined by the directors of the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers as
“the profession in which a knowledge of
mathematics, chemistry, and other natural
sciences gained by study, experience, and
practice is applied with judgment to develop
economical ways of using materials and energy
for the benefit of mankind.” Because of a
broad and fundamental education, the chemical
engineer can contribute to society in many
functions: research, development, environmental
protection, process design, product
engineering, plant operation, marketing, sales, and corporate or government administration.
The work of the chemical engineer
encompasses many industries, from the
manufacture of chemicals and consumer products
and the refining of petroleum, to
biotechnology, food manufacturing, and the
production of pharmaceuticals. Because of
this breadth, there are many fields in which
chemical engineers may specialize. More
information on careers for chemical engineers
is available at the AIChE career page, http://www.aiche.org/careers.
The program allows 10 hours of unrestricted
electives, 9 hours of life science and
technical electives, and 16 hours of humanities
and social science electives. A student may use
this elective freedom to develop individual
abilities and interests, and to prepare for
graduate studies or for other professional
programs such as law, business administration, or medicine. The electives also provide the
opportunity for combined degree programs or for
preparation in fields within or related to
chemical engineering such as polymers, pharmaceuticals, environmental engineering, chemical-reaction engineering, computers, biochemical processes, natural resource usage, and biotechnology. Students can choose to focus
their elective courses by selecting a
concentration within their ChE degree. Current
concentration areas include: Electrical
Engineering-Electronic Devices, Mechanical
Engineering, Materials Science Engineering, Life Sciences, and Environmental
Engineering.
The facilities located in the H.H. Dow and
G.G. Brown Buildings include biochemical
engineering, catalysis, chemical sensors, light
scattering and spectroscopy, petroleum
research, fuel cells, nanotechnology, rheology, polymer physics, process dynamics, and surface
science laboratories, large-and pilot-scale
heat transfer, mass transfer, kinetics, and
separations processes teaching
laboratories.
This program is accredited by the
Engineering Accreditation Commission of the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology (ABET), 111 Market
Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone (410) 347-7700.
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