Yes. They can be used as technical electives or free electives. Up to six credits can be used as technical electives.
You just need to ask. You’ll need to find a faculty member who has a project you can work on with them. A good place to start is to look at the department faculty page and read about their research topics.
Find two or three who are doing research in an area that sounds interesting to you. Don’t worry about the jargon. You’ll be taught what you need to know as part of the project. Then reach out to them and ask if they have a project you can work on with them.
Introduce yourself and share what interests you about their work. If you’re willing to do the research for credit then you can begin work even if there isn’t funding to pay you. If the first person doesn’t work out then ask some else. You may need to talk to several faculty before finding someone.
There is also a great video on finding a research mentor on the Pavlis Honors College research workshop page.
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.
- Bioprocess Engineering
- Alternative Energy Technology
- Mineral Processing
- Polymer Science and Engineering
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.
You need to be enrolled in the research class by the end of the first week of classes. However, getting access to the safety training takes time and so we recommend submitting your enrollment request at least a month before the semester starts. Then you’ll be ready to start the semester on time.
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.
Yes, if your faculty supervisor agrees.
Some other summer research options are:
- Michigan Tech’s SURF program. It’s a competitive scholarship for summer researchers.
- National Science Foundation’s REU program. It’s a paid summer research experience at other universities.
Yes. The undergraduate research classes are repeatable.
For our degree, technical electives are courses that you get to choose in engineering, science, or applied business subjects. Follow your interests when choosing. Many of the courses are only offered in certain semesters and most have prerequisites. So plan ahead. The list of approved courses are on your degree audit on Banweb and in the advising book.
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.
The approved courses are listed in your online degree audit on Banweb. They are also listed in your advising book. They are engineering, math, science, and applied business courses.