Chemical Engineering

• Prerequisite Flowchart
• Sample Program of Study

Sample Program PDF
The sample template below is to help you create your own 4-year plan. Please note some courses may get full and when that happens you will have to adjust your schedule accordingly. You are welcome to speak to an advisor if this happens or if you have questions about moving classes around.

Technical Elective Restrictions:

1. Technical electives can include courses in engineering, science, and math.
2. The material covered in the course cannot substantially repeat the material covered in the ChE core courses (e.g., a heat transfer course from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering would not be approved).
3. Technical electives generally must be upper division courses (course number > 100). A maximum of 4 units of select lower division courses may be used. 
4. A maximum of 4 units of individual study/undergraduate research (e.g., CBE 199) may count towards technical elective units.

Pre-approved Lower Division Technical Electives
ENGR 7A, ENGR 7B; ENGR 30; ENGRMAE 52, BME 50A, BME 50B; BIO SCI 98, BIO SCI 99.

Pre-approved Upper Division Technical Electives
School of Engineering
BME 120: Quantitative Physiology: Sensory Motor Systems
BME 121: Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems
BME 135: Photomedicine
BME 132: Computational Biology

CBE 160: Engineering Biology (if not required for your year)
CBE 161: Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
CBE 163: Kinetics of Biochemical Networks
CBE 172: Applied Spectroscopy
CBE 175: Electrochemical Engineering
CBE 176: Nuclear and Radiochemistry
CBE 181: Polymer Science and Engineering
CBE 183: Surface and Adhesion Science
CBE 187: Semiconductor Device Packaging

CEE 160: Environmental Processes
CEE 162: Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
CEE 163: Biological Treatment Processes
CEE 171: Water Resources Engineering
CEE 172: Groundwater Hydrology
CEE 176: Hydrology

EECS 170A, B, C: Electronics I, II, III
EECS 174: Semiconductor Devices
EECS 176: Fundamentals of Solid-State Electronics & Materials

ENGR 150: Mechanics of Structures

MAE 110: Combustion and Fuel Cell Systems
MAE 114: Fuel Cell Fundamentals and Technology
MAE 117: Solar and Renewable Energy Systems
MAE118: Sustainable Energy Systems
MAE 130B: Introduction to Viscous and Compressible Flows
MAE 135: Compressible Flow
MAE 164: Air Pollution and Control
MAE 185: Numerical Analysis in Mechanical Engineering

MSE 141: Nanoscale Materials and Applications
MSE 151: Polymeric Materials
MSE 155: Mechanical Behavior and Design Principles
MSE 158: Ceramic Materials for Sustainable Energy
MSE 160: Advanced Laboratory in Synthesis of Materials
MSE 163: Computer Techniques in Experimental Materials Research
MSE 164: X-Ray Diffraction, Electron Microscopy, and Microanalysis
MSE 165C: Materials Kinetics and Phase Transformations
MSE 169: Electronic and Optical Properties in Materials
MSE 171: Green Engineering: Theory and Practice
MSE 175: Design Failure Investigation

Chemistry
CHEM 107: Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 107L: Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 125: Advanced Organic Chemistry
CHEM 137: Computational Chemistry
CHEM 152: Advanced Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 153: Physical Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 160: Organic Synthesis Laboratory
CHEM 170: Radioisotope Techniques

Biological Sciences and Others
BIO SCI 98: Biochemistry
BIO SCI 99: Molecular Biology
BIO SCI D103: Cell Biology
BIO SCI D104: Developmental Biology
BIO SCI M137: Microbial Genetics

Mathematics
MATH 112A,B,C: Introduction to Partial Differential Equations and Applications

School of Business
MGMT 101: Management Science
MGMT 109: Introduction to Managerial Finances
MGMT 149: Derivatives

Senior Design:
The class is largely one big project completed over the course of two quarters. It is completed in
groups of four and the professor will assign deliverables for the main project along the way in
order to work towards the completion of the project.

CBE 150A. Chemical Engineering Design I. 3 Units.
Introduction to process design; flow sheets for chemical processes; synthesis of multicomponent
separation sequences and reaction paths; synthesis of heat exchange networks; computer-aided
design and simulation of processes and components pacts.
Prerequisite: CBE 110 and CBE 120C and CBE 130.
Course Learning Outcomes: Understand chemical engineering design process Account for risk
and safety and environmental aspect of a design. ChE-2 Perform process synthesis and
simulation.

CBE 150B. Chemical Engineering Design II. 3 Units.
Application of chemical engineering basics to practical design problems; process economics;
process safety; environmental impacts; a major team design project with progress reports, oral
presentation, and technical report with engineering drawings and economics.
Prerequisite: CBE 150A.


Course Learning Outcomes: Synthesize and optimize a chemical process. Perform economic
analysis and predict profitability. Search literature to design a plant. Account for safety and
environmental aspect of a design. Effectively present design project both in written and oral
presentations. Design and simulate a process using computer tools.

Three (3) specializations are offered in the undergraduate major in Chemical engineering. The specializations allow the students to concentrate technical electives in a specific area of interest and will be listed on the student’s final transcript.

Specialization in Biomolecular Engineering:

• Requires CBE 161 or CBE 163
• The remaining units can be selected  from CBE 199* or H 199* (up to 4 units), BME 50A, BME 50B, BME 114, BME 121, BME 132, BME 160, BIO SCI 98, BIO SCI 99.

Specialization in Energy and Sustainability:

• Requires a minimum of 11 units including at least one course from CBE 172, CBE 175, CBE 176, MSE 141, CBE199* or H199* (up to 4 units).
• The remaining units can be selected from CEE 160, CEE 162, CEE 163, CEE 164, CEE 165, MAE 110, MAE 114, MAE 117, MAE 164, MSE 158, MSE 171.
  (Note: CBE 195: Electrochemical Energy can also be used.)

Specialization in Macromolecular Engineering:

• Requires a minimum of 12 units from CBE 181, CBE 183, CBE 199* or H 199* (up to 4 units), MSE 69, MSE 141, MSE 155, MSE 174, CHEM 156.

* CBE 199 or H 199 research used for the Specializations must:

• be on a research topic within the Specialization
• be submitted (with a research description) for approval by the ChE UG Advisor

Petition to count your 199 toward your specialization.
Send a short paragraph to the academic counselor to petition.
Paragraph must include the following:

1. Research Faculty Advisor name.
2. Number of units you are petitioning (up to 4 may count).
3. Overall objective and motivation of the research.
4. Your specific role in the research.
5. How the research is related to specialization.

• Buzzfile Company Search Tool
• Career Fairs – UCI Division of Career Pathways
• How to get Involved in Research
  • Research – CBE
• Student Organization – AIChE
• Teaching Plan – Engineering

Petition to count your 199 toward your specialization.
Send a short paragraph to the academic advisor to petition.
Paragraph must include the following:

1. Research Faculty Advisor name.
2. Number of units you are petitioning (up to 4 may count).
3. Overall objective and motivation of the research.
4. Your specific role in the research.
5. How the research is related to specialization.