BS in Chemical Engineering

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree from UIC, students need to complete university, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Chemical Engineering degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Engineering section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

Summary of Requirements
Nonengineering and General Education Requirements68
Required in the College of Engineering51
Selective3
Technical Elective a3
Electives outside the Major Rubric a3
Total Hours128
a

Students in the Biochemical Engineering Concentration take a minimum of 8 hours of electives and 130 hours for the degree; see below.

Nonengineering and General Education Requirements

Required Courses
ENGL 160Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts3
ENGL 161Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research3
Exploring World Cultures course a3
Understanding the Creative Arts course a3
Understanding the Past course a3
Understanding the Individual and Society course a3
Understanding U.S. Society course a3
MATH 180Calculus I b4
MATH 181Calculus II b4
MATH 210Calculus III b3
MATH 220Introduction to Differential Equations3
PHYS 141General Physics I (Mechanics) b4
PHYS 142General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) b4
CHEM 122
& CHEM 123		Matter and Energy
and Foundations of Chemical Inquiry I b		5
or CHEM 116 Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry I
CHEM 124
& CHEM 125		Chemical Dynamics
and Foundations of Chemical Inquiry II b		5
or CHEM 118 Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry II
CHEM 222Analytical Chemistry c4
CHEM 232Structure and Function3
CHEM 233Synthesis Techniques Laboratory2
CHEM 234Chemical Synthesis3
CHEM 342Physical Chemistry I3
Total Hours68
a

Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category.

b

This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.

c

Students who take CHEM 116 and CHEM 118 to fulfill the general chemistry requirement do not need to take CHEM 222. Instead they should enroll in one of the following: CHEM 314, CHEM 452, CHEM 402, or CHEM 444.

Required in the College of Engineering

Required Courses
ENGR 100Engineering Success Seminar a1
CHE 201Introduction To Thermodynamics3
CHE 205Computational Methods in Chemical Engineering3
CHE 210Material and Energy Balances4
CHE 230Molecular Systems in Chemical Engineering b3
CHE 301Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics3
CHE 311Transport Phenomena I3
CHE 312Transport Phenomena II3
CHE 313Transport Phenomena III3
CHE 321Chemical Reaction Engineering3
CHE 341Chemical Process Control3
CHE 381Chemical Engineering Laboratory I2
CHE 382Chemical Engineering Laboratory II2
CHE 396Senior Design I c3
CHE 397Senior Design II4
CME 260Properties of Materials3
ECE 210Electrical Circuit Analysis3
CHE 499Professional Development Seminar0
CS 109Programming for Engineers with MatLab3
Total Hours51
a

ENGR 100 is one-semester-hour course, but the hour does not count toward the total hours required for graduation.

b

CHE 230 is only required for students who enrolled Fall 2022 or later, and for students taking the Energy & Environment, Nanotechnology, or Polymers & Molecular Engineering concentration. Students should consult the archived catalog from their admission year for requirements. 

c

Students enrolled before Fall 2022 take CHE 396 as 4 hours. 

Selective

Courses
Select one of the following:3
CHE 330
Polymer Science
CHEM 346
Physical Chemistry II
Total Hours3

Technical Elective

Courses
Select one of the following: a3
CHE 392
Undergraduate Research b
CHE 413
Introduction to Flow in Porous Media
CHE 421
Combustion Engineering
CHE 422
Biochemical Engineering
CHE 423
Catalytic Reaction Engineering
CHE 425
Nanotechnology for Pharmaceutical Applications
CHE 433
Process Simulation With Aspen Plus
CHE 438
Computational Molecular Modeling
CHE 440
Non-Newtonian Fluids
CHE 441
Computer Applications in Chemical Engineering
CHE 450
Air Pollution Engineering
CHE 451
Renewable Energy Technologies
CHE 453
Fundamentals of Electrochemistry
CHE 454
Molecular and Macromolecular Engineering
CHE 455
Nanoscale Systems in Chemical Engineering
CHE 456
Fundamentals and Design of Microelectronics Processes
CHE 457
Colloidal and Interfacial Phenomena
CHE 494
Selected Topics in Chemical Engineering
Total Hours3
a

Possible technical elective credit for a 400-level CHE course not listed above will require departmental approval by petition to the Undergraduate Committee.

b

An appropriate design-related research project may be selected with the approval of the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Electives outside the Major Rubric

Electives
Electives outside the CHE rubric3
Total Hours3

Optional Concentrations

BS in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering Concentration

Students in this concentration complete the following:

Required Courses a
Technical Elective
CHE 422Biochemical Engineering3
Electives
Select two electives in nonmajor rubric category from the following:5-7
BIOS 350
General Microbiology
BIOS 351
Microbiology Laboratory
CHEM 352
Introductory Biochemistry
CHEM 452
Biochemistry I
Total Hours8-10
a

Due to structure of the concentration and the prerequisites required for some of the courses, students in the concentration will be required to take a minimum of 130 semester hours for the degree.

BS in Chemical Engineering, Energy and Environment Concentration

Students in this concentration complete the following:

Required Courses a
CHE 230Molecular Systems in Chemical Engineering3
CHE 330Polymer Science b3
Technical Elective
CHE 451Renewable Energy Technologies3
Elective outside the Major Rubric
CME 322Environmental Engineering3
Second Technical Elective
Select one of the following:3
CHE 392
Undergraduate Research
CHE 450
Air Pollution Engineering
CHE 453
Fundamentals of Electrochemistry
A 400-level course approved by the director of undergraduate studies
Total Hours15
a

Due to structure of the concentration and the prerequisites required for some of the courses, students in the concentration will be required to take a minimum of 134 semester hours for the degree (6 additional semester hours).

b

This course fulfills the degree's selective requirement.

BS in Chemical Engineering, Entrepreneurship Concentration

Students in this concentration complete the following: 

Required Course a
CHE 427Entrepreneurship in Engineering b3
Electives
Select two of the following: c6
ENTR 200
Survey of Entrepreneurship
ENTR 310
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
ENTR 445
New Venture Planning
400-level course approved by the Chemical Engineering director of undergraduate studies
Total Hours9
a

Due to structure of the concentration and the prerequisites required for some of the courses, students in the concentration will be required to take a minimum of 131 semester hours for the degree (3 additional semester hours).

b

This course fulfills the degree's technical elective requirement.

c

One non-CHE course fulfills the degree's Elective outside the Major Rubric requirement

BS in Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology Concentration

Students in this concentration complete the following: 

Required Courses a
CHE 230Molecular Systems in Chemical Engineering3
CHE 330Polymer Science b3
Technical Elective
CHE 455Nanoscale Systems in Chemical Engineering3
Elective outside the Major Rubric
Select one of the following:3-4
ECE 346
Solid State Device Theory
PHYS 431
Modern Physics: Condensed Matter
ME 418
Transport Phenomena in Nanotechnology
ECE 440
Nanoelectronics
ECE/ME 449
Microdevices and Micromachining Technology
CHEM/BIOS 458
Biotechnology and Drug Discovery
BME 485
Nanobiosensors
Second Technical Elective
Select one of the following:3
CHE 392
Undergraduate Research
CHE 425
Nanotechnology for Pharmaceutical Applications
CHE 457
Colloidal and Interfacial Phenomena
A 400-level course approved by the director of undergraduate studies
Total Hours15-16
a

Due to structure of the concentration and the prerequisites required for some of the courses, students in the concentration will be required to take a minimum of 134 semester hours for the degree (6 additional semester hours).

b

This course fulfills the degree's selective requirement.

BS in Chemical Engineering, Polymers and Molecular Engineering Concentration

Students in this concentration complete the following:

Required Courses a
CHE 230Molecular Systems in Chemical Engineering3
CHE 330Polymer Science b3
Technical Elective
CHE 454Molecular and Macromolecular Engineering3
Elective outside the Major Rubric
Select one of the following:3-4
BME 485
Nanobiosensors
CHEM 452
Biochemistry I
CHEM/BIOS 458
Biotechnology and Drug Discovery
PHAR 422
Fundamentals of Drug Action
PHAR 423
Fundamentals of Drug Action II
PHAR 461
Pharmacy and the U.S. Healthcare System
PHYS/BME 450
Molecular Biophysics of the Cell
Second Technical Elective3
Select one of the following:
CHE 392
Undergraduate Research
CHE 425
Nanotechnology for Pharmaceutical Applications
CHE 438
Computational Molecular Modeling
CHE 440
Non-Newtonian Fluids
CHE 453
Fundamentals of Electrochemistry
CHE 455
Nanoscale Systems in Chemical Engineering
CHE 457
Colloidal and Interfacial Phenomena
A 400-level course approved by the director of undergraduate studies
Total Hours15-16
a

Due to structure of the concentration and the prerequisites required for some of the courses, students in the concentration will be required to take a minimum of 134 semester hours for the degree (6 additional semester hours).

b

This course fulfills the degree's selective requirement.

BS in Chemical Engineering, Process Automation Concentration

Students in this concentration complete the following:

Required Courses a
CHE 433Process Simulation With Aspen Plus b3
Electives outside the Major Rubric
Select two of the following:6
ECON 120
Principles of Microeconomics
IE 201
Financial Engineering
MATH 310
Applied Linear Algebra
MATH 419
Models in Applied Mathematics
Total Hours9
a

Due to structure of the concentration and the prerequisites required for some of the courses, students in the concentration will be required to take a minimum of 131 semester hours for the degree (3 additional semester hours).

b

This course fulfills the degree's technical elective requirement.

Sample Course Schedule

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman Year
First SemesterHours
ENGR 100 Engineering Success Seminar a 1
ENGL 160 Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts 3
MATH 180 Calculus I 4
CHEM 122
& CHEM 123
or CHEM 116
 Matter and Energy
or Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry I
 5
General Education Core Course 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
CS 109 Programming for Engineers with MatLab 3
MATH 181 Calculus II 4
PHYS 141 General Physics I (Mechanics) 4
CHEM 124
& CHEM 125
or CHEM 118
 Chemical Dynamics
or Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry II
 5
 Hours16
Sophomore Year
First Semester
ENGL 161 Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3
PHYS 142 General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) 4
CHE 201 Introduction To Thermodynamics 3
MATH 210 Calculus III 3
CHEM 232 Structure and Function 3
 Hours16
Second Semester
CHE 205 Computational Methods in Chemical Engineering 3
CHE 210 Material and Energy Balances 4
CHE 230 Molecular Systems in Chemical Engineering 3
MATH 220 Introduction to Differential Equations 3
CHEM 222 Analytical Chemistry 4
 Hours17
Junior Year
First Semester
CHE 301 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 3
CHE 311 Transport Phenomena I 3
CHEM 233 Synthesis Techniques Laboratory 2
CHEM 234 Chemical Synthesis 3
CHEM 342 Physical Chemistry I 3
General Education Core Course 3
 Hours17
Second Semester
CHE 312 Transport Phenomena II 3
CHE 313 Transport Phenomena III 3
CHE 321 Chemical Reaction Engineering 3
CME 260 Properties of Materials 3
ECE 210 Electrical Circuit Analysis 3
General Education Core Course 3
 Hours18
Senior Year
First Semester
CHE 330 Polymer Science (Or CHEM 346 Junior Year second semester) 3
CHE 381 Chemical Engineering Laboratory I 2
CHE 396 Senior Design I 3
CHE Technical Elective (select from list) 3
CHE 499 Professional Development Seminar 0
General Education Core Course 3
 Hours14
Second Semester
CHE 341 Chemical Process Control 3
CHE 382 Chemical Engineering Laboratory II 2
CHE 397 Senior Design II 4
Elective outside the Major Rubric 3
General Education Core course 3
 Hours15
 Total Hours128
a

ENGR 100 is a one-semester-hour course, but the hour does not count toward the total hours required for graduation.