How can I get involved in research?

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.

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.