Undergraduate Studies

Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering are dynamic, innovative fields at the forefront of biotechnology, therapeutics, alternative and renewable energy, nanotechnology, CO2 reduction and much more.

Our students begin their journey with courses in computing, chemistry, math, biology and physics. In their sophomore and junior years, they delve into engineering fundamentals such as fluids, heat & mass transfer, thermodynamics and statistics. These concepts are then applied in the junior and senior years to industry-facing courses such as (Bio)Design, (Bio)Separations, (Bio)Materials, (Bio)Kinetics, Biological/Chemical Lab and a myriad of ever-updated technical electives, including Drug Delivery, Immuno Engineering, Tissue Engineering, Solar Cells, Polymer Engineering and Nanomaterials. During the senior-year Capstone Design Sequence, students work in small groups on different company projects each with their own company liaison.

Learn more about our bachelor’s degree curricula, graduation requirements, policies and more below. Note for students who started before August 2024: the ChBE Advising Guide has been replaced with this easy-to-navigate webpage.


Curricula

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering curricula each consist of 128 credit hours. Students follow one of three paths:

In 2024 the department changed the BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering to a BS in Biological Engineering. This change was sparked by years of student, alumni, and employer requests to add more and earlier bio-focused courses into the curriculum. By removing "Chemical" from the name we are beholden to fewer accreditation requirements and have added more bio-focused courses and flexibility in the degree. A Chemical Engineering Minor will also be available starting fall 2025.
 

Interested in working on the next artificial organ, vaccine, or cancer treatment? Biological engineers are leading the charge in fields such as tissue engineering, personalized medicine, sustainable biofuels, pharmaeuticals, biotechnology, biomaterials, and therapeutics & antimicrobials development. With a pre-med path, ample opportunities to conduct research, and technical electives such as pharmaceutical biotechnology, drug delivery, immuno engineering, metabolic engineering, tissue engineering, and protein & enzyme engineering, BIEN majors are well-prepared to make an immediate impact in industry or continue on to a graduate, medical, MD-PhD, or pharmacy program.

Download the Catalog Year 24-25 Curriculum Flow Chart  

First Year Fall Semester14 Credits First Year Spring Semester17 Credits
APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers4APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers4
CHEN 1201 Gen Chem 1 for Eng4CHEM 1221 Gen Chem Lab for Eng1
^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE(1)CHEN 1203 Gen Chem 2 for Eng2
CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing3CHEN 2810 Bio for Engineers3
*H&SS Elective3PHYS 1110 Physics 14
  *H&SS Elective3
 
Sophomore Year Fall18 Credits Sophomore Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers4APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg4
CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 14CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 24
CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab1
CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal3CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics3
BIEN 3800 Fundamentals of Bio3CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar1
Free Elective3CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng3
 
Junior Year Fall16 Credits Junior Year Spring18 Credits
CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis3BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochemistry3
CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer4BIEN 4820 Bioseparations3
CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics3BIEN 4805 Biomaterials3
*College-Approved Writing3BIEN 4830 Biokinetics3
*H&SS Elective3^^Technical Elective3
   *H&SS Elective3
 
Senior Year Fall15 Credits Senior Year Spring14 Credits
BIEN 4520 Biodesign3BIEN 4530 Biodesign Project2
BIEN 4810 Bio Lab3^^^BIEN Focus Technical Elective3
^^^BIEN/CHEN Tech Elective3^^^BIEN/CHEN Tech Elective3
^^Technical Elective3^^Technical Elective3
^^Technical Elective3*H&SS Elective3

^CHEN 1300 is an optional technical elective.

^^15 Technical Electives: Twelve credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and three credits must be a Focus Technical Elective.

^^^Focus Technical Elective options are BIEN 4800 Bioprocess Engineering, BIEN 4801 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, BIEN 4802 Tissue Engineering and Medical Devices, BIEN 4803 Metabolic Engineering, BIEN 4804 Protein and Enzyme Engineering, BIEN 4806 Immunoengineering, BIEN 4838 Biomolecular Simulations, BIEN 4838 Data Projects, BIEN 4838 Drug Delivery, or BIEN 4838 Synthetic and Systems Biology.

*When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degree requirements.

First Year Fall15 Credits First Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers4APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers4
CHEM 1221 Gen Chem Lab for Eng1CHEN 2810 Bio for Engineers3
CHEN 1211 Accelerated Gen Chem4PHYS 1110 Physics 14
^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE(1)*H&SS Elective3
CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing3Free Elective2
*H&SS Elective3  
 
Sophomore Year Fall18 Credits Sophomore Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers4APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg4
CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 14CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 24
CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab1
CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal3CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics3
BIEN 3800 Fundamentals of Bio3CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar1
Free Elective3CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng3
 
Junior Year Fall16 Credits Junior Year Spring18 Credits
CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis3BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochemistry3
CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer4BIEN 4820 Bioseparations3
CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics3BIEN 4805 Biomaterials3
*College-Approved Writing3BIEN 4830 Biokinetics3
*H&SS Elective3^^Technical Elective3
  *H&SS Elective3
 
Senior Year Fall15 Credits Senior Year Spring14 Credits
BIEN 4520 Biodesign3BIEN 4530 Biodesign Project2
BIEN 4810 Bio Lab3^^^BIEN Focus Technical Elective3
^^^BIEN/CHEN Tech Elective3^^^BIEN/CHEN Tech Elective3
^^Technical Elective3^^Technical Elective3
^^Technical Elective3*H&SS Elective3

^CHEN 1300 is an optional technical elective.

^^15 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and three credits must be a Focus Technical Elective.

^^^Focus Technical Elective options are BIEN 4800 Bioprocess Engineering, BIEN 4801 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, BIEN 4802 Tissue Engineering and Medical Devices, BIEN 4803 Metabolic Engineering, BIEN 4804 Protein and Enzyme Engineering, BIEN 4806 Immunoengineering, BIEN 4838 Biomolecular Simulations, BIEN 4838 Data Projects, BIEN 4838 Drug Delivery, or BIEN 4838 Synthetic and Systems Biology.

*When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degree requirements.

First Year Fall15 Credits First Year Spring18 Credits
APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers4APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers4
CHEM 1114 Gen Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 1133 Gen Chem 24
CHEN 1201 Gen Chem 1 for Eng4CHEM 1134 Gen Chem 2 Lab1
^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE(1)PHYS 1110 Physics 14
CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing3MCDB Lab2
MCDB 1150 Intro to Cell Bio3*H&SS Elective3
 
Sophomore Year Fall17 Credits Sophomore Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers4APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg4
CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 14CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 24
CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab1
CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal3CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics3
MCDB 2150 Genetics3CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar1
Free Elective2CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng3
 
Junior Year Fall16 Credits Junior Year Spring15 Credits
CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis3BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochemistry3
CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer4BIEN 4820 Bioseparations3
CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics3BIEN 4805 Biomaterials3
*H&SS Elective3BIEN 4830 Biokinetics3
*College-Approved Writing3*H&SS Elective3
 
Senior Year Fall16 Credits Senior Year Spring15 Credits
BIEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)3BIEN 4530 Biodesign Project2
BIEN 4810 CBEN Lab3^^BIEN/CHEN Technical Elective3
PHYS 1120 Physics 24^^^Focus Technical Elective3
^^BIEN/CHEN Technical Elective3PHYS 1140 Exp Lab1
^^Technical Elective3*H&SS Elective3
   *H&SS Elective3

^CHEN 1300 is an optional technical elective.

^^12 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and three credits must be a Focus Technical Elective.

^^^Focus Technical Elective options are BIEN 4800 Bioprocess Engineering, BIEN 4801 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, BIEN 4802 Tissue Engineering and Medical Devices, BIEN 4803 Metabolic Engineering, BIEN 4804 Protein and Enzyme Engineering, BIEN 4806 Immunoengineering, BIEN 4838 Biomolecular Simulations, BIEN 4838 Data Projects, BIEN 4838 Drug Delivery, or BIEN 4838 Synthetic and Systems Biology.

*When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degree requirements.

Our chemical engineering graduates are equipped to tackle the world's energy and climate change challenges with innovative solutions. They excel at the forefront of materials and microelectronics, where they develop materials for semiconductor devices, synthesize nanomaterials and thin films crucial for solar cells and display screens, and pioneer polymers for electronic device components. A chemical engineering B.S. degree prepares students to continue on to graduate school or immediately make an impact in industry.

Download the 2024-25 Curriculum Flowchart

First Year Fall14 Credits First Year Spring17 Credits
APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers4APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers4
CHEN 1201 Gen Chem 1 for Eng4CHEM 1221 Gen Chem Lab for Eng1
^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE(1)CHEN 1203 Gen Chem 2 for Eng2
CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing3CHEN 2810 Bio for Engineers3
*H&SS Elective3PHYS 1110 Physics 14
  *H&SS Elective3
 
Sophomore Year Fall17 Credits Sophomore Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers4APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg4
CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 14CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 24
CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab1
CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal3CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics3
PHYS 1120 Physics 24CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar1
PHYS 1140 Experimental Lab1CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng3
 
Junior Year Fall16 Credits Junior Year Spring18 Credits
CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis3CHEN 3220 Separations3
CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer4CHEN 4330 Kinetics3
CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics3CHEN 4440 Materials3
*College-Approved Writing3^^Technical Elective3
Free Elective3^^^Advanced Chemistry Elective3
  *H&SS Elective3
 
Senior Year Fall15 Credits Senior Year Spring15 Credits
CHEN 4130 ChE Lab3CHEN 4530 Design Project2
CHEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)3CHEN 4570 Process Control4
^^Technical Elective3^^CHEN 3000+ Technical Elective3
^^CHEN 3000 Technical Elective3^^Technical Elective3
*H&SS Elective3*H&SS Elective3

^CHEN 1300 is an optional technical elective.

^^15 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and six credits must be CHEN 3000+. Only 3 credits of CHEN 3000+ can be Independent Study Credits.

^^^Select from BCHM 4611 Principles of Biochemistry, CHEM 4011 Modern Inorganic, or CHEM 4531 Physical Chemistry 2.

*When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degree requirements.

First Year Fall15 Credits First Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers4APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers4
CHEM 1221 Gen Chem Lab for Eng1CHEN 2810 Bio for Engineers3
CHEN 1211 Accelerated Gen Chem4PHYS 1110 Physics 14
^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE(1)*H&SS Elective3
CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing3Free Elective2
*H&SS Elective3  
 
Sophomore Year Fall17 Credits Sophomore Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers4APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg4
CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 14CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 24
CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab1
CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal3CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics3
PHYS 1120 Physics 24CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar1
PHYS 1140 Experimental Lab1CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng3
 
Junior Year Fall16 Credits Junior Year Spring18 Credits
CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis3CHEN 3220 Separations3
CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer4CHEN 4330 Kinetics3
CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics3CHEN 4440 Materials3
*College-Approved Writing3^^Technical Elective3
Free Elective3^^^Advanced Chemistry Elective3
  *H&SS Elective3
 
Senior Year Fall15 Credits Senior Year Spring15 Credits
CHEN 4130 ChE Lab3CHEN 4530 Design Project2
CHEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)3CHEN 4570 Process Control4
^^Technical Elective3^^CHEN 3000+ Technical Elective3
^^CHEN 3000 Technical Elective3^^Technical Elective3
*H&SS Elective3*H&SS Elective3

^CHEN 1300 is an optional technical elective.

^^15 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and six credits must be CHEN 3000+. Only 3 credits of CHEN 3000+ can be Independent Study Credits.

^^^Select from BCHM 4611 Principles of Biochemistry, CHEM 4011 Modern Inorganic, or CHEM 4531 Physical Chemistry 2.

*When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degree requirements.

First Year Fall15 Credits First Year Spring18 Credits
APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers4APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers4
CHEM 1114 Gen Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 1133 Gen Chem 24
CHEN 1201 Gen Chem 1 for Eng4CHEM 1134 Gen Chem 2 Lab1
^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE(1)MCDB Lab2
CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing3PHYS 1110 Physics 14
MCDB 1150 Intro to Cell Bio3**H&SS Elective3
 
Sophomore Year Fall17 Credits Sophomore Year Spring16 Credits
APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers4APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg4
CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 14CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 24
CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab1CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab1
CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal3CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics3
PHYS 1120 (4) Physics 24CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar1
PHYS 1140 (1) Exp Lab1CHEN 4521 P Chem for Engineers3
 
Junior Year Fall16 Credits Junior Year Spring16 Credits
CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis3BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochem3
CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer4CHEN 3320 Separations3
CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics3CHEN 4440 Materials3
**College Approved Writing3CHEN 4330 Kinetics3
MCDB 2150 Genetics3Free Elective1
  **H&SS Elective3
 
Senior Year Fall15 Credits Senior Year Spring15 Credits
CHEN 4130 ChE Lab3CHEN 4530 Design Project2
CHEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)3CHEN 4570 Process Control4
^^CHEN 3000 Technical Elective3^^CHEN 3000 Technical Elective3
^&Technical Elective3**H&SS Elective3
**H&SS Elective3**H&SS Elective3

^CHEN 1300 is an optional technical elective.

^^15 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and at least 6 credits must be CHEN 3000+.

**When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degree requirements.

In 2024 the department changed the BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering to a BS in Biological Engineering. This change was sparked by years of student, alumni and employer requests to add more and earlier bio-focused courses into the curriculum. By removing "Chemical" from the name, we are beholden to fewer accreditation requirements and have added more bio-focused courses and flexibility in the degree. This change applies only to students starting in August 2024; those students who entered the program before August 2024 can complete the CBEN curriculum and receive a CBEN degree.

Download the CBEN Curriculum Flowchart

First Year Fall

14 Credits

 First Year Spring

17 Credits

APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers

4

APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers

4

CHEN 1201 Gen Chem 1 for Eng

4

CHEM 1221 Gen Chem Lab for Eng

1

^CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE

(1)

CHEN 1203 Gen Chem 2 for Eng

2

CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing

3

CHEN 2810 Bio for Engineers

3

**H&SS Elective

3

PHYS 1110 Physics 1

4

  **H&SS Elective

3

 
Sophomore Year Fall

17 Credits

 Sophomore Year Spring

16 Credits

APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers

4

APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg

4

CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 1

4

CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 2

4

CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab

1

CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab

1

CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal

3

CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics

3

PHYS 1120 Physics 2

4

CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar

1

PHYS 1140 Experimental Lab

1

CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng

3

 
Junior Year Fall

16 Credits

 Junior Year Spring

18 Credits

CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis

3

BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochemistry

3

CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer

4

CHEN 3220 Separations

3

CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics

3

CHEN 4805 Biomaterials

3

**College-Approved Writing

3

CHEN 4830 Biokinetics

3

Free Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

  **H&SS Elective

3

 
Senior Year Fall

15 Credits

 Senior Year Spring

15 Credits

CHEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)

3

CHEN 4530 Design Project

2

CHEN 4810 CBEN Lab

3

CHEN 4570 Process Control

4

CHEN 4820 Bioseparations

3

^^Technical Elective

3

^&Technical Elective

3

^^^Focus Technical Elective

3

^^Technical Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

^&If CHEN 1300 is taken, one of the Technical Elective courses will reduce from 3 to 2.

^^12 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and three credits must be a Focus Technical Elective.

^^^Focus Technical Elective options are CHEN 4801 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, CHEN 4802 Tissue Engineering and Medical Devices, CHEN 4803 Metabolic Engineering, CHEN 4804 Protein and Enzyme Engineering, CHEN 4838 Data Projects, CHEN 4838 BioSims, and CHEN 4838 Immunoengineering.

**When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degreerequirements.

First Year Fall

15 Credits

 First Year Spring

16 Credits

APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers

4

APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers

4

CHEM 1221 Gen Chem Lab for Eng

1

CHEN 2810 Bio for Engineers

3

CHEN 1211 Accelerated Gen Chem

4

PHYS 1110 Physics 1

4

^&CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE

(1)

**H&SS Elective

3

CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing

3

Free Elective

2

**H&SS Elective

3

  
 
Sophomore Year Fall

17 Credits

 Sophomore Year Spring

16 Credits

APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers

4

APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg

4

CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 1

4

CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 2

4

CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab

1

CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab

1

CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal

3

CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics

3

PHYS 1120 Physics 2

4

CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar

1

PHYS 1140 Experimental Lab

1

CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng

3

 
Junior Year Fall

16 Credits

 Junior Year Spring

18 Credits

CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis

3

BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochemistry

3

CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer

4

CHEN 3220 Separations

3

CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics

3

CHEN 4805 Biomaterials

3

**College-Approved Writing

3

CHEN 4830 Biokinetics

3

Free Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

  **H&SS Elective

3

 
Senior Year Fall

15 Credits

 Senior Year Spring

15 Credits

CHEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)

3

CHEN 4530 Design Project

2

CHEN 4810 CBEN Lab

3

CHEN 4570 Process Control

4

CHEN 4820 Bioseparations

3

^&Technical Elective

3

^^Technical Elective

3

^^^Focus Technical Elective

3

^^Technical Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

^&If CHEN 1300 is taken, one of the Technical Elective courses will reduce from 3 to 2 credits.

^^12 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and three credits must be a Focus Technical Elective.

^^^Focus Technical Elective options are CHEN 4801 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, CHEN 4802 Tissue Engineering and Medical Devices, CHEN 4803 Metabolic Engineering, CHEN 4804 Protein and Enzyme Engineering, CHEN 4838 Data Projects, CHEN 4838 BioSims, and CHEN 4838 Immunoengineering.

**When selecting H&SS electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degreerequirements.

First Year Fall

15 Credits

 First Year Spring

18 Credits

APPM 1350 Calc 1 for Engineers

4

APPM 1360 Calc 2 for Engineers

4

CHEM 1114 Gen Chem 1 Lab

1

CHEM 1133 Gen Chem 2

4

CHEN 1201 Gen Chem 1 for Eng

4

CHEM 1134 Gen Chem 2 Lab

1

^&CHEN 1300 Intro to ChE

(1)

PHYS 1110 Physics 1

4

CHEN 1310 Intro to Eng Computing

3

^^MCDB Lab

2

MCDB 1150 Intro to Cell Bio

3

**H&SS Elective

3

 
Sophomore Year Fall

17 Credits

 Sophomore Year Spring

16 Credits

APPM 2350 Calc 3 for Engineers

4

APPM 2360 Diff Eq w/Linear Alg

4

CHEM 3311 Organic Chem 1

4

CHEM 3331 Organic Chem 2

4

CHEM 3321 Organic Chem 1 Lab

1

CHEM 3341 Organic Chem 2 Lab

1

CHEN 2120 Material & Energy Bal

3

CHEN 3200 Fluid Mechanics

3

PHYS 1120 Physics 2

4

CHEN 4090 Undergrad Seminar

1

PHYS 1140 Experimental Lab

1

CHEN 4521 Physical Chem for Eng

3

 
Junior Year Fall

16 Credits

 Junior Year Spring

16 Credits

CHEN 3010 Applied Data Analysis

3

BCHM 4611 Princ of Biochemistry

3

CHEN 3210 Heat & Mass Transfer

4

CHEN 3220 Separations

3

CHEN 3320 Thermodynamics

3

CHEN 4805 Biomaterials

3

^^MCDB 2150 Genetics

3

CHEN 4830 Biokinetics

3

**College-Approved Writing

3

^&Free Elective

1

  **H&SS Elective

3

 
Senior Year Fall

15 Credits

 Senior Year Spring

15 Credits

CHEN 4520 Chem Process (Design)

3

CHEN 4530 Design Project

2

CHEN 4810 CBEN Lab

3

CHEN 4570 Process Control

4

CHEN 4820 Bioseparations

3

^^^Focus Technical Elective

3

^&Technical Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

**H&SS Elective

3

^&If CHEN 1300 is taken, one of the Technical Elective courses will reduce from 3 to 2 credits.

^^12 Technical Electives: Nine credits can come from the Approved Technical Electives and three credits must be a Focus Technical Elective.

^^^Focus Technical Elective options are CHEN 4801 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, CHEN 4802 Tissue Engineering and Medical Devices, CHEN 4803 Metabolic Engineering, CHEN 4804 Protein and Enzyme Engineering, CHEN 4838 Data Projects, CHEN 4838 BioSims, and CHEN 4838 Immunoengineering.

**When selecting H&SS Electives and the College-Approved Writing Course, consult the College's degreerequirements.

Electives

Minors

A Chemical Engineering Minor geared towards Biological Engineering majors has been created and is proceeding through the approval process. This minor is expected to be available to students starting fall 2025.

A Biological Engineering Minor is being created and is expected to be available to students starting fall 2025.

Additional Information

The minimum passing grade for a prerequisite or corequisite course within the chemical and biological engineering curricula is a C-. This includes courses completed outside the department (APPM, PHYS, etc.). In addition all CHEN 3000+ and BIEN 3000+ courses require a minimum grade of C- even if they are not prerequisites. The minimum passing grade for standalone classes (i.e. humanities & social sciences, technical electives) is a D-. Per CEAS Academic Expectations and Policies, if the minimum required grade in a prerequisite course is not achieved, the student is required to repeat the course until the minimum acceptable grade has been earned (maximum of three attempts total). If a student takes the advanced (post-requisite) course by petition, it does not remove the obligation to meet the prerequisite course minimum grade requirement, even if the grade earned in the advanced course is acceptable. In addition, students need to have a cumulative and major GPA of at least 2.000 in order to graduate from the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Wondering what type of computer is best to get? While you can get away with using a Mac for much of your coursework, a Windows machine is strongly recommended because some simulation software will not work on a Mac. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) website has information on computer purchase recommendations and a student computing shopping list. Please see these links for more information on minimum hardware requirements as well as additional recommendations. As an engineering student, you may consider purchasing a "high performance" laptop (32-64 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage).  It is also important to note, as emphasized in the links above, that Chromebooks, iPads, and tablets are not suitable replacements for laptops in your coursework as an engineering student.  Anticipated costs range between $1,500 - $2,500, depending upon a variety of factors.

Prospective intra-university transfer (IUT) students should refer to the College of Engineering and Applied Science IUT site for transfer advising information.

Where Do Our Students Go Post-CU?

Our ChemBioEng Admitted Students Day presentation slides include information on where chemical engineering (CHEN) and biological engineering (BIEN) students work and what they learn while at CU Boulder. The data below are for the 2021 graduating class, and CBEN indicates Chemical and Biological Engineering graduates. Each, year 10-20 percent of our students continue on to graduate, medical, dental or pharmacy school.

Data on fields on which 2021 graduating seniors went to work

  Academic Advising

Academic advisors support your academic success and help you navigate the curriculum. First-year and sophomore students are required to meet with their advisors each semester, while juniors and seniors are strongly encouraged to do so prior to registration. 

  • Reach out to an academic advisor at chemeng@colorado.edu
  • Schedule an appointment with an advisor through Buff Portal Advising 
Before your advising appointment, consider your course plan for the rest of your time to degree, as well as any career or curriculum questions you may have. Do you have all required courses planned for? Are you going to fulfill all course prerequisites? Bring your plan with you to your appointment. ​

  Be a Course Assistant!

Working as a course assistant is a great way to master critical academic material, work directly with faculty and earn valuable teaching and leadership experience. Check our Careers page for open positions.                   

  Study Abroad

Carry out part of your studies in another country! Study Abroad encourages ChBE students to consider this opportunity, given the international nature of most large chemical and engineering corporations and the importance of global cooperation in scientific and engineering research. Many faculty members have significant international experience. Due to the more specialized courses later in the curriculum, we advise considering a semester abroad as early as possible. 

Experience academics from new perspectives and improve your job prospects. For more information, contact Rachel Campagna.