Undergraduate Catalog 2018-2019

Majors

Chemical Engineering (ECH)

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (B.S.C.H.)

8 Semester Plan

131 Credit Hours

CIP Code: 14.0701

College of Engineering

http://www.usf.edu/engineering/undergraduate/majors.aspx

Major Description

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering take coursework in advanced chemistry, thermodynamics, fluids, heat, and mass transfer, numerical methods, separation processes, reacting systems, instrumentation, control, and plant and product design. Students must also satisfactorily complete a design project as part of their major. Chemical engineering students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 in required departmental courses. Therefore, it is imperative that the students retain close contact with their advisor. Students completing this major normally initiate their careers in manufacturing, environmental, and biological enterprises. Chemical engineers are found in administrative, technical, and research positions in these industries. Main products of these industries are petrochemicals, polymers, fibers, natural and synthetic fuels, electronic materials, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, bio-materials, etc.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering is to prepare graduates with fundamental knowledge and contemporary skills for the development, economic design, and safe operation of chemical and biological systems, processes, products, and methods in a manner compatible with societal values.

Major Educational Objectives
The overall objective of the Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of South Florida is to prepare graduates for successful careers in the chemical engineering and related professions. Accordingly, graduates of this major who have chosen to pursue a career in engineering shall achieve the following within a few years after graduation:

  1. Demonstrate professional engineering competence by holding positions of increasing responsibility in industry, business, government and/or educational institutions
  2. Publish papers, reports, patents and/or technical presentations at local, national, international meetings or within the professional organization/company that they are affiliated with.
  3. Continue to improve their technical skills, knowledge and understanding through continuing education, pursuit of advanced degrees, and/or pursuit of professional license in their chosen profession.

Please refer to the mission statement on the department website for additional information.

Entrance Requirements for the Chemical Engineering Major
College of Engineering students who have fully met the below admission requirements and are in good academic standing, may declare a major in Chemical Engineering. Prior to being admitted to a department, a student may be permitted to take no more than two departmental engineering courses. Once admitted, the department may have continuation requirements which specify minimum performance standards in core engineering courses which must be met before further registration in the department is granted. Minimum Admission Requirements for the Chemical Engineering Major

  1. Completion of:
  2. A minimum grade of C in each course and a 2.75 GPA (based on best attempt) in these courses.
  3. A minimum overall GPA of 2.0.
  4. A minimum USF GPA of 2.0.

Departmental Policies
In addition to the College’s graduation requirements, the department has the following policies:

  1. Mandatory academic advising of students for each term.
  2. Exit interviews as a graduation requirement.

GPA and Grade Requirement
Many courses required for the BS degree in Chemical Engineering have other prerequisite courses. Prerequisite courses must be completed with a C- or better before the student is allowed to take the course. This applies to prerequisite courses taken in other departments as well. The only exceptions are the Admissions Requirements courses, which must be passed with a grade of C or better. Students must have and maintain a minimum 2.0 Math and Science GPA, 2.0 Engineering GPA, 2.0 Specialization GPA, 2.0 USF GPA, and 2.0 Overall GPA.

State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites

Students wishing to transfer to USF should complete an A.A. degree at a Florida College System institution. Some courses required for the major may also meet General Education requirements thereby transferring maximum hours to the university.

If a student wishes to transfer without an A.A. degree and has fewer than 60 semester hours of acceptable credit, the student must meet the university’s entering freshman requirements including ACT or SAT test scores, GPA, and course requirements.

Transfer students are also required to comply with the immunization, foreign language, and continuous enrollment policies of the university.

Students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted.

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.

Students qualify for direct entry to their intended department if they have completed the following courses at a Florida College System institution or University in the Florida State University System (SUS) and meet all other admissions requirements of the University and College.

The following are transferable courses from the Florida College System Institution that will be accepted in the Math/Science/Engineering areas:

Mathematics:

Courses at USF

Courses at a Florida College System Institution

  • MAC X311 or MAC X281
  • MAC X312 or MAC X282
  • MAC X313 or MAC X283
  • MAP X302 or MAP X305

Natural Sciences:

Courses at USF

Courses at a Florida College System Institution

  • CHM X045/X045L or CHM X045C
  • CHS X440/X440L
  • PHY X048/X048L or PHY X048C or PHY X043/X048L
  • PHY X049/X049L or PHY X049C or PHY X044/X049L

 

Total Major Hours: 110 Hours

Major Core Courses - 92 Hours


Math and Science (42 credit hours)

Basic Engineering (6 credit hours)

Specialization (47 credit hours)

  • ECH 3002 Introduction to Chemical & Biomedical Engineering
  • ECH 3854 Engineering Computations
  • ECH 3023 Material and Energy Balances
  • ECH 4123 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
  • ECH 3266 Transport Phenomena I
  • ECH 4846 Numerical Methods in Chemical Engineering
  • ECH 4418 Separation Processes
  • ECH 4267 Transport Phenomena II
  • ECH 3240L Chemical Engineering Lab I
  • ECH 4504 Kinetics and Reaction Engineering
  • ECH 4605 Product and Process Systems Engineering
  • ECH 4680 Product Design and Manufacturing
  • EMA 4003 Introduction to Materials Science
  • ECH 4241L Chemical Engineering Laboratory II
  • ECH 4323 Process Dynamics and Control
  • ECH 4615 Product and Process Design )
  • ECH 4715 Chemical Process Safety & Ethics

Major Elective Courses - 15 Hours

15 hours of Departmental Upper-Level Electives

Consult with the department undergraduate advisor for additional departmental and/or science electives and special topics courses that may be available.

Major Internship Opportunities

The College of Engineering and USF’s Career Services Cooperative Education (Co-Op) program provides services for students interested in experiential educational experiences. A wide variety of industries and government agencies offer internships and cooperative education employment opportunities for engineering students. Participants gain valuable expertise in practical applications and other aspects of operations and development in a professional engineering environment. Students normally apply for participation in this program during their first year in the College of Engineering and pursue actual internships during their sophomore, junior and senior years. 

Additional Major Information

Major Advising

For questions about college and departmental admission, transferring from another institution or registration for prerequisite courses: http://www.usf.edu/engineering/student-services/academic-advising/index.aspx.

For questions specific to Chemical Engineering courses and curriculum: http://www.usf.edu/engineering/chbme/undergraduate/index.aspx.

Major Faculty

Chair: C. Henderson; Emeritus Professors: J.C. Busot, C.A. Smith; Distinguished University Professor: R.D. Frisina Jr., D.Y. Goswami; Professor and 21st Century World Class Scholar:  R. Gonzalez; Professors: N. Alcantar, V.R. Bhethanabotla, S.W. Campbell, R. Gilbert, V. Gupta, C. Henderson, B. Joseph, W.E. Lee, III, A.K. Sunol; R. Toomey; Associate Professors: M. Jaroszeski, P. Koria, J. Kuhn, C. Passaglia, D.S. Simmons; Assistant Professors: A. Pyayt; Instructors: S. Pettit; Interdisciplinary Professors: D.A. Eddins, D.R. Frisina Sr., N. Gallant, A. Sagues, J.P. Walton; Courtesy Faculty: D. Allen-Gipson, R. Connolly, S. Decker, D. Haynie, J. Lloyd, D. McMillan, G. Philippidis, P. Sanberg, P. Simon, D. Stebbins, Chris Schemel, Joe Guida, Tom John.

 

 

 

 

Major Accreditation

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

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  Accelerated Program

This major has an accelerated track that confers an undergraduate and graduate degree upon completion.

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  Additional Requirements

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  Additional Information

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