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This archived information is dated to the 2010-11 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

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Chemical Engineering

The University's basic requirements for the bachelor's degree and coterminal bachelor's and master's degrees are discussed in the "Undergraduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

The Chemical Engineering B.S. program requires basic courses in biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics. The depth sequence of courses required for the major in chemical engineering provides training in applied chemical kinetics, biochemical engineering, electronic materials, engineering thermodynamics, plant design, polymers, process analysis and control, separation processes, and transport phenomena. Undergraduates who wish to major in the department should consult the curriculum outlined in the "Undergraduate Program in Chemical Engineering" section of this bulletin. Courses taken to fulfill the requirements for the major (courses in mathematics; science; technology and society; engineering fundamentals; and engineering depth) must be taken for a letter grade if this option is offered.

Representative sequences of courses leading to a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, in both flow chart and 4-year, quarter-by-quarter formats, can be found in the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs, available at http://ughb.stanford.edu. These are explanatory examples, with each sequence starting at a different level and demonstrating how a student, based on his or her pre-college preparation, can complete the major in four years. These typical course schedules are available from departmental student services and faculty advisers for undergraduates, as well as the Office of Student Affairs in the School of Engineering. It is recommended that students discuss their prospective programs with Chemical Engineering faculty advisers, especially if transferring from another major such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or another Engineering major. With advance planning, students can usually arrange to attend one of the overseas campuses.

Students interested in a minor in Chemical Engineering should consult the requirements for a "Minor in Chemical Engineering" section of this bulletin.

HONORS PROGRAM

The Department of Chemical Engineering offers a program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with Honors. Qualified undergraduate majors conduct independent study and research at an advanced level with faculty mentors, graduate students, and fellow undergraduates. This three quarter sequential program requires concurrent participation each quarter in the CHEMENG 191H seminar; completion of a faculty-approved thesis; and participation in the Chemical Engineering Honors Poster Session held annually during the Mason Lecture Series Spring Quarter. The last requirement may also be fulfilled through an alternative, public, oral presentation with the approval of the department chair. Work should begin at least four quarters prior to graduation.

Admission to the honors program is by application and submission of a research proposal and is subject to approvals by faculty advisers, sponsors, and the chair of the department. Declared Chemical Engineering majors with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher are encouraged to apply. Students should submit their applications by Winter Quarter of their junior year; applications must be submitted no later than the end of the first week of Autumn Quarter of the senior year. An application includes a research proposal, approved by both the student's research thesis adviser and a faculty reader. The faculty adviser or, alternatively, a faculty sponsor, must be a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Students should start their research no later than Spring Quarter their junior year and are encouraged to consider incorporating research opportunities such as those sponsored by Undergraduate Academic Life into their honors research proposal; see http://ual.stanford.edu/OO/research_opps/Grants). See departmental student services staff in Keck 189 for more information about the application process, a proposal template, and other assistance.

In order to receive departmental honors, students admitted to the honors program must:

  1. Maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 as calculated on the unofficial transcript.
  2. Complete at least three quarters of research with a minimum of 9 units of CHEMENG 190H for a letter grade. All quarters must focus on the same topic. The same faculty adviser and faculty reader should be maintained throughout if feasible.
  3. Enroll in CHEMENG 191H, Undergraduate Honors Seminar, concurrently with each quarter of CHEMENG 190H.
  4. Participate with a poster and oral presentation of thesis work at the Chemical Engineering Honors Poster Session held during Spring Quarter or, at the Undergraduate Program Committee's discretion, at a comparable public event.
  5. Submit final drafts of a thesis simultaneously to the adviser and the reader and, if appropriate, to the Chemical Engineering faculty sponsor, no later than April 11th, or the first school day of the third week of the quarter in which the degree is to be conferred.
  6. Complete all work and thesis revisions and obtain indicated faculty approvals on the Certificate of Final Reading of Thesis forms by the end of the first week of May, or the second month of the graduation quarter.
  7. Submit to departmental student services five (5) final copies of the honors thesis, as approved by the appropriate faculty. Include in each thesis an original, completed, faculty signature sheet immediately following the title page. The 2010-11 deadline is May 10, 2011, or the Tuesday at the beginning of the second week of the second month of the graduation quarter.
  8. Submit to student services one copy of the honors thesis in electronic format at the same time as the final copies of the thesis or no later than May 10, 2011.
  9. Submit one copy of the thesis, upon departmental approval, to the School of Engineering.

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