Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Author: Katie Torrey

What is my catalog year?

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In most cases your catalog year is the year in which you started at Michigan Tech.  You may be on a newer catalog year for any of the following reasons:

  • changed majors,
  • left the university for two semesters or longer,
  • or requested to move to a newer catalog year.

You can find your catalog year in the upper right-hand corner of your online degree audit on Banweb.  It is labeled catalog term and is a six digit number. The first four digits are the year and the last two digits represent the semester.

  • Fall semester = 08 (semester starts in August)
  • Spring semester = 01 (semester starts in January)
  • Summer semester = 05 (semester starts in May)

For example, if your catalog term is 202108 then you are following the 2021-22 degree requirements. The academic year starts in the fall and runs through summer.

If you are pursuing a minor, the catalog year for the minor may be different than the catalog year for your major.

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What changed on the new 2021-22 ChE flowchart?

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If you are comparing the 2021-22 flowchart with an older version, then here’s what look for:

CM 2110 Material and Energy Balances. The title was change from Fundamentals of ChE I to Material and Energy Balances. The class itself hasn’t changed.

CM 3230 Thermodynamics for ChE. This course was moved from spring of third year to spring of second year and CH 3510 pchem lecture is no longer a prerequisite.

CM 3240 Separations. This is a new course that is replacing the old CM 2120 Fundamentals of ChE II course. CM 3240 is considered an equivalent to CM 2120, and so if you’ve already taken CM 2120 then you do not need to take this new course. The new CM 3240 course requires CM 3230 thermo as a prereq.

CM 3980 Sustainable ChE and CM 4320 Process Safety. These are new courses that are replacing CM 4310 Chemical Process Safety/Environment. You may take the new CM 3980 sustainability course anytime after completing CM 2110 and differential equations and we will be offering it both fall and spring semesters even though the flowchart only has it listed for fall semesters.

Technical Electives. The technical elective rules were simplified. The CH 2420 Organic Chemistry II or CM 4740 Hydro/Pyro or BL 2100 Principles of Biochemistry option was changed to a technical elective. CH 3511 Pchem Lab was changed to a technical elective. The core engineering elective was changed to a technical elective. On the new curriculum you need 18 credits of technical electives. The flowchart shows this as CM 1000 Intro to ChE plus an additional 17 credits of technical electives.

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If I am on probation, how does taking summer classes affect my academic standing?

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If you are taking summer classes at Michigan Tech then it is treated just like any other semester, regardless of whether or not you are taking a full load of classes. Doing well in your summer classes can bring you off of academic probation. Doing poorly in your summer classes can put you on academic probation or count towards an additional semester of probation if you are already on probation. Go to the Dean of Students webpage for more information on the academic probation policy.

If you are taking summer classes at a different school then it will not affect your academic standing at Michigan Tech.

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If I get a CD or D in my math class, do I have to retake it?

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No, you don’t have to retake it. However we recommend that you do because these topics are important for your junior and senior engineering classes.

You will be using math, chemistry, and physics in your ChE classes to solve various engineering problems.  In particular, using math to solve engineering problems intensifies in the junior year. Students usually struggle with this, even if they have previously done well in their math classes because the problems look different, the terminology is sometimes different, and you’re being asked to recall concepts that you learned a year ago (or longer!).  

To prepare for junior year ChE classes, review topics from calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. Review your notes from math classes, retake classes you did poorly in, and/or utilize online resources, like Khan Academy.

See also: What happens if I retake a class? and How can I succeed in ChE at Michigan Tech?

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Where can I find my final grade for a course?

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Grades that you see in Canvas are not final grades. Final grades, which are used to calculate your GPA, are posted on Banweb.

It’s really important that you check your final grades at the end of every semester because final grades are not always the same as what you see in Canvas.  Many times your final grade in Banweb will match what you see in Canvas, but not always. Some instructors will adjust the grading scale down (or up!), sometimes a mistake is made, and in certain situations the instructor may give you a temporary grade (P, I, or X grade), which means you have limited time to complete something before receiving a final grade. All of this is important to know so that you can follow up promptly with your instructor if you have questions.

You can see your final grades by logging into Banweb.  Go to the Students tab, then Student Records, and then Final Grades or Academic Transcript (unofficial).  Either place will give you access to your final recorded course grades that are used to calculate your GPA. If you see something that you don’t understand then check out the definition of the grade codes in the Undergraduate Catalog under Grade Policies.

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How do I get permission to enroll in graduate-level courses?

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You will need to have earned a C or better at the undergraduate-level for permission to enroll in the graduate-level course. Contact the academic advisor to request permission.

  • CM 5100 (Grad Math): C or better in MA 3160 (Multivariable Calc) and MA 3520 or MA 3521 (Diff Eq)
  • CM 5200 (Grad Thermo): C or better in CM 3230 (Thermo)
  • CM 5300 (Grad Transport): C or better in CM 3120 (Transport & UO II) and a B or better in CM 5100 (Grad Math)
  • CM 5400 (Grad Kinetics): C or better in CM 3510 (ChE Rxn Engineering)

The following classes are typically available only to graduate students.

  • CM 5310 (Lab Safety): Requires special permission
  • CM 5500 (Theory and Methods of Research): Requires special permission

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How will the curriculum changes affect me?

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Anyone in sophomore, junior, or senior ChE classes will be affected by these changes.

Seniors graduating in Spring ’22: For Fall ’21, you need to enroll in both CM 4320 Process Safety (2 credits) and CM 3980 Sustainable Chemical Engineering (1 credit).  These classes are replacing the old CM 4310 Process Safety/Environment (3 cr) course and are only planned to be offered in the fall next year (2021).

Students taking third-year ChE class: For Fall ’21, you should enroll in CM 3230 Thermo for ChE along with the other usual CM classes and take Pchem in either fall or spring semesters of junior year.  Pchem lecture, CH 3510, is still required for graduation, but will no longer need to be taken before thermo.  You should take thermo in the fall because this will spread out your junior ChE classes more evenly between fall and spring semesters and will allow room for the sophomores to take thermo in the spring.  Be aware that the last time CM 2120 is being offered is Summer ’21.

Students taking second-year ChE classes: For Fall ’21, you should enroll in all the classes on your flowchart.  However, be aware that the title for CM 2110 has been changed to Material and Energy Balances.  Then in the spring you will be taking CM 3230 Thermo for ChE.  If you are done with your math by spring semester then you will also be able to start taking some of the other third-year level ChE classes, if you wish.  During third-year you will be taking a 3000-level separations course that is replacing the old CM 2120 course.  

If you have completed CM 2120 fundamentals of ChE II then you may stay on your current catalog year.  However, if you would like to take advantage of the new technical elective rules and/or pchem lab no longer being a requirement,  then next fall you will need to let me know that you’d like to be moved to the new catalog year.  The required classes that you’ve already taken will work with any of the catalog years.  

Spring 2022 will be the last semester that students will be allowed to take CM 3230 thermo concurrently with the spring third-year ChE classes, CM 3120 transport/UO II, CM 3310 process control, and CM 3510 chemical reaction engineering.

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Should I take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam?

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Yes, you should take the FE exam because working towards getting your professional engineering license is a multi-year process and the best time to start it is when you are finishing your bachelors degree. 

The licensure requirements vary from state to state, but they usually involve the following steps:
1.  Earn an engineering degree from an accredited program.  Our program is ABET accredited. 
2.  Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
3.  Obtain professional work experience
4.  Pass the Professional Engineering (PE) exam

You are already working on step one.  The next step is to pass the FE exam.  You may take the FE exam when you are close to finishing your degree.  The department will also help pay for a portion of the exam if you choose to schedule it during your last year at Michigan Tech.  

Not everyone will end up getting or needing a professional engineering license but whether you will need or want it is difficult to know early in your career.  Taking the FE exam now requires less preparation because the information covered on the test is fresh in your mind.  Your FE exam results do not expire.

See also: How do I sign up to take the FE exam? and What should I do to prepare for the FE exam?

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I want to change my major to Chem Eng; what are the requirements for this?

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We require a meeting with the ChE advisor prior to approving any change major requests.  If you’d like to change majors or are considering changing majors into ChE then make an appointment with the ChE academic advisor.  After your meeting you may submit your request to change majors through the Curriculum Change Portlet that is on your MyMichiganTech webpage.  There are directions on how to do this on the Registrar’s Office change major page.

Our general policy for major changes is as follows:  Students admitted to the College of Engineering may switch their major to chemical engineering.  Students admitted into a different College may also switch their major to chemical engineering provided they have earned a grade of C or better in key math and science classes (calculus, university chemistry, and university physics).  Students who do not meet these requirements will need to develop a course plan with the ChE academic advisor, which may include retaking key classes prior to switching majors.

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