Author: Katie Torrey

What should I minor in?

Asking what you should minor is like asking what you should major in.  The answer is:  whatever you like.

To help you explore your options, here is a list of minors that other chemical engineering majors have found appealing.  Go to the Registrar’s Office minor page for the most current requirements.

Chemical Engineering Minors

These minors are offered by our department.  They are matched with our faculty’s areas of expertise.

Minors in Related Fields

  • Business or Economics – if you’re interested in engineering management.
  • Foreign Languages – if you’re interested in international business or manufacturing.
  • Mathematics – if you’re interested in graduate studies in engineering or science.
  • Statistics – if you’re interested in almost any area including business, manufacturing, and research.
  • Data Acquisition and Industrial Control – if you’re interested in process automation and control.
  • Sustainable Biomaterials or Environmental Studies – if you’re interested in sustainability and environmental stewardship.
  • Chemistry – if you’re interested in deepening your chemistry knowledge.
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry – if you’re interested in pharmaceutical manufacturing (but also look at the bioprocess engineering minor).

We’ve also had students minor in unrelated fields because it interested them, like art, music, history, psychology, and others. That’s fine too.

Browse through the full list of minors available at Michigan Tech.

What information do I need to enroll in the research class?

You will need the following information from your faculty supervisor.

Research Course

There are five different research courses. You will enroll in the one that matches your research project.

  • CM 4020, mineral processing
  • CM 4040, bioengineering, not biofuels
  • CM 4060, polymer engineering
  • CM 4080, biofuels
  • CM 4000, other topics

Semester

This is the semester you will be working on the research project.

Credits

The number of credits is based on your time commitment per week. You may earn up to 3 credits per semester.

  • One credit = 3 hrs/week
  • Two credits = 6 hrs/week
  • Three credits = 9 hrs/week

Title

You’ll need to provide a title of your project.

Abstract

You’ll need to provide a brief summary of your project.

Final Report

You’ll need to indicate the format of your final report. The report out options are:

  • written report
  • poster
  • oral presentation
  • none

Creating a poster is recommended even if it’s not required because it will allow you to participate in events to share your research experience at Michigan Tech and professional conferences. These are great career building opportunities.

What do I need to know to plan out a business minor with my ChE degree?

Go to the Registrar’s Office minor page for the most current list of requirements. Jodie Filpus-Paakola, the advisor for the business minor, has provided the additional information below to help you plan.

Block I

The following courses can double count:

  • EC 2001 Principles of Economics is a gen ed core Social Responsibility & Ethical Reasoning list. It is also on the HASS Social & Behavioral Science list. It can count for one of these requirements.
  • FIN 2400 Finance Literacy is on the HASS Restricted list.

Block II

Courses on this list may be offered online in the summer and are typically offered both fall and spring semesters. The following course can double count :

  • EC 3400 Economic Decision Analysis is on the HASS Social & Behavioral Science list.

Block III

The following course can double count:

  • OSM/ENG 4300 Project Management is on the ChE technical elective list, but requires statistics as a prereq. [Statistics is also on the technical elective list and is recommended.]

Elective Courses

The following courses can double count:

  • EC 3100 International Economics is on the HASS Social & Behavioral Science list, but requires EC 2001 Principles of Economics as a prereq.
  • HU 3120 Technical & Professional Communication is on the HASS Communication/Composition list.
  • PSY 4340 Culture & Cognition is on the HASS Social & Behavioral Science list, but requires PSY 2000 Intro to Psychology as a prereq.
  • SS 3650 Intellectual Property Management is on the HASS Social & Behavioral Science list.

What do I need to know to plan out a minor in Alternative Energy Technology?

Here is some additional scheduling information to help you plan. Go to the Registrar’s Office minor page for the most current list of requirements.

Thermodynamics Course

Check with the department offering the course for the expected planned schedule.

Circuits Course

Select one course below.

  • EE 3010 Circuits and Instrumentation for Cyber Physical Systems. This is the circuits course that most students take because it is an introductory course designed for non-EE majors. It is usually offered every fall, spring, and summer, in-person and/or online. This course includes a required lab.
  • EE 2111 Electric Circuits I is intended for EE majors and is usually offered every fall, spring, and summer.
  • EET 1121 Circuits I is usually offered every spring and requires an additional lab EET 1122.
  • EET 1141 Basic Electronics is intended for College of Computing majors and is usually offered every fall and spring.

Energy Technology Courses

Take three or more credits from this list.

  • CM/ENT 3979 Alternative Energy Technology and Processes is usually offered every fall.
  • EE 3120 Electric Energy Systems is usually offered every fall and spring, in-person and online.
  • EE/MEEM 4295 Intro to Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Electric Vehicles, and EE/MEEM 4296 Experimental Studies in Hybrid Electric Vehicles are usually offered every fall.
  • MEEM 4200 Principles of Energy Conversion, MEEM 4235 Wind Energy, and MEEM 4260 Fuel Cell Technology are usually offered every fall.

Energy & Society Courses

Take three or more credits from this list.

  • CM 3980 Sustainable Chemical Engineering is usually offered every fall and spring.
  • EC 4620 Energy Economics is usually offered every spring semester and can be also used as a HASS class. It is an upper-level HASS course and on the Social and Behavioral Science list. For chemical engineering students, this course usually has a time conflict with senior ChE classes.
  • ENG 4515 Introduction to Sustainability and Resilience is usually offered every fall.
  • ENG 4525 System Analysis for Sustainability and Resilience is usually offered every spring.
  • MEEM 4240 Combustion and Air Pollution is usually offered every fall.
  • MEEM 4685 Environmentally Responsible Design & Manufacturing has not been offered recently.
  • SS 3280 Anthropology of Energy is usually offered in the spring of even years and is a HASS course on the Social and Behavioral Science list.
  • SS 3800 Energy Policy & Technology is usually offered every spring and is a HASS course on the Social and Behavioral Science list. It’s also occasionally offered in the summer as an online course.
  • SS 3811 Energy Security and Justice and SS 3815 Energy and Society are usually offered fall of odd years and are HASS courses on the Social and Behavioral Science list.

Optional Elective Courses

Remaining credits can be additional courses from the Energy Technology and Energy & Society lists above or those listed below.

  • CM 4080 Undergraduate Research in Biofuels Engineering is offered on demand. If you are interested in doing undergraduate research in the chemical engineering department then you will need to talk to the faculty who are doing research in the biofuels engineering area to see if they have a project that you can work on with them. The chemical engineering faculty currently doing research in this area are Dr. Ong and Dr. Shonnard.
  • EE 4219 Intro to Electric Machinery and Drives is usually offered every spring, in-person and online.
  • EE 4226 Power Engineering Lab is usually offered every spring and occasionally summer and requires instructor permission to enroll.
  • EE 4227 Power Electronics is usually offered every fall, in-person and online.
  • EET 3390 Power Systems is usually offered every fall.
  • Enterprise Project Work with the Alternative Energy Enterprise team is approved for the minor. Project work in the alternative energy area with other Enterprise teams may also be approved. Email a brief description of your project to the chemical engineering advisor for approval.
  • MEEM 4220 Internal Combustion Engines I is usually offered every fall.
  • MEEM 4250 Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning is usually offered spring of odd years.
  • MEEM 4820 Intro to Aeropace Propulsion is usually offered every spring.
  • MET 4350 Principles and Application of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems is usually offered every spring.
  • MET 4390 Internal Combustion Engines is usually offered every fall.
  • MSE 4410 Science of Ceramic Materials is usually offered every spring.
  • Undergraduate Research in the alternative energy area from other departments may be approved. Email a brief description of your research to the chemical engineering advisor for approval. 

Are there any upcoming peer mentoring workshops?

Yes! Here’s the current schedule for this semester. These are informal chats. Leave early, come late as your schedule permits.

Fall 2022

*Subscribe to the ChE advising events calendar for the most current date/time/location information.

Topic Date* Time* Location*
Student Organizations: Learn about how and why to involved in student orgs. Wednesday, September 7th 6:30 pm Chem Sci 215
Resumes: Bring your resume, even if it’s just a draft. Wednesday, September 14th 6:30 pm Chem Sci 215
Co-ops/Internships: What it’s like to do a co-op/internships and interview tips. Monday, September19th 7:00 pm Chem Sci 215
Preparing for Exams: Learn about campus resources to help you prepare for mid-terms. Tuesday, September 27th 6:30 pm Chem Sci 215
Enterprise: What it’s like to be on an Enterprise team. Wednesday, October 5th 5:00 pm Chem Sci 310
Registration: Start preparing for spring registration with tips on how to plan your schedule. Wednesday, October 12th 6:30 pm Chem Sci 215
Minors: Minor options and how to fit it in with your major requirements. Wednesday, October 19th 6:30 pm Chem Sci 215
Junior ChE Courses: If you’ll be taking junior-level ChE classes next semester then stop by for help planning your classes. Tuesday, October 25th 5:00 pm Chem Sci 310
Sophomore ChE Courses: If you’ll be taking sophomore-level ChE classes next semester then stop by for help planning your classes. Wednesday, October 26th 5:00 pm Chem Sci 310
First-year Courses: If you’ll be taking first-year classes next semester then stop by for help planning your classes. Tuesday, November 1st 5:00 pm Chem Sci 310
Research: What it’s like to do undergraduate research with a faculty member and how to find a research mentor. Tuesday, November 29th 6:30 pm Chem Sci 215
First-Semester Recap: How did your first semester go? Tell us about it. Tuesday, December 6th 5:00 pm Chem Sci 310