Nov 11, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Chemical Engineering, BS


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Chemical Engineers combine science with engineering technology to make an essential contribution to many industries, including biotechnology, semiconductor processing, environmental engineering, manufacturing and industrial chemicals. The Chemical Engineering degree also provides a strong foundation for graduate degrees in a range of disciplines. The Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering  has excellent laboratory facilities for courses and student research. 

The Chemical Engineering Program at SJSU is designed to provide a solid engineering foundation and then allow the student to develop some specialization in an area of interest. The Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Science degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Program Criteria and the Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria. The department also offers a combined Chemical Engineering BS + MS   program. 

Summary of Degree Units

University Graduation Requirements 27
Major Preparation 31
Major Requirements 65
Total 123

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year and 5-Year Roadmaps are available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

The following course in Preparation for the Major must be completed with a “C- or Better”: ENGL 1B .

The following required courses in the Major Lower Division Core must be satisfied with a “C or better”: PHYS 50 , MATH 31 , and MATH 32  or MATH 32X .

The CHE Sophomore and Junior Core consists of a 2.0 average in {CHE 110A CHE 110B CHE 115 , CHE 151 , CHE 160A CHE 162  and CHE 190 } and ENGR 100W . Students receiving a grade less than “C-” in any CHE Junior Core course will have to repeat the course(s). The Junior Core must be satisfied in order to enroll in Senior Core course(s).

The CHE Senior Core consists of {CHE 161L , CHE 163L , CHE 165A , CHE 165B , CHE 185 , CHE 160B , and CHE 158 }. Students receiving any grade less than “C-” in a Senior Core course(s) will have to repeat the courses. Students can repeat any ChE Junior or Senior Core course only once. Failure to pass any ChE Junior or Senior Core course with a grade of “C- or better” after the second attempt will result in disqualification from the ChE major.

Prerequisite Requirements

Enrollment in any chemistry course requires that the prerequisite courses be passed with a grade of “C or better” (C- not accepted). Exceptions may be made only with instructor consent or if not explicitly stated in the course description. Refer to the course descriptions for specific information regarding course prerequisites.

University Requirements


Students must satisfy all of the major and Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements , which includes unit, GPA, and residency requirements as well as the below identified General Education , American Institutions, Graduation Writing Assessment, and Physical Education requirements. Courses that meet Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements are noted with an area designation (see Course Abbreviations ).

Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements  apply to this major.

Core Lower Division General Education (15 units)


Of the 39 units required by the university, 24 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3, B4, or F must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Of the 39 units, the following 15 units are not satisfied by the major or the American Institutions courses outlined below:
• GE Area A1 Oral Communication (3 units) 
• GE Area A2 Written Communication I (3 units) 
• GE Area C1 Arts (3 units) 
• GE Area C1 or C2 (3 units) 
• GE Area F Ethnic Studies (3 units)

Upper Division General Education (6 units)


Of the 9 units required by the university, 3 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)


Complete one 6-unit sequence of American Institutions (US123) courses, which also satisfies GE Area D. Students may also satisfy the American Institutions Requirement  with other courses, but these may not satisfy other GE areas.

The American Studies sequence (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) or Humanities Honors course (HUM 2B ; 6 units) satisfies the American Institutions Requirement and additional GE Areas (see course descriptions for details).

Consult with a major advisor to select the appropriate sequence.

Physical Education


The Physical Education Requirement is waived for this major. See the Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements .

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement


At SJSU, students must pass a Writing in the Disciplines (100W) course with a  grade of C or better (C- not accepted) to meet graduation requirements. For this major, the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)  is satisfied by a course in the major.

Major Preparation (31 units)


Major Requirements (65 units)


Technical Electives (9 units)


ABET required upper division chemistry (3 units)


CHE Technical Electives (6 units)


Technical electives can be chosen from designated courses for breadth or focus in one of the four areas of Biochemical Engineering, Environmental Health and Safety, Materials Processing and Semiconductor, and Energy with advisor approval.

Total Units Required (123 units)


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