First-year curriculum
The first year of the Chemical Engineering programme comprises of a mixture of core courses, electives and a design module. Across the electives students are free to select from any combination of courses (subject to scheduling limitations), however the department does make some recommendations of different combinations depending on the interest of the student. These combinations are selected to align within 4 different Science & Engineering Orientations.
The graphical image of the programme is as follows:
The Chemical Engineering electives you can choose from are:
Q1: Core Courses (12 EC) + Ethics Safety and Risk (3 EC)
For all students, the programme starts with two compulsory Chemical Engineering core courses covering fundamental aspects of process control and transport phenomena. These are combined with a computational practicum which runs across Q1 and Q2 where students solve chemical engineering problems assigned from the courses running in parallel. Lastly Q1 includes a course from the design module that covers professional considerations around ethics, safety and risk management.
- Process Dynamics and Control
- Molecular Transport Phenomena
- Computational Practicum
- Ethics, Safety and Risks
Q2: Advanced Chemical Engineering Courses (12 EC) + Computation Practicum (3 EC)
The second quarter consists of the computational practicum and three Advanced Chemical Engineering courses which delve more deeply into subject matters related to both process and product engineering. Based on a preferred scientific orientation, the following table lists a subset of suggested core electives to select from during this quarter.
Q1 and Q2 Computational Practicum: here students will apply numerical methods to solve chemical engineering problems assigned from courses taken in parallel.
Q3: Chemical Engineering Electives (12 EC)
In the programme, 12 EC are dedicated to advanced electives which allow the student to personalise their programme to meet a desired scientific orientation. While there are no prescribed combinations, a suggested subset of courses from which to choose 12 EC from are provided based on an interest in circularity, energy, health or nuclear in the table below.
Q4: Design Module: Design project (12 EC) + Product & Process Design (6 EC)
The Design module starts in the third quarter with the course Product and Process Design, in which subjects like methodology, flow sheeting (ASPEN) and safety aspects of design are taught in preparation for the Design Project in the fourth quarter. For that project, students work in socially diverse groups of four to six people on a real-life problem suggested and supported by industry. This confronts them with engineering problems reminiscent of those that they will have to solve in their professional careers, an approach students greatly appreciate. At the end of the second semester, the Design Project results are presented at a one-day symposium attended by all students, principals, supervisors and advisers.