B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Curriculum details for the undergraduate ChE program at UVA.
While most begin taking chemical engineering courses during their second year, students with sufficient AP or transfer credit can begin taking chemical engineering courses (typically ChE 2215 and/or ChE 2246) during their first semester!
All students must complete the unified set of general requirements for all engineering majors. These courses are often completed during the first two years in SEAS, with the exception of STS 4500 and 4600, which are taken during the fall and spring of the fourth year, respectively.
- APMA 1110 - Single Variable Calculus II (Credits: 4)
- APMA 2120 - Multivariable Calculus III (Credits: 4)
- CHEM 1410/1411 - Introductory Chemistry I & Lab (Credits: 4)
- CS 1110/1111/1112/1113 - Introduction to Programming (Credits: 3) (more info below)
- ENGR 1010 - Engineering Foundations 1 (Credits: 4)
- ENGR 1020 - Engineering Foundations 2 (Credits: 3)
- PHYS 1425/1429 - Introductory Physics I & Lab (Credits: 4)
- PHYS 2415/2419 - Introductory Physics II & Lab (Credits: 4) – OR – ECE 2200 - Applied Physics
- STS 2600 - Engineering Ethics (Credits: 3)
- STS 4500 - STS and Engineering Practice (Credits: 3)
- STS 4600 - The Engineer, Ethics, and Professional Responsibility (Credits: 3)
- Math and Science Elective (Credits: 3)
- Humanities or Social Science Electives (Credits: 9) (more info below)
ChE Curriculum Tracks
There are multiple paths to a B.S. in ChE:
Electives and Prerequisites
Technical Electives
Any 2000 to 5999 course in: APMA, MATH, CHEM, PHYS (except PHYS 2010, 2020), BIOL, BIOM, CHE (except required courses), ENGR, CE, CS, ECE (except ECE 2066), MSE (except MSE 2010), MAE, SYS, and EVSC 2050, 2800, 3200, 3600, 3860, 4280, 4640, 4660, 4090.
Special Topics and Special Projects courses (and other courses introduced after the 2011–2012 academic year) must be individually approved.
CHE Electives
CHE 3347 - Biochemical Engineering
CHE 4442 - Applied Surface Chemistry
CHE 4445 - Fundamentals of Process Safety
CHE 4448 - Bioseparations Engineering
CHE 4449 - Polymer Chemistry and Engineering
CHE 4450 - Energy Science and Technologies
CHE 4452 - Data Science in Chem. Eng.
CHE 4456 - Bioproduct and Bioprocess Engineering
CHE 4561*
CHE 4562*
*Courses listed under this special topics designation must be individually approved.
Engineering Electives
Students must complete one course with substantial engineering content. The list of acceptable choices can be obtained from the department office or through the 'Academic Requirements' page on SIS.
Note: Courses listed above that satisfy the CHE Elective requirements also satisfy the Engineering Elective requirement.
Unrestricted Electives
Chosen from any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 1310 and courses that substantially duplicate any others offered for the degree, including PHYS 2010, 2020; CS 1010, 1020; or any introductory programming course. Students in doubt as to what is acceptable to satisfy a degree requirement should get the approval of their advisor and the dean's office, located in Thornton Hall, Room A122. If APMA 1090 is taken as part of the mathematics sequence, it counts as an unrestricted elective.
HSS Electives
See SEAS List
The 'Academic Requirements' page in SIS, found under 'Plan' and then 'Plan by Academic Requirements' provides a complete list of all courses satisfying the criteria for each elective.
Courses that substantially duplicate any others taken for the degree, including PHYS 2010 and 2020, cannot be used to satisfy elective requirements.v
CHE 2202: Thermodynamics
Co-requisite: APMA 2120
CHE 2215: Material and Energy Balances
Pre-requisites: CHEM 1410 or CHEM 1810; APMA 1110
CHE 2216: Modeling and Simulation in Chemical Engineering
Pre-requisites: CS 111X; CHE 2215
Co-requisite: APMA 2130
CHE 2246: Introduction to Biotechnology
Pre-requisite: CHEM 1410 or CHEM 1810
CHE 3316: Chemical Thermodynamics and Staged Unit Operations
Pre-requisites: CHE 2202; CHE 2215
CHE 3318: Chemical Reaction Engineering
Pre-requisites: CHE 2216; CHE 3316
Co-requisite: CHE 3322
CHE 3321: Transport Processes I: Momentum Transfer
Pre-requisites: APMA 2130; CHE 2215; CHE 2216
CHE 3322: Transport Processes II: Heat and Mass Transfer
Pre-requisites: CHE 2216; CHE 3316; CHE 3321
CHE 3347: Biochemical Engineering
Pre-requisites: CHE 2216 or BME 2315 or MAE 3420; CHE 3321 or MAE 3210 or
BME 3240 or Instructor Permission
Co-requisites: CHE 3318; CHE 3322 or MAE 3140 or BME 3240
CHE 3398: Chemical Engineering Laboratory I
Pre-requisites: CHE 2215; CHE 3316; CHE 3321
Co-requisite: CHE 3322
CHE 4417: Tissue Engineering
Pre-requisites: CHEM 1420 or CHEM 1810; APMA 2130; an introductory course
in cell and molecular biology or instructor permission
CHE 4442: Applied Surface Chemistry
Pre-requisite: Instructor permission
CHE 4445: Fundamentals of Process Safety
Pre-requisites: CHE 3321 or MAE 3210 or BME 3240;
CHE 3322 or MAE 3140 or BME 3240
CHE 4448: Bioseparations Engineering
Pre-requisites: CHE 3322 or Instructor Permission
CHE 4449: Polymer Chemistry and Engineering
Co-requisite: CHE 3321 or BME 3240 or MAE 3140 or Instructor Permission
CHE 4450: Energy Science and Technologies
Pre-requisites: CHE 2202 or MAE 2100 or MSE 3050; CHEM 1410 or CHEM 1810
CHE 4452: Data Science in Chemical Engineering
Pre-requisites: CS 111X; APMA 2120; APMA 2130; APMA 3110;
CHE 2216 or BME 2315 or MAE 3420
CHE 4456: Bioproduct and Bioprocess Engineering
Pre-requisite: 4th year or higher CHE or BME standing or Instructor Permission
CHE 4474: Process Synthesis, Modeling, and Control
Pre-requisites: CHE 3318; CHE 3322
Co-requisite: CHE 4475
CHE 4475: Introduction to Process Safety
Pre-requisites: CHE 3318; CHE 3322
Co-requisite: CHE 4474
CHE 4476: Chemical Engineering Design
Pre-requisites: CHE 2216; CHE 3318; CHE 3322; CHE 4474; CHE 4475
CHE 4491: Chemical Engineering Laboratory II
Pre-requisites: CHE 3318; CHE 3322; CHE 3398
CHE 4561 & CHE 4562: Special Topics in Chemical Engineering
Contact the instructor of each section for details
Three-Year Plan Curriculum
128 Credits Minimum required for graduation.
| APMA 1110 | Single Variable Calculus II | 4 |
| APMA 2120 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| CHEM 1410 | Intro Chem for Engineers | 3 |
| CHEM 1420 | Intro Chem for Engineers II | 3 |
| PHYS 1425 | General Physics I | 3 |
| PHYS 2415 | General Physics II | 3 |
| HSS Elective (see note 1 below) | 3 | |
| HSS Elective (see note 1 below) | 3 | |
| Unrestricted Elective (see note 5 below) | 3 | |
| Total | 29 | |
| APMA 2130 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 4 |
| ENGR 1624 | Introduction to Engineering | 4 |
| CHE 2215 | Material and Energy Balances | 3 |
| CHEM 2410 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CS 1110 | Introduction to Programming | 3 |
| CHEM 1411 | Intro Chemistry for Engineers Lab I | 1 |
| Total | 18 |
| APMA 3110 | Applied Probability & Statistics | 3 |
| CHE 2202 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CHE 2216 | Model & Sim in ChE | 4 |
| CHEM 2420 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 1421 | Intro Chemistry for Engineers Lab II | 1 |
| STS 1500 | Engineering Technology & Society | 3 |
| Total | 17 | |
| CHE 3316 | Chemical Thermodynamics and Unit Operations | 4 |
| CHE 3321 | Transport Processes I | 3 |
| CHEM 3610 | Physical Chemistry - Quantum Theory | 3 |
| CHEM 2411 | Organic Chemistry Lab | 3 |
| Phys 1429 | General Physics I Workshop | 1 |
| Unrestricted Elective (see note 5 below) | 3 | |
| Total | 17 | |
| CHE 3318 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 3322 | Transport Processes II | 4 |
| CHE 3398 | Chem Engineering Lab I | 3 |
| Phys 2419 | General Physics II Workshop | 1 |
| SWR or STS 2XXX/3XXX | SWR (see note 6 below) or STS Elective | 3 |
| Unrestricted Elective (see note 5 below) | 3 | |
| Total | 17 |
| STS 4500 | STS and Engineering Practice | 3 |
| CHE 4491 | Chemical Engineering Lab II | 3 |
| CHE 4474 & 4475 | Process Synthesis, Modeling & Control & Intro. to Process Safety | 3 |
| CHE Elective (see note 4 below) | 3 | |
| Technical Elective (see note 2 below) | 3 | |
| Total | 15 |
| STS 4600 | The Engineer, Ethics, & Prof. Responsibility | 3 |
| CHE 4476 | Chemical Engineering Design | 3 |
| CHE Elective (see note 4 below) | 3 | |
| CHE or Engineering Elective (see notes 3 and 4 below) | 3 | |
| HSS Elective (see note 1 below) | 3 | |
| Total | 15 |
*NOTE: Any student contemplating a three-year degree should meet with the undergraduate coordinator soon after arriving at UVA to carefully evaluate whether or not it makes sense for them. This schedule is intended as a sample to allow students to gauge the possibility and may require slight adjustments depending on a student's high school preparation.
- Humanities and Social Science (HSS) Electives: Chosen from the approved list available in A122 Thornton Hall or from the SEAS website.
- Technical electives: Any 2000 to 5999 course in: APMA, MATH, CHEM, PHYS (except PHYS 2010, 2020), BIOL, BIOM, CHE (except required courses), ENGR, CE, CS, ECE (except ECE 2066), MSE (except MSE 2010), MAE, SYS, and EVSC 2050, 2800, 3200, 3600, 3860, 4280, 4640, 4660, 4090. Special Topics and Special Projects courses (and other courses introduced after the 2011–2012 academic year) must be individually approved.
- Engineering elective: Students must complete one course with substantial engineering content. The list of acceptable choices can be obtained from the department office or through the 'Academic Requirements' page on SIS.
- CHE electives: Chosen from CHE 3347, CHE 4442, CHE 4448, CHE 4449, CHE 4450, CHE 4561*, CHE 4562* (*courses listed under this special topics designation must be individually approved).
- Unrestricted electives: Chosen from any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 1310 and courses that substantially duplicate any others offered for the degree, including PHYS 2010, 2020; CS 1010, 1020; or any introductory programming course. Students in doubt as to what is acceptable to satisfy a degree requirement should get the approval of their advisor and the dean's office, located in Thornton Hall, Room A122. If APMA 1090 is taken as part of the mathematics sequence, it counts as an unrestricted elective.
- SWR: Second Writing Requirement, as specified by the College of Arts & Sciences (search in SIS using Second Writing Requirement in the Traditional Requirements field).
Students uncertain about the acceptability of a course to satisfy the degree requirements should seek approval from their advisor and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, located in Thornton Hall, Room A122. The 'Academic Requirements' page in SIS, found under 'Plan' and then 'Plan by Academic Requirements', also provides a complete list of all courses satisfying the criteria for each elective.
In all cases, courses that substantially duplicate any others taken for the degree, including PHYS 2010 and 2020, CS 1010, CS 1020, or any additional introductory programming course, cannot be used to satisfy elective requirements.
Minimum Grade Requirements for ChE Courses
A grade of C or CR is the standard required in core CHE courses that are prerequisites for other CHE courses. Students cannot have more than one passing grade of less than C or CR in core CHE prerequisite courses to enroll in any subsequent CHE courses. Students with more than one grade below C and/or CR in more than one core CHE prerequisite course (CHE 2202, 2215, 2216, 3316, 3318, 3321, 3322, 3398, 4474, and 4475) will have to retake the prerequisite(s) and receive a grade of CR or C or higher before taking any subsequent CHE courses. This policy applies to students pursuing either the B.S. degree or the minor in chemical engineering.
Policy on Chemistry Courses in the ChE Curriculum
Note: The Department of Chemistry maintains its own minimum grade requirements: https://chemistry.as.virginia.edu/policies
General Chemistry
- ChE students need to take CHEM 1410 (3 hours), CHEM 1411 (1 hour), CHEM 1420 (3 hours), and CHEM 1421 (1 hour).
- Students with AP Chemistry credit are still required to take the CHEM 1411 and CHEM 1421 labs.
- Note: The CHEM 16XX series may also be used to satisfy this requirement.
Organic Chemistry
- ChE students take CHEM 2410 (3 hours), CHEM 2420 (3 hours), and the laboratory CHEM 2411 (3 hours).
1800 Series Chemistry
- Students taking the 1800 series chemistry course sequence satisfy the B.S. chemical engineering requirements of CHEM 1410 (3 hours), 1411 (1 hour), 1420 (3 hours), 1421 (1 hour), 2410 (3 hours), 2420 (3 hours), and 2411 (3 hours) by taking:
- CHEM 1810 Principles of Chemical Structures (3 hours)
- CHEM 1811 Principles of Chemical Structures Laboratory (2 hours)
- CHEM 1820 Principles of Organic Chemistry (3 hours)
- CHEM 1821 Principles of Organic Chemistry Laboratory (3 hours)
- CHEM 2810 Principles of Organic & Bioorganic Chemistry (3 hours)
- Selected CHEM course* (3 hours)
*Chosen from: CHEM 2820 (Principles of Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics), CHEM 4090 (Analytical Chemistry), CHEM 4320 (Inorganic Chemistry), CHEM 4440 (Biochemistry for Pre-Health), CHEM 4410 (Biological Chemistry I), or another CHEM 4xxx or 5xxx course with prior approval by the CHE Program.
- Please Note: The 1800 series chemistry sequence is an ‘all or nothing’ replacement of the 1400 series chemistry requirements. Students should complete the sequence they start and should not switch sequences during their program of study.
Physical Chemistry
- Chemical Engineering students are encouraged to take Physical Chemistry from the Department of Chemical Engineering as CHE 4561 (Topic: Physical Chemistry for Engineers)
- CHEM 3410 (or CHEM 3610): Physical Chemistry - Quantum Theory (3 hours) or an equivalent may also be used to satisfy this course requirement.
The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found here.
Licensure Disclosure
- As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).
- Upon completion of an engineering degree program which prepares graduates for licensure or certification, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state. Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))
- Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).