Posts Tagged ‘Technical Electives’

Freshman may join an enterprise, however we generally do not recommend it.

During the spring semester you may enroll in ENT 1960. Be aware that this class does *not* count towards your technical electives like the other enterprise project-work classes do.  ENT 1960 only counts as a free elective. Our chemical engineering degree requires only three credits of free electives and many students will have their free elective requirement met with other classes or a minor.

We do not recommend that you join an Enterprise team in your first year since most students usually have a pretty heavy credit load and are still adjusting to college life. Also involvement in an Enterprise team can take up a lot of time.  We want you to have a good start to your college career so that you have the ability to participate in things like Enterprise or AIChE later on.

If you are interested in a particular Enterprise team, ask if you may attend their weekly team meetings.  That will give you an opportunity to learn more about the Enterprise team, how it functions and about their current projects.  You may then join the Enterprise and begin participating during your second year by signing up for ENT 2950 in the fall.  Unlike ENT 1960, ENT 2950 will count towards your technical electives.  ENT 2950 is on the engineering list.

For students who are interested in focusing on process control and other issues related to data acquisition within chemical engineering, it would be valuable to minor in Data Acquisition and Industrial Control.  The Michigan Tech Minor in Data Acquisition and Industrial Control is offered by the School of Technology and in 2011-12 has the following requirements (16 credits total):

Minor in Data Acquisition and Industrial Control (2011-12)

Required courses (6 cr)

• EET 3131 Instrumentation (3) (spring class)
• EET 3373 Introduction to Programmable Controllers (3) (fall class)

Choose one course from this list (3-4 cr):

• EE 2110 Electric Circuits (3)
• EE 3010 Circuits and Instrumentation (3) (recommended for CM majors)
• EET 1411 Basic Electronics (4)
• EET 2220 Electronic Devices & Circuits (4)
• PH 2230 Electronics for Scientists (4)

Choose 6-7 credits from this list:

• EET 4141 Microcomputer Interfacing (4)
• EET 4144 Real-Time Robotics Systems (4)
• EET 4253 LabVIEW Programming for Data Acquisition (3) (recommended for CM majors)
• EET 4311 Advanced Circuits & Controls (4)
• EET 4373 Advanced Programmable Controllers (4)
• ENVE 3502 Environmental Monitoring and Measurement Analysis (3)
• GE 4250 Fundamentals of Remote Sensing (3)
• MEEM 3000 Mechanical Engg Lab (2)
• MEEM 4701 Analytical & Experimental Modal Analysis (4)
• PH 4380 Computers in the Physics Lab (2)
• SU 4003 GIS Technology Fundamentals (1)
• SU 4010 Geospatial Concepts, Technologies and Data (3)
• UN 4000 Remote Sensing Seminar (1)

It has been proposed to add CM3310 Process Control to this last list for Fall 2013; check back on the Registrar’s website in Fall 2013 to see if this change is approved. You may also see an advisor in the School of Technology to request CM3310 be accepted for credit towards this minor.

For more on minors that may be beneficial in the educational path of a chemical engineer, please see a departmental advisor.

The first year of graduate school in chemical engineering typically involves taking advanced courses in transport, thermodynamics, kinetics, and mathematics (partial differential equations).  It may also involve specialty courses specific to your area of chosen specialization. Anything that makes those required courses easier is a good idea.  I feel that at Michigan Tech we do not go far enough in transport, so I recommend that you take the graduate transport class (CM5300 Advanced Transport Phenomena I, 3 credits, Spring, prereq=CM5100) or Polymer Rheology (CM4650, 3 credits), either of which will introduce you to the use of tensors in mathematical analysis.  After that I recommend taking our graduate math class (CM5100 Applied Mathematics for Chemical Engineers I, 3 credits, Fall) or any advanced mathematics course that interests you (some examples might be MA (more…)

All chemical engineering elective courses and all engineering elective courses count as technical elective. In addition, As of 10 March 2012, the following courses count as technical elective.

BA 3600                 Quality Management                                            3cr

BA 4620                 Supply Chain Management                                  3cr

BE 2110                 Statistical Methods for Biomed Eng*                3cr

(more…)

All chemical engineering elective courses count as engineering elective. In addition, As of 10 March 2012, the following courses count as engineering elective:

BE 2600                 Introduction to Biomed Eng*                              3cr

BE 3500                 Biomedical Materials                                            3cr

BE 4100                 Cell and Tissue Mechanics                                   3cr

(more…)

As of 10 March 2012, the following courses count as chemical engineering elective:

CM 2200                Intro Minerals and Materials*                             3cr

CM 3450                Computer-Aided Problem Solving*                    3cr

CM 3820                Sampling Statistics and Instrumentation*        3cr

(more…)

Technical electives allow chemical engineering majors to tailor their degree.  These classes, which include upper division engineering, science, and applied business subjects, cover a wide range of topics and give students a chance to follow their individual interests.  In addition, students can often earn a minor by double counting some of the minor requirements with the technical electives.

To earn a BS in chemical engineering, you must take 10 credits of approved technical electives.  Technical electives are any course listed as approved chemical engineering, engineering, or technical electives.  Within these 10 credits, you must take:

1.     Three credits of chemical-engineering-designated elective, and

2.     Three credits of engineering-designated elective

Note that many of the technical elective courses are not offered every semester and most have prerequisites.  It is best to plan out your technical electives ahead of time.

The electives are scheduled to run as shown below.  This schedule may change due to sabbaticals and other staffing issues.  Note that classes marked ** are offered only every other year.  Most classes have prerequisites; please check the Schedule of Classes for details.

Fall 2012

CM 2200 – Intro to Minerals and Materials (3 cr)

CM 3450 – Computer-Aided Problem Solving (3 cr)**

CM 3974 – Fuel Cell Fundamentals (1 cr)

CM 4000 – Undergraduate Research (1 – 3 cr)

CM 4610 – Introduction to Polymer Science (3 cr)

CM 4631 – Polymer Science Laboratory (2 cr)**

CM 4770 – Analytic Microdevice Technologies (3 cr)**

CM 4990 – Biomanufacturing & Safety (3 cr)**

Spring 2013

CM 3820 – Sampling Statistics and Instrum. (3 cr)**

CM 4000 – Undergraduate Research (1 – 3 cr)

CM 4620 – Polymer Chemistry (3 cr) (cannot be used as ChemE or Eng’g elec)

CM 4740 – Hydrometallurgy/Pyrometallurgy (4 cr)

Fall 2013

CM 2200 – Intro to Minerals and Materials (3 cr)

CM 3974 – Fuel Cell Fundamentals (1 cr)

CM 4000 – Undergraduate Research (1 – 3 cr)

CM 4610 – Introduction to Polymer Science (3 cr)

CM 4655 – Polymer Rheology Laboratory (1 cr)

CM 4710 – Biochemical Processes (3 cr)**

Spring 2014

CM 4000 – Undergraduate Research (1 – 3 cr)

CM 4125 – Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory (1 cr)**

CM 4500 – Particle Technology (4 cr)**

CM 4620 – Polymer Chemistry (3 cr) (cannot be used as ChemE or Eng’g elec)

CM 4650 – Polymer Rheology (3 cr)

CM 4740 – Hydrometallurgy/Pyrometallurgy (4 cr)

Courses marked ** are only offered every other year.

All chemical engineering electives may be used as technical electives. In addition, these courses (except CM/CH 4620 – Polymer Chemistry) can fulfill either the engineering or chemical engineering technical elective requirements.

You may use up to 4 credits of co-op UN 3002 towards your technical electives. (per email from MEM 23 Jan 2003)  UN 3002 is on the technical elective engineering list.  Any additional co-op credits will count towards free electives.