Technical Electives/Area of Specialization
Electives in an area of specialization (16 units): In choosing your technical electives, you should keep in mind that these classes are meant to broaden your educational background. You can select courses in different areas, to enhance your breathe of knowledge. However, if you have a specific career objective in mind, you may adopt the strategy of choosing an area of specialization and selecting at least three electives within the same discipline. In several cases where classes are needed outside of the MAE Department (biotechnology, microelectronics, and materials), you need additional prerequisites that are not within the nominal Chemical Engineering curriculum, and so these options will not be feasible unless you have time to take way beyond 192 units. To ensure you meet ABET requirement you need 4 electives with engineering content. The following description provides some suggestions.
If you are planning for graduate school, you may want to consider the general, but more fundamental, area of Engineering Sciences. In all cases, we also accept graduate level courses (especially in Materials Science) germane to each area.
Options available last updated Spring, 2008. Changes will be reflected in 2009-2010 General Catalog. To see old TE/AS specifications, please see here.
Biotechnology/Biochemical Engineering:
| BENG 161ABC | Metabolic and Biochemical Engineering (Required petition with the Bioengineering Department. Req. multiple prereqs. and Chem 114AB) |
Microelectronic Devices and Materials
Fabrication of electronic materials or microelectronics devices involves many chemical engineering principles and processes. Selections from the following courses would give a sound background for understanding basic physics and device technology.
With this option, virtually all ECE classes require petition with the ECE Department. WebReg would not work. These classes require at least Phys 2D as a prerequisite. As a substitute for Phys 2D, Chem 133 may be taken as part of advanced chemistry requirement.
| ECE 103 | Fundamentals of Devices and Materials |
| ECE 134 | Electronic Materials Science of Integrated Circuits |
| ECE 136L | Microelectronics Laboratory |
| ECE 136 | Semiconductor Device Fabrication |
| ECE 135A | Semiconductor Physics |
With this option, virtually all ECE classes require petition with the ECE Department. WebReg would not work. These classes require at least Phys 2D as a prerequisite. As a substitute for Phys 2D, Chem 133 may be taken as part of advanced chemistry requirement.
Engineering Mechanics
This is an area with emphasis on mechanical engineering, which like chemical engineering, is also a broad-based engineering discipline.
| MAE 160 | Mechanical Behavior of Materials (MAE 11 recommended) |
| MAE 130AB | Mechanics I: Statics; Mechanics II: Dynamics |
| MAE 131A | Solid Mechanics I |
Engineering Science
This is a general area with emphasis on fundamental engineering sciences. This area is intended for those who are serious about graduate research. In addition to the following suggestions, students are free to choose other classes, especially graduate level courses.
| MAE 105 | Introduction to Mathematical Physics |
| MAE 107 | Numerical Methods in Engineering |
Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineering is one of the industrial sector that makes extensive use of chemical engineering. In addition to the development of technologies for hazardous waste treatment, there is also need for the design of new processes with low waste emission. Government agencies also need chemical engineers for various monitoring and regulatory activities. (The following MAE courses are only offered on a sporadic basis.)
| MAE 124 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering |
| MAE 125AB | Flow and Transport in the Environment |
Materials Science and Engineering
Materials science and engineering rest heavily on physical chemistry. While there are more traditional applications in polymer processes, new areas of development are in composite and advanced materials. With a firm background in physical chemistry, chemical engineering major should have no problem with the listed graduate level materials science courses.
For this option, Chem 133 is a substitute for the Phys 2D prerequisite to Chem 107, Phy 152AB, and ECE 137, and you want to take Chem 133 as part of your advanced chemistry requirements. But Chem 133 is not required for the graduate MATS courses.
| MAE 160 | Mechanical Behavior of Materials |
| MATS 201A | Thermodynamics of Solids |
| MATS 201B | Solid State Diffusion and Reaction Kinetics |
| MATS 201C | Phase Transformations |
| MATS 205A | Imperfections in Solids |
| MATS 227 | Physics and Chemistry of Materials |
Process Dynamics and Control
The chemical process industries were among the first to be automated. Process control has become an integral part of process design and operation. The modeling of the dynamics of chemical and biochemical processes is crucial to their understanding and control. (CENG 120, MAE 143B, and ECE 171A are all basically the same class.)
| ECE 101 | Linear Systems Fundamentals (or MAE 143A) |
| ECE 171B1 | Linear Control Systems (or MAE 143C) |
| MAE 1401 | Linear Circuits |
Thermal Engineering and Systems
This is an area that offers opportunities for energy conversion and thermo-sciences in the aerospace, utility and other energy-related industries.
| MAE 113 | Fundamentals of Gas Turbines |
| MAE 118A | Energy: Non-nuclear Energy |
| MAE 118B | Energy: Nuclear Energy |
| MAE 118C | Fusion Science & Technologies |
Independent Research
| CENG 199 | Research project as equivalent to a "senior thesis" can be approved for two elective courses (8 units). Must have GPA above 3.0. Consult Student Affairs Office for details. |
| ENG 100/L | Principles of Team Engineering. A 4-unit elective equivalent is approved for completion of ENG 100 and ENG 100L. A second elective equivalent will only be approved with petition prior to additional ENG 100L engagement. There is no retroactive approval if you complete a second quarter of ENG 100L without prior petition. |
