Undergraduate Program in Chemical Engineering

The Field

Chemical engineers have long played key roles in a diverse set of industries that include petroleum, food, pharmaceuticals, artificial fibers, petrochemicals, plastics and ceramics. In these areas, chemical engineers design and develop the processes for large-scale manufacturing that result in affordable products that are essential to our way of life.

Chemical engineers are on the forefront of rapidly developing areas that include biotechnology and biomedicine, semiconductor manufacturing and data storage devices, and advanced materials with precisely-controlled microstructures. Chemical engineering is also widely applied to environmental protection and remediation, process safety, and hazardous waste management.

The Major

The chemical engineering course of study at UNM offers broad training in the fundamentals of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and the engineering sciences. These are integrated with the chemical engineering "core," which includes thermodynamics; heat, momentum, and mass transport; chemical reaction engineering; design; and process control.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

For juniors and seniors, opportunities exist for research projects with individual faculty in their laboratories. The range of projects includes such things as catalysis, biotechnology, semiconductor manufacturing, chemical vapor deposition, and plasma etching. Students undertaking individual h projects gain exposure to state of the art processing and analytical equipment, including aerosol, chemical vapor deposition, and plasma reactors; ellipsometry; scanning electron microscopy; Auger spectroscopy; and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Computer Facilities

Along with the other computing facilities available on campus, the department currently shares a computer pod with state-of-the-art PCs, loaded with software and tools relevant to Chemical Engineering, with Engineering Student Services, due to the fact that our building is currently under renovation.

CBE students make extensive use of the sophisticated process simulation code, ASPEN-PLUS, and learn to write digital process control programs. Students interested in working in the semiconductor industry or advanced materials can gain extensive experience with the RS/1 suite of software tools for statistical design of experiment. In addition to these technical software packages, students also gain experience with other computer software including word processing mathematics.

Advising

Chemical Engineering students benefit from comprehensive advising. Prior to admission to the department, students meet with a professional staff advisor. Following admission to the department, students are assigned a faculty mentor within his or her area of interest. Students are required to meet with the faculty advisor and department advisor before registering each semester.

Accreditation

We are accredited by ABET - Please see the Program Accreditaion page for more info http://cbe.unm.edu/accreditation/index.html

Opportunities

  • Cooperative Education
    Opportunities for the cooperative education program or summer industrial internship program may be available through UNM’s Career Services Cooperative Education Program.
  • Department Honors Program
    Eligible freshmen and upperclassmen in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering are urged to enroll in the Honors Program. Chemical and Biological Engineering students may graduate with General Honors (honors in general studies), with Departmental Honors, or both. Information is available from the department advisor and the University Honors Center.

  • Student Organizations
    Students are encouraged to participate the various student organizations represented at the University

Need More Information?

For more information, contact us at cbe@unm.edu.