LESN Satellite > Credit Options > Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineers play important roles in all activities bearing on the chemical process industry. These include the functions of research, development, design, plant construction, plant operation and management, corporate planning, technical sales, and market analysis.

The industries that produce chemical and/or certain physical changes in fluids, including petroleum and petrochemicals, rubbers and polymers, metals, industrial and fine chemicals, and industrial gases, have found chemical engineers to be vital to their success.

Additionally, chemical engineers are the driving force in many exciting areas of bioengineering and biotechnology, including pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical R&D , cellular bioengineering, diagnostics, drug delivery, and the large-scale processing of food and consumer products from perfume to crayons to toothpaste.

Chemical engineers are also important participants in pollution abatement, national defense and homeland security, and the manufacture of microelectronic devices and integrated circuits. Their skills are also uniquely attuned to the engineering of efficient energy resources, from nuclear plants to fuel cells. Chemical engineers are bringing new perspectives and approaches to meeting the world's energy needs.

The Department of Chemical Engineering in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science is home to a number of active and internationally respected faculty and grants approximately 40 bachelor's and 20 graduate degrees annually. Laboratory facilities are state-of-the-art, research funding is strong, and the department maintains close ties with more than 50 industrial and corporate sponsors in the U.S. ChE faculty are renowned for their work, uphold the highest standards of research and publication, cooperate actively with international researchers, and hold high offices in the American Institute for Chemical Engineers and other professional societies. Research opportunities fall into five broad areas: Polymer Science and Engineering (cross-department program); Biotechnology; Catalysis and Surface Science; Process Modeling and Control; and Transport Phenomena, Thermodynamics and Chemical Reaction Engineering.

Program Overview

The Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering is a non-thesis degree program, accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology and must include:

• Not less than 30 semester hours of graduate work at 300- or 400- level
• The four core courses which are listed below
• Not less than 18 hours of coursework at the 400- level
• Not less than 18 hours in the field of Chemical Engineering
• Not less than 15 hours of 400- level coursework in the field of Chemical Engineering

The program is open to students with an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from an accredited institution. However, students with appropriate background are encouraged to apply. With the approval of the department's Graduate Affairs Committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies, a maximum of nine semester credits may be transferred from other programs to the Master of Engineering degree. The petition for transfer must be accompanied by course descriptions and transcript. Course grades of B or better are required.

Curriculum

Core Courses

• ChE 400 - Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3)
• ChE 410 - Chemical Reaction Engineering (3)
• ChE 415 - Transport Processes (4)
• ChE 461 - Mathematics Methods in Chemical Engineering (3)

Electives

The elective courses will be selected in conjunction with the student's adviser from numerous electives offered throughout the program. These can include various specialization courses in areas such as Polymer Science and Biotechnology. Other elective courses can be offered in Process Control, Mass Transfer, Semiconductor Materials Processing, Heterogeneous Catalysis and Surface Characterization, Air Pollution, Emulsion Polymers, Polymer Interfaces, and Polymer Blends and Composites. This elective list is preliminary and shown for information only. There is no relationship to the order they appear above and when they might be scheduled for broadcast, however.

Academic Advisor: Professor Cesar Silebi, 610-758-4267, or e-mail cas5@lehigh.edu.

Program contact: Barbara Kessler, 610-758-4261, or e-mail bak0@lehigh.edu.

Note: Please see P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science website:
http://www3.lehigh.edu/engineering/academics/graddegrees.asp for complete information on graduate studies at Lehigh University.