Strong Foundation

The Chemical Engineering Program builds a strong foundation for the professional development of its students. With a bachelor’s degree, graduates are well equipped for a wide variety of positions as practicing chemical engineers or for graduate studies in engineering and science. To achieve these broad objectives, the program provides the knowledge, skills and resources for lifelong learning and professional development.


Educational Objectives

To achieve its mission, the chemical engineering program provides the knowledge, skills and resources for continued learning and professional development over a lifetime. The program emphasizes its historic, nationally-recognized strength in processing and manufacturing and draws on the scholarly accomplishments of its faculty to integrate traditional chemical engineering topics with specialized studies in the contemporary fields of bioengineering, nano-materials engineering and nuclear engineering. The goals of the program are to produce graduates that will:

  • pursue rewarding professional careers by skillfully leveraging chemical engineering principles
  • effectively bridge engineering and non-engineering fields through a commitment to lifelong professional development
  • engage in service activities highlighting the societal benefits of engineering principles

Student Outcomes

The faculty members of the department are committed to providing a stimulating earning environment that encourages active learning and high quality student performance. A set of Student Outcomes have been developed based on the Educational Objectives to achieve this result. The chemical engineering program, including the options in Bioengineering, Nanomaterials, and Nuclear, integrates the knowledge and skills acquired in a rigorous set of courses, the extracurricular experiences, and the faculty scholarship needed to enable the graduates of the program to achieve the following outcomes:

  • An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
  • An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
  • An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
  • An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
  • An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
  • An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
  • An ability to communicate effectively
  • The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
  • A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
  • A knowledge of contemporary issues
  • An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

An Undergraduate Focus with a Complementary Graduate Program

An important focus of the department is undergraduate education. The majority of our graduates stay in the New England area. The graduate program builds upon the strengths of the department faculty and complements the undergraduate program. The faculty have close ties primarily with local and regional industry through consulting, research, advising graduate students from regional companies, and participation in local, as well as national professional society meetings.

The department obtains input from its advisory board to continually assess the relevancy of the curriculum to the needs of industry. The quality of the program is of constant importance and interaction with industry helps to maintain and improve it. More importantly, department courses are taught only by faculty. Graduate students are used only as laboratory and grading assistants.