Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Category: Courses

I’m enrolled in CH 1000 Introductory Chemistry. Can I change to CH 1150 University Chemistry?

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Maybe. Students who are placed into precalculus are automatically enrolled in CH 1000 Introductory Chemistry. Introductory chemistry is for students who didn’t take chemistry in high school or who need to review chemistry fundamentals before enrolling in University Chemistry (CH 1150/1151/1153).

If you are enrolled in precalculus or higher (MA 1032 or MA 1120 or higher) AND received a B or better in high school algebra AND a B or better in high school chemistry then you may change to University Chemistry (CH 1150/1151/1153). Contact your academic advisor to request this change.

If it has been awhile since you’ve taken chemistry or you are unsure of which chemistry class you should start in then go to the Chemistry Department’s first-year chemistry page. They have a lot of good information available to help guide your decision.

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Which math class should I take next?

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Staying on track with your math classes is very important because you will need to be done with all of your required math classes before you can start the junior-level chemical engineering courses.

If you came in with credit for some of your required math classes then this is very helpful because it allows you to move forward with your math more quickly and will give you some flexibility in your class schedule down the road.

  • If you have completed calculus I (MA 1160 or MA 1161) then take calculus II (MA 2160) or linear algebra (MA 2320 or MA 2330).
  • If you have completed calculus I and II (MA 1160/1161 and MA 2160) then take multivariable calculus (MA 3160) or linear algebra (MA 2320 or MA 2330) or linear algebra/differential equations (MA 2321 and MA 3521)
  • If you have completed calculus I and II and multivariable calculus (MA 1160/1161, MA 2160, MA 3160) then take linear algebra (MA 2320 or MA 2330) or linear algebra/differential equations (MA 2321 and MA 3521).
  • If you have completed calculus I and II, multivariable calculus, and linear algebra (MA 1160/1161, MA 2160, MA 3160, MA 2320/2330) then take differential equations (MA 3520 or MA 3530 or MA 3560).

There are several options with the linear algebra and differential equations courses. Go to FAQ: Which linear algebra and differential equations classes should I take?

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I’ve been placed into precalculus (MA 1032 or MA 1120) but would like to start in calculus. Can I challenge my math placement?

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Yes. If you have been placed in a math class below calculus then you can take a math placement test to try to move to a more advanced course. The math placement test can place you as high as calculus I. The test is called ALEKS and information on taking it is on the Math’s Department webpage.

If you plan to take the placement test then you should do so as soon as possible because your math course determines the rest of your first semester schedule.

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I’m enrolled in MA 1120 Single-Variable Calculus with Integrated Precalculus I and I don’t see this on the flowchart or sample schedules. What is this class?

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MA 1120 Single-Variable Calculus with Integrated Precalculus I is a part of a new math course sequence for students starting out in precalculus. MA 1120 is equivalent to MA 1032 Precalculus. In the five-year schedule for students starting in precalculus, this course is being taken in place of MA 1032.

If you are enrolled in MA 1120, then the next math class you will take will be MA 1121 Single-Variable Calculus with Integrated Precalculus II. MA 1121 is equivalent to MA 1160/MA 1161 Calculus with Technology I. In the five-year suggested schedule, this course will be taken in place of MA 1161 in the spring.

After you are done with these classes then you’ll take the remaining required math classes: MA 2160 Calculus with Technology II, MA 3160 Multivariable Calculus with Technology, MA 2320/2321 Elementary Linear Algebra, and MA 3520/3521 Elementary Differential Equations.

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What do I do now that CM 3410 Tech Comm is no longer offered?

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The faculty have decided to merge the tech comm topics into transport lab to better help you with the communication of engineering topics.

Effective Fall 2018, CM 3410 Tech Comm will no longer be offered and CM 3215 Transport Lab will be changed to a 3 credit course.  Because of this change you must now have UN 1015 Compositions done before taking CM 3215 Transport Lab, and you need to have CM 3215 Transport Lab done before taking CM 4110 Unit Operations Lab and CM 4855 ChE Design I.

If you have taken both CM 3410 and CM 3215 then you are unaffected by this change.

If you have taken CM 3410 and you take the 3-credit version of CM 3215 then you can use the additional credit towards your technical electives or free electives, if needed.  Send an email to cmadvise@mtu.edu to have this change made to your degree audit.

For students who started at Michigan Tech prior to Fall 2018, if you have not taken CM 3410 then you have a choice.  You can either take a technical elective or HU 3120, the Humanities tech comm course, as a substitute for CM 3410.  Send an email to cmadvise@mtu.edu to have this change made to your degree audit.  If you choose to take HU 3120 as a substitute for CM 3410 then it cannot be used towards your general education HASS requirements.

For students who start at Michigan Tech during Fall 2018 or later, you will be on the new curriculum that no longer requires CM 3410.

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May I take both CM 3410 and HU 3120?

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No, that is not permitted.  CM 3410 is required for graduation with a degree in chemical engineering from Michigan Tech.  You may take HU 3120 as a substitute course for CM 3410.  Because HU 3120 functions as an equivalent course to CM 3410, you may not take them both.

 

CM 3410 – Technical Communication for Chemical Engineering
Study of the purposes, genres, and applications of technical communication in chemical engineering professions, including written, oral, visual, and graphic communication. Assignments may include memos, progress reports, procedures, memo and formal reports, research citations, and job-seeking requirements. Emphasizes organization, support, coherence, usefulness, ethics, and professionalism.
Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore, Senior
Pre-Requisite(s): UN 1015

 

HU 3120 – Technical and Professional Communication
A study of written and oral communication in technical and scientific environments; emphasizes audience, writing processes, genres of scientific and technical discourse, visual communication, collaboration, professional responsibility, clear and correct expression. Students write and revise several documents and give oral report(s). Computer Intensive.
Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore
Pre-Requisite(s): UN 1015 and (UN 1025 or Modern Language – 3000 level or higher)

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How do I plan out my chemical engineering degree at Michigan Tech?

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The CM degree at Michigan Tech requires 131 credits plus 3 credits of co-curricular classes (physical education).  What classes are required for you depends on when you started at Michigan Tech, known as your catalog year.  The requirements are all posted on our advising webpages, and we made a video walking you through the process for planning out your degree.

Here’s the basic process.

  1. Go to our advising webpage and select Undergraduate — Advising — Plan Your Schedule
  2. Print out the course requirements (4 year plan or 5 year plan), the General Education Requirements, the co-curricular requirements, and the Technical Elective requirements that go with your catalog year.
  3. On your 4 (0r 5) year plan, cross off any courses for which you already have credit.
  4. Print out a blank Academic Plan worksheet.
  5. Fill in the Academic Plan worksheet with all the remaining courses.

There is a great deal that goes into that step “5” up there, and we’ve made some videos to help you find your way through the process.  Once you have a good rough plan, you may wish to make an appointment with a CM advisor to make sure that you’ve got all the details right.

That’s it!  Welcome to Michigan Tech Chemical Engineering–We’re glad you’re here.

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What computer programs are used in the ChemE program at Michigan Tech?

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We use a variety of computer programs in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech.  Microsoft Word is widely used for report preparation.  Dr. Morrison has a YouTube video showing some short-cuts for writing equations with Microsoft Word.  In the junior laboratory, CM3215 Fundamentals of ChemE Lab, we use Microsoft Excel extensively and we also use Visio for creating Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID).

Microsoft Excel is introduced in the first-year engineering classes (ENG 1101 and and ENG 1102), and so it is assumed that Chemical Engineering juniors have some familiarity with Excel.  In CM3215 there are several exercises meant to gauge and build Excel proficiency.  We also ask students to learn how to use Excel’s LINEST program for determining least squares fits as well as uncertainty parameters related to least squares fits.  Error analysis is a big part of CM 3215, and in that and subsequent classes we add error bars to graphs (using Excel) to show uncertainty.  Excel also has a function called Solver that we use in several classes (CM 3215, CM 3450, CM4655 for example) to perform nonlinear curve fitting and optimization.

Here is a list of some of the software programs used in CM courses

  • CM2110 Fundamentals of Chem E 1: Polymath, Excel, Visio
  • CM2120 Fundamentals of Chem E 2: Excel, Word, and UniSim
  • CM3215 Fundamentals of ChemE Lab:  Excel, Word, Visio
  • CM3110 Transport 1:  Excel, Comsol, Word
  • CM3120 Transport 2: Excel, Word
  • CM3230 Thermodynamics:  Excel, Word, Mathcad
  • CM3310 Process Control: LabVIEW
  • CM3410 Tech Communication for Che:  Excel, Word, PowerPoint
  • CM3510: Chemical Reaction Engineering: Polymath, Word, UniSim
  • CM3450: Computer-Aided Problem Solving:  UniSim, MatLab, MathCAD, Excel w/ VBA, and Minitab
  • CM4110 Unit Operations Lab: Excel, Word, Visio, PowerPoint
  • CM4120 Plant Operations Lab:  Excel, Word, Visio, PowerPoint, PI DataLink, PI ProcessBook
  • CM4310 Process Safety/Environment:  Excel, Word, EPI Suite, SimaPro
  • CM4855 Plant Design 1:  Excel, Word, Visio, UniSim, SuperTarget
  • CM4860 Plant Design 2:  Excel, Word, Visio, UniSim, SuperTarget
  • CM4861 Plant Design Lab 2: Excel, Word, Visio, UniSim, SuperTarget

 

 

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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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