Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Tag: schedule planning

What chemical engineering electives are being offered next semester? next year?

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We plan to offer the following chemical engineering electives in future semesters.

Fall 2022

  • CM 2200  Intro to Minerals and Materials (3 credit)
  • CM 3450  Computer-Aided Problem Solving (3 credits)
  • CM 3979  Alternative Energy Technology and Processes (1 credit)
  • CM 4000  Undergraduate Research (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4020  Undergrad Research in Mineral Proc Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4040  Undergrad Research in Bioengineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4060  Undergrad Research in Polymer Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4080  Undergrad Research in Biofuels Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4610  Intro to Polymer Science (3 credits)
  • CM 4780  Biomanufacturing and Biosafety (3 credits) This is an alternate-year class and will not be offered next year.

Spring 2023

  • CM 3025  Bioprocessing Lab (1 credit)
  • CM 3830  Mineral Processing and Extraction Lab (1 credit)
  • CM 4000  Undergraduate Research (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4020  Undergrad Research in Mineral Proc Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4040  Undergrad Research in Bioengineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4060  Undergrad Research in Polymer Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4080  Undergrad Research in Biofuels Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4510   Interfacial Engineering (3 credits) This is an alternate-year course and will not be offered next year.
  • CM 4620  Polymer Chemistry (3 credits)
  • CM 4740  Hydrometallurgy/Pyrometallurgy (4 credits)

Fall 2023

  • CM 2200  Intro to Minerals and Materials (3 credit)
  • CM 3450  Computer-Aided Problem Solving (3 credits)
  • CM 3979  Alternative Energy Technology and Processes (1 credit)
  • CM 4000  Undergraduate Research (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4020  Undergrad Research in Mineral Proc Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4040  Undergrad Research in Bioengineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4060  Undergrad Research in Polymer Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4080  Undergrad Research in Biofuels Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4610  Intro to Polymer Science (3 credits)
  • CM 4710  Biochemical Processes (3 credits) This is an alternate-year class and will not be offered next year.

Fall 2024

  • CM 3025  Bioprocessing Lab (1 credit)
  • CM 3830  Mineral Processing and Extraction Lab (1 credit)
  • CM 4000  Undergraduate Research (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4020  Undergrad Research in Mineral Proc Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4040  Undergrad Research in Bioengineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4060  Undergrad Research in Polymer Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4080  Undergrad Research in Biofuels Engineering (1-3 credits)
  • CM 4505   Particle Technology (3 credits) This is an alternate-year course and will not be offered next year.
  • CM 4620  Polymer Chemistry (3 credits)
  • CM 4740  Hydrometallurgy/Pyrometallurgy (4 credits)
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What do I need to know to plan out a polymer science and engineering minor?

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Here is some additional scheduling information to help plan your minor. Be sure to check the schedule of classes on Banweb, since this can change from year to year.

Introduction to Polymers Course

Select one course below:

  • BE 4300 Polymeric Biomaterials is usually offered spring of odd years, such as Spring ’23, Spring ’25, etc.
  • CM/CH 4610 Introduction to Polymer Science is usually offered every fall.
  • MSE 4110 Introduction to Polymer Engineering is usually offered every fall.

Chemistry or Engineering Courses

Check with the department offering the course for the expected planned schedule.

Elective Courses

Select remaining credits below:

  • BE 3300 Biomechanics I or MEEM 2150 Mechanics of Materials is usually offered every year.
  • BE 4335 Smart Polymers is usually offered fall of odd years, such as Fall ’21, Fall ’23, etc.
  • CH/CM 4620 Polymer Chemistry is usually offered every spring.
  • CH 4710 Biomolecular Chemistry is usually offered every fall but has a time conflict with CM 4855, which is required for senior chemical engineering students.
  • CM 4060 Undergraduate Research in Polymer Engineering is offered on demand. If you are interested in doing undergraduate research in the chemical engineering department then you will need to talk to the faculty who are doing research in the polymer engineering area to see if they have a project that you can work on with them. The faculty currently doing research in this area are Dr. Liu and Dr. Ong.
  • CM 4650 Polymer Rheology is no longer offered because the faculty retired.
  • ENG 4515 Introduction to Sustainability and Resilience is usually offered every fall. To use this class towards the minor you will need to complete a polymer-related term project. Email your topic to the chemical engineering advisor for approval.
  • ENT Enterprise Project Work. Up to 3 credits of Enterprise project work in the polymer science or engineering area may be approved. Email a brief description of your project to the chemical engineering for approval.
  • MEEM 4170 Failure of Materials in Mechanics is usually offered every spring.
  • MEEM 4635 Design with Plastics has not been offered recently. You will need to check with the Mechanical Engineering Department to see when it will be available next.
  • MSE 4430 Composite Materials is usually offered every spring.
  • Undergraduate Research in the polymer science and engineering area from other departments may be approved. Email a brief description of your research to the chemical engineering advisor for approval. Several students have done polymer chemistry research with Dr. Heiden in the Chemistry Department, as one example.

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How do I figure out what classes to take next semester?

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Plan your future semesters based on your interests.  Things to consider:  co-ops, undergraduate research, Enterprise program, minors, study abroad, graduate school.  The more credit you came in with the more flexibility you’ll have and the sooner you can start doing some of these things.  Remember that your plan is a draft and subject to change as you explore your interests. 

The general process for planning out future semesters is as follows: 

  1. Find your degree requirements on the department’s advising webpage or Registrar’s Office webpage.  This is based on your catalog year, which is usually the year that you started at Michigan Tech.  Print out either the flowchart, 4- or 5-year sample schedule, or degree audit to use as a checklist.  
  2. Cross off completed or in-progress requirements.  Write elective courses next to the corresponding requirement to keep track of them.
  3. Run your online degree audit on Banweb to make sure classes are counting where they are expected to.  If they are not then contact your academic advisor to find out why.  Online degree audits for new students will be available 30 days before the semester starts.
  4. Print out a blank academic plan sheet from the department’s advising webpage or set up a spreadsheet and start writing down the classes you plan to take for each future semester.  It usually makes the most sense to start with the major required classes, then minor classes if you are doing a minor, and finally remaining elective classes.

Be aware that the last step takes work. We’ve put a lot of information on the department’s FAQs to help you find your way through the process.  Once you have a rough plan, review it with your academic advisor to make sure you’ve got all the details right. 

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What do I need to know to plan out a mineral processing minor?

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If you are interested in adding the mineral processing minor to your record then you’ll need to email your list of planned classes for completing the minor, along with the semester in which you plan to take the courses, to the chemical engineering advisor. We require this to ensure that you’ll be able to complete the minor in the time frame that you need. Then you will need to request the addition of the minor from your MyMichiganTech webpage. Directions for how to do this are on the minor page of the Registrar’s Office, Degree Services webpage.

When planning your minor courses, make sure you have a listing of the most current requirements for the minor. You can get this on the Registrar’s Office, Degree Services webpage. The listing of requirements that you are looking for is called the “minor audit”.

You will need to plan ahead because many of the minor classes have prerequisites that you need to complete first. The prerequisites can be found in the course descriptions or on the minor audit. Course descriptions are in Michigan Tech’s Undergraduate Catalog. 

Finally, once you’ve figured out the classes that you’ll be taking to complete the minor, you should meet with your major advisor to determine if any (or all!) of the classes for your minor can also be counted towards your major requirements. 

Here is some additional information that may help you with planning this minor. The typical schedule for when classes are offered is listed below, but this can change from year-to-year. The schedule of classes for the following academic year is published in February and so you’ll want to check it once it’s available.

For the required courses:

  • CM 2200 Intro to Minerals and Materials is usually offered every fall semester.
  • CM 3830 Mineral Processing and Extraction Lab is usually offered every spring semester.
  • GE 2300 Mineral Science is usually offered every fall semester. This course includes a lecture and laboratory.

For the thermodynamics courses, check with the department offering the course for the expected planned schedule.

For the elective courses:

  • CM 3825 Sampling, Statistics, and Instrumentation is usually offered every other spring during odd years, such as Spring ’23, Spring ’25, etc.
  • CM 4020 Undergrad Research in Mineral Processing Engineering is offered on demand. If you are interested in doing undergraduate research then you will need to talk to the faculty who are doing research in the mineral processing area to see if they have a project that you can work on with them. The faculty currently doing research in this area is Dr. Eisele and Dr. Pan.
  • CM 4505 Particle Technology is usually offered every other spring during even years, such as Spring ’22, Spring ’24, etc.
  • CM 4510 Interfacial Engineering is usually offered every other spring during odd years, such as Spring ’23, Spring ’25, etc.
  • CM/MSE 4740 Hydrometallurgy/Pyrometallurgy is usually offered every spring.
  • EC 4630 Mineral Industry Economics is usually offered every other spring semester and requires principles of economics as a prereq. However it hasn’t been offered recently and so you’ll need to check with the College of Business to see when it will be available next.
  • ENT XXXX Enterprise Project Work. If you are doing work in Enterprise that is in the mineral processing area then up to three credits of Enterprise may be approved to use towards the minor. Email a brief description of your project for each of the semesters that you wish to be considered for approval to the chemical engineering advisor.
  • GE 3400 Drilling and Blasting is usually offered every fall and requires additional prerequisites. However, if you have already completed both PH 2100 University Physics I and CM 2200 Intro to Minerals and Materials, then you might be able to get permission to enroll in the class. Contact the instructor of the course for consideration.
  • GE 4360 Bulk Material Dynamics and Engineering is usually offered every spring and requires additional prerequisites. However, if you are a chemical engineering student who has already completed both PH 2100 University Physics I and CM 3110 Transport & Unit Operations I, then you might be able to get permission to enroll in the class. Contact the instructor of the course for consideration.
  • MSE 2121 Materials Characterization I and MSE 2122 Materials Characterization I Lab are offered every spring and require additional prerequisites and so you’ll need to plan ahead.
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I’m starting out in precalculus (MA 1032 or MA 1120). Can I still graduate in four years?

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If you are willing to take summer classes, then yes. You’ll need to take summer classes after your first year and maybe after your second year too to make this work. You can take summer classes at Michigan Tech or at a community college and then transfer in the classes.

If summer classes are not feasible or you can only take a limited number then you can instead adjust your classes so that you can co-op during the five years. Having engineering work experience through a co-op prior to graduation will help you with landing summer internships and your first full-time job because most employers look for this type of experience when hiring.

If you’d like help getting your options sorted out then set up a meeting with your advisor during a less busy time (week 3-7 of the semester).

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