UNDERGRADUATE
Bulletin

Swanson School of Engineering

BSE Degree Program Descriptions

Students enter one of the specific engineering major programs below at the sophomore level after successfully completing the Freshman Engineering Program.

BIOENGINEERING

The undergraduate program in bioengineering combines education in engineering and biological sciences, forming a unique experience to prepare students for today’s technical challenges in medicine and biology. Our focus is on developing engineers who can apply an analytic approach to solving problems in living systems. Thus, we provide students with a comprehensive education in both engineering and the life sciences. Students enrolled in the program will be prepared for continued graduate studies or a career in a bioengineering-related industry. The program also provides a solid undergraduate education for further studies in a school of medicine.

The major objectives of the bioengineering educational program are to

• Provide students with a strong fundamental understanding of biology, physiology, mathematics, basic engineering principles, and the humanities;
• Provide both a broad knowledge of the technical and social principles of bioengineering and a focused education in one concentration area within bioengineering;
• Provide an educational experience beyond the classroom to deepen an understanding of the technical and nontechnical issues in bioengineering process and design; and
• Provide an individualized education for students specific to their postgraduate goals (i.e., industry, graduate school, or medical school).

Students choose a focus area in the junior year to develop advanced knowledge. There are three areas to choose from: cellular and medical product engineering, biomechanics, and biosystems and imaging. In each case, the student chooses five courses in bioengineering, life sciences, or other engineering disciplines related to the focus area. Course selection must be approved by the student’s advisor and within the guidelines of the focus curriculum. For more information on the bioengineering program, contact bioeng@engr.pitt.edu, or see www.engrng.pitt.edu/bioengineering/main.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Chemical engineering is concerned with processes in which matter and energy undergo change. Despite the historically-inspired name, the material/energy transformations studies by chemical engineerings include not only chemical, but also physical and biological changes. The range of concerns, therefore, is so broad that the chemical engineering graduate is prepared for a variety of interesting and challenging employment opportunities. The chemical engineer with his/her strong background in chemical, physical, and biological sciences is found in management, design, operations, and research. The chemical engineer is employed in almost all industries including food, polymers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petroleum, medical, materials, and electronics. Since solutions to energy, environmental, medical, and food problems (to name, but a few) must surely involve material and/or energy transformations, there will be continued demands for chemical engineers in the future.
The major objectives of the chemical engineering program are to

• Provide students with a broad knowledge of the principles of chemical engineering and their application so that they may assume positions of technical expertise;
• Provide students with a comprehensive education in engineering science, grounded in the fundamentals of mathematics and science, enabling them to succeed in graduate studies, research, industry or other professional careers;
• Provide students with the skills necessary to perform in the multidisciplinary environment of the 21st century, taking into account health, safety, environmental, and societal impacts of their actions; and
• Provide students with the necessary skills to succeed in, and encourage students to remain committed to, lifelong learning so that they may maintain their professional competence.

The chemical engineering faculty have strong interests in transport phenomena, process dynamics, biotechnology, biomedical application, nanotechnology, kinetics, catalysis, thermodynamics, polymers, and energy supply and conversion. Petroleum engineering faculty interests are in fluid displacement in porous media and enhanced oil recovery and reservoir modeling. Courses and research opportunities are available in all of these areas for undergraduate students of demonstrated ability. For more information on these programs, contact che@engr.pitt.edu, or see http://www.engr.pitt.edu/chemical/

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Curriculum

Undergraduate chemical engineering courses cover thermodynamics; mass and energy balances; energy, mass, and momentum transfer; unit operations; process dynamics and control; process design; plant and product design; professional practice; and chemical reaction engineering.

In addition, the curriculum provides a sequence of technical electives that makes possible specialization in some of the most important areas in today’s society. Among these are the environmental, biochemical, petroleum, and polymers areas of concentration. Students may select any combination of technical electives. The appropriate selection of electives, however, can lead to a minor or area of concentration. (See Minors in Engineering.)

Students electing the petroleum engineering area of concentration would choose PETE 1160 Petroleum Reservoir Engineering, PETE 1202 Petroleum Drilling and Production, and PETE 1097 Special Projects.

A number of chemical engineering graduates find employment with firms that produce polymeric materials. Those interested in preparing for the area of concentration in polymers would select CHE 1754 Principles of Polymer Engineering, CHEM 1600 Synthesis and Characterization of Polymers (plus lab), and CHE 1097 Special Project (with polymer emphasis).

Students interested in an area of concentration in biochemical engineering should take CHE 1530 Biochemistry for Engineers or BIOSCI 1000 Biochemistry, CHE 1531 Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering and CHE 1532 Bioseparations.

Many opportunities exist for sequences of courses in various aspects of environmental engineering. This area of concentration requires students to take CEE 1503 Introduction to Environmental Engineering, CEE 1513 Environmental Engineering Processes, CHE 2610 Atmospheric Pollution Control, and CHE 2620 Industrial Waste Management or CHE 2640 Pollution Prevention.