Chemical Engineering

Department Chair: Roger C. Lo

Department Office: EN2-106

Telephone: (562) 985‑1508

Faculty: Ehsan Barjasteh, Sepideh Faraji, Larry K. Jang, Roger C. Lo, Sergio Mendez, Sara Moghtadernejad, Yu Yang, Ted Yu

Undergraduate Advisor: Ted Yu

Graduate Advisor: Chih-Cheng Lo

General Education Advising: Academic Advising - Horn Center

Career Possibilities

Chemical Engineer • Process Engineer • Automation Control Engineer • Chemical Research Engineer • Chemical Test Engineer • Biochemical Engineer • Biomedical Engineer • Technical Sales • Management • Technical Writer • Quality Control Specialist • Consultant • Safety Engineer • Environmental Engineer • (Some of these careers require additional education or experience. For more information, see www.careers.csulb.edu.)

Introduction

Chemical engineering is a major that opens the way for many career opportunities. As the name implies, chemical engineers must build a foundation on engineering, science, and math while specializing in the application of chemistry to engineering systems. This is a versatile major that also encourages students to take courses from the other engineering disciplines as well as the biological sciences. In general, chemical engineers integrate their broad knowledge and analytical skills to design, implement and optimize chemical processes that convert raw materials into valuable products in a sustainable manner. Chemical engineers ensure that processes are operated safely and economically with minimum energy consumption and waste emission. Many of our graduates find career opportunities in traditional industries such as petroleum refining, energy production, chemical manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. Because of their diverse technical skill set, our graduates are increasingly finding employment in emerging industries such as alternative energy, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, semiconductors, materials, and nanotechnology.

Program Educational Objectives

The Chemical Engineering bachelor degree program’s educational objective statement is directed towards the career accomplishments and expectations of the alumni. The objectives of the program are that recent alumni become successful in their professional careers, and that they continue on a path of professional development.

The Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering program objectives are to produce well-rounded graduates who, after entering the chemical engineering practice, will progress to leadership roles by:

Applying the knowledge, principles, and skills of chemical engineering to the solution of complex engineering problems;
Practicing safety, sustainability, and ethics throughout their professional careers;
Communicating effectively and working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams;
Pursuing life-long learning through continued education, professional registration, and participation in professional organizations.

The faculty members of the Department of Chemical Engineering strive to continuously improve the program and the curriculum as well as laboratory facilities to ensure the professional career success of our recent graduates. The goal is to prepare students for a wide range of career routes that use chemical engineering principles with a solid foundation in engineering, math, science, and societal awareness. The scope of this program is broadened by courses from general education as well as specialized technical elective courses in chemical engineering and other engineering disciplines. Students develop teamwork skills and gain interdisciplinary experience particularly in laboratory courses, lecture courses with laboratory components, and the capstone design class that require team projects. This program provides ample opportunities for students to develop communication skills such as oral and poster presentations as well as written technical reports. Students are encouraged to participate in life-long learning activities such as professional meetings on or off campus and field trips. The goal is to have a comprehensive, student-centered program that can allow us to meet the educational objectives.

Chemical Engineering Advisory and Development Council

The Department of Chemical Engineering Advisory and Development Council, consisting of outstanding engineers and executives from industry and government in Southern California, provides guidance to our program. Its mission is to advise and assist in developing the Department and to support its efforts to serve students, the community, and industry. This liaison between the University and industry ensures that industry concerns are addressed in our curricula and provides career guidance for our graduates.

ABET Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Other Related Programs

Students interested in obtaining a Minor in Environmental Engineering should refer to the College of Engineering section of this catalog. Students who take required Chemistry courses are most likely eligible for Minor in Chemistry degree. See the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics section of this catalog.

Students wishing to pursue advanced study may be interested in the College of Engineering’s Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) degree. Thesis work may be supervised by chemical engineering faculty. For detailed MSE requirements, see the College of Engineering section of this catalog.

Grade Requirements

In addition to other University requirements, all students must obtain a grade of “C” or better in each prerequisite for any chemical engineering course. Also, required Written English (GE A1), Speech (GE A2), and Interdisciplinary (IC) courses must be taken for a letter grade, not Credit/No Credit.

Programs

Undergraduate Degrees

Chemical Engineering, B.S.

Minor

Environmental Engineering Minor

Courses

Chemical Engineering