Concentrations and Technical Electives

Through judicious choice and curricular planning, chemical engineering majors may be able to select a concentration: a series of electives that develops content expertise in a particular sub-discipline of chemical engineering.

Five concentrations are available:

  • Materials engineering
  • Computation/data science
  • Environmental engineering
  • Biological engineering
  • Chemical process engineering

If pursued and met, the concentration will be listed on the official student transcript. Only one concentration can be officially recognized. Declaration of a concentration will take place in the second semester of the senior year via completion and submission of a Request for Concentration to the department office, due by Feb. 15. Note that unlike required courses for the major, there is no guarantee that electives will be offered or fit into your schedule in a given semester, so early planning is recommended to increase your chances of being able to complete a chosen concentration.

Requirements:

  • A concentration requires use of three electives among the student's chemical engineering, technical or open elective positions on the academic progress report, within a particular area chosen from the lists below.
  • Students may petition the department to consider new or other courses.
  • Independent study courses cannot be used.
  • Courses used toward a minor in any department at Bucknell cannot be double-counted toward a concentration.

Eligible Electives

Biological

  • Bioprocess Engineering — CHEG 452
  • Biomaterials: Materials in Medicine — CHEG 460
  • Integrated Concepts in Biology Fall — BIOL 203
  • Integrated Concepts in Biology Spring — BIOL 204
  • Microbiology — BIOL 302
  • Biochemistry I — CHEM 351
  • Genetic Engineering — CHEG 444 or UNIV 200-01 (Fall 2020 only)
  • Biochemical methods — BIOL 340/CHEM 358
  • Fermentation Processes — CHEG 470
  • Biomimetics — BMEG 431

Computation/Data

  • Advanced Engineering Mathematics — CHEG 495
  • Introduction to Computer Science (or ANOP 203 with approval) — CSCI 203
  • Introduction to Data Mining* — CSCI 349
  • Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems — CSCI 356
  • Machine Learning for Engineering Systems — MECH 484
  • Advanced Fluid Mechanics — MECH 433
  • Operations Research — MATH 358
  • Data Science for Chemical Engineering — CHEG 472
  • Data Visualization and Computing — MATH 230
  • Data Visualization* — ANOP 270
  • Predictive Analytics* — ANOP 330
  • Simulation and Forecasting for Business Analytics* — ANOP 350
  • Prescriptive Analytics* — ANOP 370
  • Computer Simulations in Physics — PHYS 338
  • Biomedical Modeling — BMEG 465

*Note: ENGR 215 has been approved to meet the MATH 216 prerequisite for this course.

Environmental

  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics — CHEG 455
  • Sustainability Principles for Engineers — CEEG 242
  • Environmental Engineering — CEEG 340
  • Physical/Chemical Treatment — CEEG 440
  • Environmental Engineering Biotechnology — CEEG 441
  • Sustainable Design — CEEG 443
  • Hazardous Waste Management — CEEG 444
  • Environmental Engineering Chemistry — CEEG 445
  • Advanced Environmental Chemistry — CHEM 360
  • Physical and Environmental Geology — GEOL 203
  • Geology for Engineers — GEOL 250
  • Introduction to Geochemistry — GEOL 305

Materials

  • Polymer Science — CHEG 450 or Experiments in Polymer Science and Technology — CHEG 445 (not both)
  • Applied Colloid, Surface and Nanoscience — CHEG 457
  • Biomaterials: Materials in Medicine — CHEG 460
  • Advanced Materials Science and Engineering — CHEG 465
  • Biomimetics — BMEG 431
  • Particle Technology — CHEG 468
  • Materials Chemistry — CHEM 327

Process

  • Food Science & Technology — CHEG 442
  • Bioprocess Engineering — CHEG 452
  • Product and Process Chemistry — CHEG 453
  • Pharmaceutical Process Engineering — CHEG 454
  • Particle Technology — CHEG 468
  • Topics in Reaction Engineering — CHEG 481
  • Topics in Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics — CHEG 483
  • Topics in Transport Theory — CHEG 485
  • Fermentation Processes — CHEG 470

Technical Electives

Elective courses that fulfill the technical competency requirement are as follows.

Note that required courses in the major may not be used to fulfill the elective distribution. Additionally, courses which are similar to required major courses are exempted below. Other courses not listed here may be considered — please talk to your adviser and the department chair to make a request. Due to frequent offering changes and course numbering changes by other departments, this list is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate but should serve as a primary guide for you course selections in consultation with your academic adviser(s).

  • Biology (BIOL): Any course at 200+ level
  • Business Analytics (ANOP): Any course at the 200+ level
  • Chemistry (CHEM): Any course at the 200+ level except 203 and 207
  • Geology (GEOL): Any course at the 200+ level
  • Physics & Astronomy (ASTR & PHYS): ASTR 101 and 102. Any course at the 200+ level. PHYS 212 is recommended especially for students considering medical school, and it should be taken the spring semester of the first year.
  • Mathematics (MATH): Any course at the 200+ level, except 201-207, 211-212, 216, 217, 222, 226 and 291
  • Engineering (ENGR): Any course at the 200+ level, except 200, 211-214, 222 (or 233 if 222 has already been taken), 231, 242, 285, 300 and 385
  • Biomedical Engineering (BMEG): 250, any course at the 400 level
  • Chemical Engineering (CHEG): Any course at the 400 level
  • Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEEG): Any course at the 200+ level
  • Computer & Electrical Engineering (ECEG): Any course at the 200+ level
  • Computer Science & Engineering (CSCI): Any course at the 200+ level except 240
  • Mechanical Engineering (MECH): Any course at the 200+ level except 205, 213 and 312

Chemical Engineering

Location

323 Dana Engineering Building

Contact