Undergraduate Program

Director of Undergraduate Programs
Eva Y. Chi


Degree Offered

  • Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (B.S.Ch.E.)
    Concentrations: Bioengineering; Chemical Process Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Materials Processing; Semiconductor Manufacturing.

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program

Undergraduate students in the Chemical Engineering program may seek admission to a Master of Science (M.S.) engineering program or the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Civil Engineering under the Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. See the School of Engineering section of this Catalog for specific admission information and requirements.


Introduction

The principles and approaches that make up chemical engineering are rooted in the world of atoms, molecules and molecular transformations, and chemical engineers have been leaders in extending our ability to manipulate materials on the atomic scale. Chemical engineers are on the forefront of rapidly developing areas that include biotechnology and biomedicine, semiconductor manufacturing and data storage devices, and advanced materials with precisely-controlled nanostructures. Chemical engineering is a rapidly evolving discipline that offers the excitement of developing cutting-edge products and the satisfaction of making important contributions to technology that improves our lives. Chemical Engineering has a rich history of contributions to the nation’s technology base for production of chemicals and materials for consumer products and basic commodities. Chemical engineers have long played key roles in a diverse set of industries that include petroleum, food, pharmaceuticals, artificial fibers, petrochemicals, plastics and ceramics, to name a few. In these areas, chemical engineers design and develop the processes for large-scale manufacturing that result in affordable products that are essential to our way of life. Chemical engineers also work in the areas of environmental protection and remediation, process safety and hazardous waste management. 

The diverse applications of chemical engineering, as well as the ability of chemical engineers to be on the leading edge of new fields, derive from the breadth of the chemical engineer’s education. The chemical engineering curriculum at the University of New Mexico offers broad training in the fundamentals of mathematics, physics, chemistry and the engineering sciences. These are integrated with the chemical engineering “core” which includes: thermodynamics, heat, momentum and mass transport, chemical reaction engineering, design, and process control. 

Students choose electives which are grouped into concentrations to provide expertise in specific areas. B.S.Ch.E. concentrations consist of 6 credit hours of technical electives.

Undergraduate chemical engineering students benefit greatly from the extensive research activities of department faculty in strategic areas of chemical engineering. The research activities are well integrated and supportive of the department's teaching mission, continually improving the quality of laboratory courses. A significant number of undergraduates participate in one-on-one research projects with individual faculty, often focused on the student’s area of concentration. The nearby national laboratories provide additional opportunities for student research. Learning is enhanced with such hands-on experience, and students are more competitive when they leave the University of New Mexico. The department's research activities contribute to new course development and improve the content of existing courses to incorporate state-of-the-art knowledge and practice.

The B.S.Ch.E. graduate finds many avenues of opportunity in chemical processing, food and consumer products, fibers and textiles, biotechnology, advanced materials, semiconductor manufacturing, environmental protection and remediation and other vital industries. Extensive opportunities also exist for students desiring to work towards advanced degrees in the field. And finally, a chemical engineering undergraduate degree represents an excellent foundation for an advanced professional degree in medicine, business or law.

Graduates of the undergraduate program in Chemical Engineering successfully progress in their careers or post-graduate endeavors in diverse chemical engineering areas, including chemical process engineering, biomedical engineering, materials processing, semiconductor manufacturing, and environmental engineering, by:

  • Meeting or exceeding the expectations of their professional position,
  • Successfully pursuing advanced study in a graduate or professional program, and
  • Assuming leadership roles in their professions and/or communities.

The most up-to-date version of the objectives is available at the Department Web site.


Mission Statement

The Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (B.S.Ch.E.) degree program in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering provides an outstanding education that prepares students to be productive and responsible members of society, with the skills and knowledge to be successful in their professional careers or post-graduate studies. This is accomplished by engaging students in a variety of academic, research and service activities, and fostering a learning environment that is supportive for a body of students that is diverse in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and prior educational background.


Admission Information

Freshmen and transfer students are admitted directly to the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering as pre-major students. Pre-major students are reviewed for admission to the B.S.Ch.E. degree program after they meet the following program admission requirements:

  • Earn a cumulative overall GPA of at least 2.30;
  • Earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 and grades of “C” or better in the technical courses identified in Footnote 1 of the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering requirement table below;
  • Complete ENGL 1110 or the equivalent with a grade of “C” or better;
  • Be in good academic standing with the School of Engineering. See "Additional Information" in the School of Engineering section of this Catalog.

Admission as a major in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is required for consideration of candidacy for the B.S.Ch.E. degree program.


Policy on "D" or "D+" Grades

Students admitted or readmitted to the B.S.Ch.E. degree program may not apply a course toward the degree if the highest grade earned in the course is a "D+" or less, regardless of where that grade was earned.


Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Credit hours required for graduation: 121.

A minimum grade of "C-" or better is required for all CBE courses. A minimum grade of "C" is required for all other courses. Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for information on courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements.

Credit
Hours
First Year First Semester
CBE 101 Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering (1) 1
CHEM 1215 General Chemistry I for STEM Majors (1) 3
CHEM 1215L General Chemistry I for STEM Majors Laboratory (1) 1
ENGL 1120 Composition II 3
MATH 1512 Calculus I (1) 4
  General Education: Humanities (2) 3
  Subtotal 15
  Second Semester  
CBE 102 Addressing Societal Challenges using the Tools of Chemical & Biological Engineering (1) 1
CHEM 1225 General Chemistry II for STEM Majors (1) 3
CHEM 1225L General Chemistry II for STEM Majors Laboratory (1) 1
MATH 1522 Calculus II (1) 4
PHYS 1310 Calculus-Based Physics I (1) 3
General Education: Writing and Speaking (2) 3
  Subtotal 15
Second Year First Semester  
CBE 251 Chemical Process Calculations I (3) 3
CHEM **301 Organic Chemistry 3
CHEM 303L Organic Chemistry/Laboratory 1
MATH 2530 Calculus III (1) 4
PHYS 1320 Calculus-Based Physics II (1) 3
  Subtotal 14
  Second Semester  
CBE 253 Chemical and Biological Engineering Computing (3) 3
CBE 302 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3) 3
CHEM **302 Organic Chemistry 3
CHEM **312 Physical Chemistry 3
MATH **316 Applied Ordinary Differential Equations
3
  Subtotal 15
Third Year (4) First Semester  
CBE 311 Introduction to Transport Phenomena (3) 3
CBE 317 Numerical Methods for Chemical and Biological Engineering (3) 3
CBE 318L Chemical Engineering Laboratory I: Introduction to Experimentation (3) 3
BIOL 2110C Principles of Biology: Cellular and Molecular Lecture and Laboratory 4
General Education: Social and Behavioral Sciences (2) 3
  Subtotal 16
  Second Semester  
CBE 213 Laboratory Electronics for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Engineers (5) 3
CBE 312 Unit Operations (3) 3
CBE 321 Mass Transfer (3) 3
CBE 319L Chemical Engineering Laboratory II (3) 1
CBE 371 Introduction to Materials Engineering (3) 3
CE 350 Engineering Economy (5) 3
  Subtotal 16
Fourth Year (6) First Semester  
CBE 418L Chemical Engineering Laboratory III (3) 1
CBE 454 Process Dynamics and Control (3) 3
CBE **461 Chemical Reactor Engineering (3) 3
CBE 486 Introduction to Statistics and Design of Experiments (3) 3
CBE 493L Chemical Engineering Design (3) 3
  Technical Elective (7) 3
Subtotal 16
  Second Semester  
CBE 419L Chemical Engineering Laboratory IV (3) 1
CBE 451 Senior Seminar (3) 1
CBE 494L Advanced Chemical Engineering Design (3) 3
  Technical Elective (7) 3
  General Education: Arts and Design (2) 3
  General Education: Second Language (2) 3
   Subtotal 14
Total 121


Footnotes:

(1)  Major admission to the B.S.Ch.E. program requires completion of these technical courses with the criteria identified in the "Admission Information" section of this page.

(2)  General Education curriculum courses may be taken whenever convenient.

(3)  Program core courses must be taken in the order and semester in which they are listed in the curriculum to avoid a delay in graduation.

(4)  Students must file an application for graduation prior to the completion of 95 credit hours of applicable courses.

(5)  CBE 213 and CE 350 may be taken in a Fall or Spring semester. 

(6)  Students are encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination during their senior year (fourth year). This is the first formal step toward professional registration. 

(7)  Technical electives are chosen with the consultation of the student’s Faculty Advisor to ensure that they support the student’s concentration as well as the student’s individual academic, career, and/or research goals. A list of suggested technical electives based on concentration is listed in the next section. 

Persons having special needs and requiring auxiliary aid or service should contact the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ADA and Rehabilitation Act of 1973).


Concentrations

Future chemical engineers conceive and solve problems on a range of scales (nano, micro and macro). They bring new tools and insights from research and practice in other disciplines: molecular biology, chemistry, solid-state physics, materials science, and electrical engineering. They also make increasing use of computers, artificial intelligence and expert systems in problem solving, in product and process design, and in manufacturing. Chemical engineering can be viewed as the engineering discipline with the strongest tie to the molecular sciences and therefore is an integral part of multidisciplinary research efforts.

To allow students an opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge in specialized areas and to prepare them for diverse career opportunities, the department provides five concentrations:

Students choose 6 credit hours of technical electives, which are chosen with the consultation of the student’s Faculty Advisor to ensure that they support the student’s concentration as well as the student’s individual academic, career, and/or research goals. Lists of suggested technical electives based on concentration are found below. The Director of Undergraduate Programs may allow up to 6 credit hours of technical electives for students taking required ROTC courses in aerospace or naval science. One technical elective can be replaced with 3 credit hours of CBE 491 for which a student completes a research project done under the supervision of a departmental faculty member and requires advance approval by the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

In addition to the technical elective courses, the projects in the last design course (CBE 494L) and the last laboratory course (CBE 419L) provide opportunities to gain experience in the chosen concentration.

Bioengineering

Since biological and medical systems involve complex chemical and physical processes, chemical engineering is a natural professional background for bioengineering applications. Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary field that combines the tools and methods of engineering to address challenges in the health sciences and in basic research. Bioengineers strive to understand biological systems, from molecules to whole organisms, from a quantitative and analytical perspective. Because of this in-depth study, bioengineers are uniquely qualified to work at the interface between living and non-living systems, enhancing our ability to measure, image, repair, or replace physiological substances or processes. Training in bioengineering prepares students for graduate school or industry, and is an excellent preparation for professional programs (medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy). Career opportunities for bioengineers at the undergraduate level include the biosensor, pharmaceutical and medical device industries as well as positions in hospitals, federal labs, and environmental agencies.

Credit
Hours
Suggested Technical Electives  
BIOC *423 Introductory Biochemistry 3
BIOL 2305 Microbiology for Health Sciences 4
BIOL 2410C Principles of Biology: Genetics Lecture and Laboratory 4
BIOL 492/592 Introductory Mathematical Biology 3
BME 575 Biomechanics 3
BME 581  Colloidal Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications 3
BME 558 Methods of Analysis in Bioengineering 3
CBE 417/517 Applied Biology for Biomedical Engineers 3
CBE 472/572 Biomaterials Engineering 3
CBE 479/579 Tissue Engineering 3
CBE 499 Sel T: Protein and Nucleic Acid Engineering 3
CBE 499 Sel T: Thermodynamics of Biological Systems 3


Chemical Process Engineering

The Chemical Process Engineering concentration is designed to provide maximum flexibility for students to pursue career opportunities in a wide range of industries as a process engineer. Historically, many chemical process engineers have found employment in the petroleum or chemical industries, and many still do. However, chemical engineers with a strong process engineering foundation are in increasing demand in many other technology areas, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and electronic materials, and environmental or “green” engineering. This concentration builds on the traditional process engineering emphasis, allowing the technical electives to be chosen by the student in consultation with his adviser to fit the interests or professional goals of the student.

Credit
Hours
Suggested Technical Electives
MATH 311 Vector Analysis 3
MATH **312 Partial Differential Equations for Engineering 3
MATH **313 Complex Variables 3
MATH ** 314 Linear Algebra with Applications 3
STAT 345 Elements of Mathematical Statistics and Probability Theory 3


Environmental Engineering

The chemical engineer with a concentration in Environmental Engineering is prepared to enter a field of growing importance. This field deals with treatment of waste to reduce its volume, to recover recyclable resources and to prepare appropriately for long-term disposal. Interesting applications exist in atmospheric discharge control and clean-up, bio-treatable water decontamination, soil remediation, and nuclear byproduct handling. Increasingly, chemical engineers are required to develop new processes to minimize byproduct and waste generation, and achieve higher energy efficiencies.

Credit
Hours
Suggested Technical Electives
CE **335 Environmental and Water Resources Engineering 3
CE 431/531 Physical-Chemical Water and Wastewater Treatment 3
CE 433/533 Environmental Microbiology 3
CE 436/536 Biological Wastewater Treatment 3
CE 438/538 Sustainable Engineering 3
EPS 415/515 Geochemistry of Natural Waters 3
EPS 462/562 Hydrogeology 3


Materials Processing

The Materials Processing concentration is designed to add additional emphasis in inorganic materials, polymeric, or biological materials, depending on the students interest. Students who are interested in working in the realm of high technology materials, biomedical materials, or nanotechnology should choose this concentration. These rapidly developing fields are expected to provide many job opportunities in the next decade. New materials are currently being developed whose properties depend strongly on their microstructure, nanostructure and processing history. Materials included in this category are advanced ceramics, polymers, composites, photonics, superconductors, semiconductors, and recording media. This concentration provides flexibility for students interested in inorganic or organic materials technology.

Credit
Hours
Suggested Technical Electives
CBE 412/512 Characterization Methods for Nanostructures 3
CBE 477/577 Electrochemical Engineering 3
CE 302 Mechanics of Materials 3
CHEM *431 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 3
EPS **301 Mineralogy-Earth and Planetary Materials 3
EPS **302L Mineralogy Laboratory 2
ME 419 Advanced Micro- and Nanosystems Engineering 4


Semiconductor Manufacturing

There is an increasing demand for chemical engineers in high technology oriented semiconductor manufacturing companies like Intel, Motorola, IBM, etc. This concentration is designed to prepare the student in the fundamental unit operations used in semiconductor manufacturing (oxidation, diffusion, lithography, plasma etch, CVD, ion implant and metalization) and statistical methods used extensively in the industry to optimize the performance of these unit operations. The continuing revolution occurring in computer technology virtually insures there is a strong future demand for engineers with the background needed for semiconductor manufacturing. The goal of this concentration is to introduce students to the specific chemical engineering tools used in micro-chip fabrication.

Credit
Hours
Suggested Technical Electives  
CHEM **311 Physical Chemistry 3
ECE **371 Materials and Devices 3


Students may receive a registration override from the department for ECE **371 after earning a grade of "C" or better in CHEM **311 and MATH **316.


Departmental Honors

Chemical and Biological Engineering sstudents may graduate with Baccalaureate Honors, from the University Honors Program, with Departmental Honors, or with a combination of the three. More information is available from the Undergraduate Program and Honors College: Undergraduate Program sections of this Catalog, or from the Chemical and Biological Engineering department.


Chemical Engineering Laboratory

The chemical engineering laboratory is equipped with pilot plant equipment for the study of heat and mass and momentum transfer including the unit operations: liquid-liquid extraction, multitube heat exchangers, evaporation, distillation and absorption. Experiments also exist for the engineering sciences: thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics and process control. Automated engineering workstations for data acquisition and control are an integral part of the laboratory. For juniors and seniors, opportunities exist for research projects in the following areas: catalysis, semiconductor manufacturing, fuel cells, biosensors, aerosol synthesis of materials, chemical vapor deposition and plasma etching. Students undertaking individual research projects gain exposure to state-of-the-art analytical equipment such as ellipsometry, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Auger spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, IR and UV spectroscopy, and x-ray scattering.


Computer Facilities

Computers provide the basic computational tool for today’s modern engineer. The department maintains a computer pod equipped with state-of-the-art computers. Additional computers are available in the many University of New Mexico computer pods maintained by the University of New Mexico’s Computer and Information Resources and Technology division. Freshman engineering students are introduced to the many computer facilities and to programming. Numerical analysis is an important part of each year’s instruction in chemical engineering, and by the senior year students make extensive use of sophisticated process simulation codes, and learn to write digital process control programs. Students interested in working in the semiconductor industry or advanced materials can gain extensive experience with software tools for statistical design of experiments. In addition to these technical software packages, students also gain experience with mathematical packages such as spreadsheets and symbolic manipulation software.


Cooperative Education

Chemical engineering students may participate in the cooperative education program or in summer industrial internship programs. Excellent opportunities exist throughout the southwest for undergraduate chemical engineering students. For further information, refer to Section III: Cooperative Education Program in the School of Engineering: Other Courses of Instruction section of this Catalog, or contact the Director of Career Services.


Courses

CBE 101. Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering. (1)



CBE 102. Addressing Societal Challenges using the Tools of Chemical and Biological Engineering. (1)



CBE 213. Laboratory Electronics for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Engineers. (3)



CBE 251. Chemical Process Calculations. (3)



CBE 253. Chemical and Biological Engineering Computing. (3)



CBE 302. Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics. (3)



CBE 311. Introduction to Transport Phenomena. (3)



CBE 312. Unit Operations. (3)



CBE 317. Numerical Methods for Chemical and Biological Engineering. (3)



CBE 318L. Chemical Engineering Laboratory I : Introduction to Experimentation. (3)



CBE 319L. Chemical Engineering Laboratory II. (1)



CBE 321. Mass Transfer. (3)



CBE 371. Introduction to Materials Engineering. (3)



CBE 403 / 503. Heterogeneous Catalysis Seminar. (2 to a maximum of 20 Δ)



CBE 404 / 504. Nanomaterials Seminar. (2 to a maximum of 20 Δ)



CBE 406 / 506. Bioengineering Seminar. (2 to a maximum of 20 Δ)



CBE 412 / 512. Characterization Methods for Nanostructures. (3)



CBE 417 / 517. Applied Biology for Biomedical Engineers. (3)



CBE 418L. Chemical Engineering Laboratory III. (1)



CBE 419L. Chemical Engineering Laboratory IV. (1)



CBE 451. Senior Seminar. (1)



CBE 454. Process Dynamics and Control. (3)



CBE **461. Chemical Reactor Engineering. (3)



CBE 472 / 572. Biomaterials Engineering. (3)



CBE 477 / 577. Electrochemical Engineering. (3)



CBE 479 / 579. Tissue Engineering. (3)



CBE 486 / 586. Introduction to Statistics and Design of Experiments. (3)



CBE 491. Undergraduate Research. (1-3, no limit Δ)



CBE 493L. Chemical Engineering Design. (3)



CBE 494L. Advanced Chemical Engineering Design. (3)



CBE 495–496. Chemical and Biological Engineering Honors Problems I and II. (1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ; 1-6 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CBE 499. Selected Topics. (1-3, no limit Δ)



CBE 501. Chemical and Biological Engineering Seminar. (1, no limit Δ)



CBE 502. Chemical and Biological Engineering Research Practices. (3, no limit Δ)



CBE 503 / 403. Heterogeneous Catalysis Seminar. (2 to a maximum of 20 Δ)



CBE 504 / 404. Nanomaterials Seminar. (2 to a maximum of 20 Δ)



CBE 506 / 406. Bioengineering Seminar. (2 to a maximum of 20 Δ)



CBE 512 / 412. Characterization Methods for Nanostructures. (3)



CBE 515. Special Topics. (1-3, no limit Δ)



CBE 517 / 417. Applied Biology for Biomedical Engineers. (3)



CBE 521. Advanced Transport Phenomena I. (3)



CBE 525. Methods of Analysis in Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Engineering. (3)



CBE 530. Surface and Interfacial Phenomena. (3)



CBE 542. Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics. (3)



CBE 547. Biomedical Engineering Research Practices. (3)



CBE 551–552. Problems. (1-3, no limit Δ; 1-3)



CBE 561. Kinetics of Chemical Processes. (3)



CBE 572 / 472. Biomaterials Engineering. (3)



CBE 575. Selected Topics in Material Science. (1-3, no limit Δ)



CBE 576. Selected Topics in Aerosol Science. (3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)



CBE 577 / 477. Electrochemical Engineering. (3)



CBE 579 / 479. Tissue Engineering. (3)



CBE 586 / 486. Introduction to Statistics and Design of Experiments. (3)



CBE 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



CBE 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



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Office of the Registrar

MSC11 6325
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Phone: (505) 277-8900
Fax: (505) 277-6809