The mission of the undergraduate program is to educate students in the scientific principles of chemical engineering and provide opportunities to explore their applications in the context of a humanistic education that prepares them to address technological and societal challenges.
In accordance with the mission of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and with the broader missions of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Lehigh University, the faculty of the Chemical Engineering Department has formulated the following Undergraduate Program Educational Objectives: Graduates of the Undergraduate Program in Chemical Engineering will:
1. apply their broad education in chemical engineering to pursue careers in industry, government agencies, consulting firms, educational institutions, financial institutions, business, law, and medicine
2. engage in lifelong learning through graduate studies, research, and continuing education
3. be successful practitioners, innovators and leaders addressing technological and societal challenges
4. be sensitive to the social, ethical, and technical implications of their work as it affects the environment, safety, and health of citizens worldwide.
Chemical Engineers need a sound background in
- the fundamental sciences of chemistry and physics
- a working capability with mathematics, numerical methods, and application of computer solutions, and
- a broad education in humanities, social sciences, and managerial techniques
The program is also designed to prepare students for careers in industry as well as graduate study in chemical engineering, allowing them to participate in the technical development of the field. The increasing complexity of modern manufacturing methods requires superior education for men and women working in research, development, and the design fields or for teaching.
Requirements of the Major
131 credit hours are required for graduation with the degree of bachelor of science in chemical engineering. A typical schedule may be downloaded here. Additional details - such as a comprehensive course list - may be found at the Lehigh Course Catalog (2007 - 2008)Special Programs and Opportunities
- Co-op Program: The department, in conjunction with the College of Engineering and Applied Science, operates a cooperative program that is optional for specially selected students who are entering their junior year. This program affords early exposure to industry and an opportunity to integrate an academic background with significant periods of engineering practice. Our program is unique in offering two work experiences and still allowing the co-op students to graduate in four years with their class.
- Study Abroad Program: Students may go study abroad any semester or year they desire. The following provide guidelines so that students do not lose a semester or a year due to prerequisites.
-Nottingham Exchange: There is an established exchange program between Lehigh and the University of Nottingham in the UK for ChE majors. Each year several ChE juniors spend two semesters at Nottingham. They are able to take all critical courses there. When they return to Lehigh, academically, these students are at the same level as their classmates.
- Dortmund Exchange: There is an established exchange program between Lehigh and the TU Dortmund University in Germany for ChE majors. Every year we send a few ChE majors to Dortmund during the Summer-June 15 to August 20 period. Due to the level of the courses at Dortmund, these Lehigh students are required to be at the rising senior level. They attend mostly engineering courses with other international students. Since this program is during summer months, students have flexibility in course selection.
- Junior year First Semester: The most convenient way to do study abroad is to stay at Lehigh during the Summer at the end of the Sophomore year and take required courses for the Fall- Junior year. This arrangement will allow student to do study abroad, during the Fall of Junior year, at almost any university in the world with no limitation in course selection.
- Other Options: Without the above arrangements, chemical engineering majors may study abroad during any semester, provided that they will be at least at the same academic level as their peers upon their return. Students can satisfy this requirement by taking the critical courses either ahead of the time, before going to study abroad, or at the host institution. The critical courses are the ones that are prerequisite to the required courses in the curriculum. The critical courses are printed "Bold & Italic” in the course list below. A chart that indicates prerequisites for ChE majors is also attached below.
Freshman year, first semester (14-15 credits)
ENGL 1 Composition and Literature (3)
CHM 25 Introductory Chemical Principals and Laboratory (4)
PHY 11, 12 Introductory Physics I and Laboratory (5)
MATH 21 Calculus I (4)
ENGR 1 Engineering Computations (3) or
ENGR 5 Introduction to Engineering Practice (3)Freshman Year, second semester (14-15 credits)
ENGL 2 Composition and Literature: Fiction, Drama, Poetry (3)
PHY 11, 12 Introductory Physics I and Laboratory (5) or
CHM 25 Introductory Chemical Principals and Laboratory (4)
MATH 22 Calculus II (4)
ENGR 5 Introduction to Engineering Practice (3) or
ENGR 1 Engineering Computations (3)Sophomore Year, first semester (16 credit hours)
CHE 31 Material and Energy Balances of Chemical Processes (3)
CHM 31 Chemical Equilibria in Aqueous Systems (4)
PHY 21 Introductory Physics II (4)
PHY 22 Introductory Physics Laboratory II (1)
MATH 23 Calculus III (4)
Sophomore Year, second semester (18 credit hours)
CHE 44 Fluid Mechanics (3)
CHE 210 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (4)
CHE 179 Professional Development (1)
BIOS 41 Biology Core I: Cellular and Molecular (3)
MATH 205 Linear Methods (3)
Elective (4)Junior Year, first semester (18 credit hours)
CHE 151 Introduction to Heat Transfer (3)
CHE 201Methods of Analysis in Chemical Engineering (3)
CHM 51 Organic Chemistry I (3)
CHM 53 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (1)
CHM 343 Physical Chemistry Laboratory (1)
Electives (7)Junior Year, second semester (17 credit hours)
CHE 244 Mass Transfer and Separation Processes (3)
CHE 211 Chemical Reactor Design (3)
CHM 52 Organic Chemistry II (3)
Electives (8)Senior Year, first semester (18 credit hours)
CHM 341 Molecular Structure, Bonding and Dynamics (4)
CHE 202 Chemical Engineering Laboratory I (2)
CHE 233 Process Design I (3)
CHE 242 Introduction to Process Control and Simulation (3)
Electives (6)Senior Year, second semester (15 credit hours)
CHE 203 Chemical Engineering Laboratory II (2)
ECE 83 Principles of Electrical Engineering (3)
CHE 234 Process Design II (3)
Electives (7)Prerequisite Chart can be found here: Download file
- OSI: The Opportunities for Student Innovation (OSI) program develops students' abilities in critical assessment and innovative solution of industrially sponsored problems. The OSI program affords selected seniors an opportunity to experience team research leading toward technological benefits. Each project is hosted by a company and carried out under the supervision of a Lehigh faculty member.
Minors
- Minor in Biotechnology: The department of Chemical Engineering encourages students to broaden their education by taking a minor. The Biotechnology minor requires 15 credit hours. A detailed listing of the required courses for the biotechnology minor can be obtained from the chemical engineering department.
- Technical Minors: Technical minors are available in
- computer science
- environmental engineering
- manufacturing systems
- materials science and engineering, and
- polymer science and engineering
- polymer science
- biotechnology, and
- process modeling and control
Minor in Chemical Engineering
This program offers students of other disciplines specialized training in areas such as- bio-chemical systems
- transport phenomena, and
- reaction engineering