Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Category: Academic Advising

Can I take PH 2200 and CM 3110 at the same time?

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We recommend that you complete all the first and second year courses, including PH 2200, before beginning your junior chemical engineering courses, especially CM 3110.

Although we recommend that you complete PH 2200 before taking CM 3110, you are permitted to take them at the same time or to defer PH 2200 to a later semester.    In Fall 2014, 44% of the students taking PH 2200 and CM 3110 at the same time failed CM 3110 or earned a D in CM 3110.  Note, also, that PH 2200 is a prerequisite for CM 3310 Process Controls, which is only offered in the spring semester.

If you are not following the standard sequence, please reflect on your capabilities and your academic strengths and weaknesses as  you plan your schedule.  You may wish to discuss your situation with your advisor.  If you are a strong student, you can succeed in CM 3110 even without having completed all your second-year physics.  Even strong students, however, will get more out of CM 3110 if they approach it with the full preparation of all the first and second year courses having been completed with a C or better.

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What is the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)?

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One of the frustrating things about registering is the uncertainty:  what classed do I need?  Does this class I’m looking at count as tech elective?  as gen ed?

One resource you have to sorting this out (besides seeing Katie) is the DARS tool in Banweb (Degree Audit Reporting System).  This tool checks your records (according to Michigan Tech) against the requirements for your degree.  If you’ve met the requirements, it goes GREEN.  If the requirements are not met, it stays RED.  See our advising video on this subject.  Degree services also have their own tutorial video (March 2018).

I would like to suggest that everyone try it out.

To get to DARS you log onto your Banweb account and under Student in the middle column look for “Degree Audit”.  Click there and run the current year audit.  Sometimes you have to wait – look for the circle above to see if it’s thinking.  It always has to generate the report to get the most current version.

When the DARS opens, you will see some graphics and a long column of red or green “buckets” of courses or requirements.  They are:

1.  Two buckets that check your GPA for both the department and for overall.  Both must be over 2.0 for you to graduate.
2.  Major requirements:  This is all your core math, physics, chemistry, and chem eng courses.
3.  Chemistry option:  here whether you take Organic 1 or Hydro Pyro you chose a different audit path.  In this section you will see the technical electives and the various categories of the electives.  Take a close look to see what classes you may choose from in each category.
4.  Six gen ed buckets that check if you meet all the gen ed requirements.  It checks if you have the freshmen courses, the sophomore courses, the HASS, etc.  It checks that at least 6 credits of HASS are at the 3000 level.
5.  Co curricular bucket – your phys ed courses.

The DARS system is what actually checks you out for graduation.  If it says you graduate, you do.  We have worked long and hard with the programmers in the Admin Building to get this system to accurately check you out for graduation – please use the DARS tool to guide you as you plan for registration.

There are some things that the DARS system will not do right until Katie “touches” your audit and makes an adjustment.  If something you chose or transfered puts you into this situation, you do need to come see Katie.  She’ll be happy to look at DARS adjustments after registration is over.

Hope this eases your registration experience!

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How do I register for classes?

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The Engineering Fundamentals folks have  put together some concise slides about registration that you may find helpful.  They are available at this link:  www.chem.mtu.edu/~fmorriso/advising/RegistrationInfoEngAdvisor2014.pdf.  The instructions refer to the Registrar’s page, which is a great resource for up-to-date information on registering with the BanWeb system.

If you continue to have problems, please visit the Student Service Center at the Administration building, and they will take care of you.

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What do my college’s courses transfer as at Michigan Tech?

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The best bet to address this question is to go to the Transfer Services website and use their Transfer Equivalency link to check which classes transfer as what from your school to Michigan Tech.

The trifold that lays out the most common plan for transfer students is discussed in another link in this blog on the course plans for transfer students.

If your school or the courses  you are interested in are not covered in the transfer equivalency system, then you will need to have each proposed course evaluated by the department at Michigan Tech that covers that subject.  Please collect two things: 1) course description from the school catalog, and 2) course syllabus from the professor.  These two items should be sent to Transfer Services with a request to have them evaluated by the appropriate department.  This process takes several weeks usually, so please plan ahead.

Have a successful semester!

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Should I take CM2110 if I’m a first-year student?

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Students who have advanced placement in math and chemistry may consider taking the first two chemical engineering courses, CM2110 Fundamentals of ChE I and CM2120 Fundamentals of ChE II, during their first year at Michigan Tech.  The advantage of taking CM2110 and CM2120 early is that you then may have an easier time fitting a co-op, research, advanced topics, or junior chemical-engineering classes into your second year.  Also, by completing CM2110/CM2120, you get an early experience with chemical-engineering topics and can better decide if this major is for you.  A disadvantage, however, is that you will be taking these courses based on your high school preparation, which may or may not be sufficient to succeed in CM2110.  In addition, taking CM2110/CM2120 in your first year may leave a time gap between when you take these courses and when you take the junior classes, which build on this material.  The junior chemical engineering sequence is challenging; you must have all your math, physics, and most of your chemistry courses completed before you begin the chemical engineering junior course sequence.

The prerequisites for CM2110 are CH1150 University Chemistry I and CH1151 University Chemistry I Laboratory; at a minimum you must have credit for these courses to take CM2110, which is offered in the fall and in the summer.  In addition, the expectation for CM2110 is that you will have problem-solving skills.  In the standard course sequence in our department, students develop problem-solving skills in the first physics class, PH2100 University Physics I, which covers elementary mechanics (force equals mass times displacement).  If you are considering taking CM2110 but you have not yet completed PH2100, you may find that the problem solving tasks in CM2110 are challenging, especially later in the course.  If you had a strong physics program in high school, however, you are likely ready for the problem-solving in CM2110.

If you have credit for the following and received an A or a B in these classes, you are a candidate for taking CM2110 during your first year (* indicates that I  recommend you to complete this course before taking CM2110, but the course is not a prerequisite):

  • MA1160 Calculus with Technology I*
  • MA2160 Calculus with Technology II*
  • CH1150 University Chemistry I (prerequisite)
  • PH2100 University Physics I*

You do not need an advisor’s or instructor’s permission to enroll in CM2110; if you have the prereqs, you may sign up during orientation.  The course is offered with an online section to allow students who have a time conflict to watch videos in lieu of attending the on-campus lectures.

If you have questions about your particular case and whether you should take CM2110, please talk to an advisor during orientation or contact the CM2110 instructor, Dr. King (jaking@mtu.edu).  Dr. King is a strong advocate of advanced students taking CM2110 in the first year.

 

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How can I succeed in ChE at Michigan Tech?

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Thanks for asking!  We have a whole handout on that.  The main idea is this:

Build a good foundation in math, physics, and chemistry (C or better).

It takes a long time to get to junior classes in chemical engineering, and yet it is only really in those junior classes that you will use much of the preparation that you are building.  In the fall junior classes we use:  calc 1, calc 2, calc 3****, differential equations, physics 1, and freshman chemistry.  Thus, it is important to build a good foundation.

Another good tool to look at as you plan your college experience is the prerequisite map.  The interdependence of the chemical engineering courses with the foundation courses is clear from the course prerequisites for the chemical engineering classes.

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Summer Advising

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In order to keep your department fees at a minimum, the advising office is not staffed in the summer and only limited academic advising services are offered.  If you have an issue that needs immediate attention during summer months, please call the Chemical Engineering Department office at 906-487-3132 or the Registrar’s Office at 906-487-2319.

Many Frequently Asked Questions about the Chemical Engineering Program are answered on our Advising FAQs pages.  Use the search box there to find academic plans, advice about minors, information about graduate school, and help on many other topics.

Regular academic advising services resume on August 19th, two weeks before fall semester starts.  All new summer and fall incoming transfer students are required to meet with a department academic advisor during fall Orientation.

Go to the our FAQ page for more information on fall advising office hours.

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