Chemical Engineering, B.S.E.

Admissions

Entrance Requirements

Admission requirements and processes for freshman, transfer students, and former students seeking readmission are managed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Transfer applicants from regionally accredited colleges and universities must have a cumulative 2.75 GPA on a 4.00 scale to enter the College of Engineering and Computing.  In addition, transfer applicants for the Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering majors must also have completed a four semester-hour calculus course equivalent to MATH 141 with a grade of “C” or better.  

Current University of South Carolina students who wish to enter the College of Engineering and Computing, and former students seeking readmission, must have an institutional GPA of 2.50 or better on at least 15 hours earned at USC.   In addition, such applicants for the Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering majors must also have completed a four semester-hour calculus course equivalent to MATH 141 with a grade of “C” or better.  

Degree Requirements (131-142 hours)

See College of Engineering and Computing for progression requirements and special academic opportunities.

Program of Study

Requirements Credit Hours
1. Carolina Core 34-43
2. College Requirements 0
3. Program Requirements 64-66
4. Major Requirements 33

Founding Documents Requirement

All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers.  This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective.  Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.

1. Carolina Core Requirements (34-43 hours)

CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)

ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (8 hours) 

must be passed with a grade of C or higher

SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)

must be passed with a grade of C or higher

GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language  (0-6 hours)

Score two or better on foreign language placement test; or complete the 109 and 110 courses in FREN, GERM, LATN or SPAN; or complete the 121 course in another foreign language.

GHS – ​Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours) 

GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours) 

AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)

CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)

INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)

VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)

1

Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours for this program must add up to a minimum of 34 hours.

2. College Requirements (0 hours)

No college-required courses for this program.

3. Program Requirements (64-66 hours)

Supporting Courses (64-66 hours)

Foundational Courses (20 hours) 

Complete all of the following:

Course Title Credits
CHEM 112General Chemistry II (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
CHEM 112LGeneral Chemistry II Lab (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)1
CHEM 333Organic Chemistry I (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
CHEM 334Organic Chemistry II3
MATH 241Vector Calculus3
MATH 242Elementary Differential Equations (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
PHYS 212Essentials of Physics II3
PHYS 212LEssentials of Physics II Lab1
Total Credit Hours20

Chemistry Electives (3 hours)

A list of acceptable Chemistry Elective courses is maintained in the department office and on its website. These include the following:

Course Title Credits
CHEM 321Quantitative Analysis3
or CHEM 322 Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 511Inorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 533Comprehensive Organic Chemistry III3
CHEM 541Physical Chemistry3
CHEM 542Physical Chemistry3
CHEM 545Physical Biochemistry3
CHEM 550Biochemistry3
CHEM 555Biochemistry/Molecular Biology I3
CHEM 556Biochemistry/Molecular Biology II3
CHEM 621Instrumental Analysis3
CHEM 622Forensic Analytical Chemistry4
CHEM 623Introductory Environmental Chemistry3
CHEM 624Aquatic Chemistry3
CHEM 633Introduction to Polymer Synthesis3
CHEM 643Computational Chemistry3
CHEM 644Materials Chemistry3
CHEM 655Metabolic Biochemistry of Human Disease3

Chemistry Laboratory Electives (2 hours)

A list of acceptable Chemical Laboratory Elective courses is maintained in the department office and on its website. These include the following:

Course Title Credits
CHEM 321LQuantitative Analysis Laboratory1
or CHEM 322L Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 331LEssentials of Organic Chemistry Laboratory I1-2
or CHEM 333L Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 332LEssentials of Organic Chemistry Laboratory II1-2
or CHEM 334L Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEM 541LPhysical Chemistry Laboratory2
CHEM 542LPhysical Chemistry Laboratory2
CHEM 550LBiochemistry Laboratory1
CHEM 621LInstrumental Analysis Lab1

Computer Programming Elective (3-4 hours)

Course Title Credits
Select one of the following:3-4
Scientific Applications Programming
Algorithmic Design I
Total Credit Hours3-4

Lower Division Engineering (14-15 hours)

Complete all of the following:

Course Title Credits
ECHE 101Introduction to Chemical Engineering2-3
or ENCP 101 Introduction to Engineering
ECHE 300Chemical Process Principles (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
ECHE 310Introductory Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
or ENCP 290 Thermodynamic Fundamentals
ECHE 311Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
ECHE 320Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics (must be passed with a grade of C or higher)3
or ENCP 360 Fluid Mechanics
Total Credit Hours14-15

Professional Development Elective (1 hour)

A list of acceptable Professional Development Elective courses is maintained in the department office and on its website. The list includes the following:

Course Title Credits
ECHE 202Exploring the Chemical Engineering Workplace1
ECHE 203Research in Chemical Engineering1

Engineering Electives (6 hours)

Students must take 6 credit hours of engineering electives. Undergraduate courses that may be used to satisfy this requirement are listed below.  In addition, ECHE courses numbered 700 and above may be used to satisfy this requirement, provided the student is admitted to an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Graduate Program.

Course Title Credits
ENCP 200Statics3
or ECIV 200 Statics
or EMCH 200 Statics
ENCP 201Introduction to Applied Numerical Methods3
or EMCH 201 Introduction to Applied Numerical Methods
ENCP 210Dynamics3
or ECIV 210 Dynamics
or EMCH 310 Dynamics
ENCP 260Introduction to the Mechanics of Solids3
or ECIV 220 Mechanics of Solids
or EMCH 260 Solid Mechanics
ENCP 330Introduction to Vibrations3
or EMCH 330 Mechanical Vibrations
ENCP 440Sustainable Development in Engineering3
ENCP 460Special Topics in Engineering and Computing1-6
ENCP 481Project Management1
ENCP 499Interdisciplinary Technical Elective1-3
ENCP 540Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing3
BMEN 212Fundamentals of Biomedical Systems3
BMEN 240Cellular and Molecular Biology with Engineering Applications4
BMEN 263Introduction to Biomechanics3
BMEN 271Introduction to Biomaterials3
BMEN 290Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems3
BMEN 300 and above, except BMEN 301 and BMEN 303
CSCE 211Digital Logic Design3
CSCE 212Introduction to Computer Architecture3
CSCE 240Advanced Programming Techniques3
CSCE 274Robotic Applications and Design3
CSCE 313Embedded Systems3
CSCE 317Computer Systems Engineering3
CSCE 520Database System Design3
CSCE 567Visualization Tools3
CSCE 582Bayesian Networks and Decision Graphs3
CSCE 587Big Data Analytics3
ECHE 202Exploring the Chemical Engineering Workplace1
or ECHE 203 Research in Chemical Engineering
ECHE 372Introduction to Materials3
ECHE 389Special Topics in Chemical Engineering3
ECHE 497Thesis Preparation1-3
ECHE 499Special Problems1-3
ECHE 520Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics3
ECHE 521Computational Fluid Dynamics for Engineering Applications3
ECHE 571Corrosion Engineering3
ECHE 572Polymer Processing3
ECHE 573Next Energy3
ECHE 574Combustion3
ECHE 575Engineering of Soft Materials3
ECHE 589Special Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering3
ELCT 220Electrical Engineering for Non-Majors3
ELCT 221Circuits3
ELCT 222Signals and Systems3
ELCT 300 and above
ECIV 300 and above, except ECIV 360 1
EMCH 300 and above, except EMCH 354 and EMCH 360 2
1

Except ECIV 360

2

Except EMCH 354 and EMCH 360

Technical Electives (12 hours)

A list of acceptable Technical Elective courses is maintained in the department office and on its website. The list includes the following:

Course Title Credits
All Engineering Electives
Chemistry Electives
Chemistry Lab Electives
ENCP 102Introduction to Computer-Aided Design3
or EMCH 111 Introduction to Computer-Aided Design
MATH 300Transition to Advanced Mathematics3
MATH 374Discrete Structures3
MATH 500 and above
STAT 500 and above, except STAT 541 and STAT 591
BIOL 101Biological Principles I3
BIOL 101LBiological Principles I Laboratory1
BIOL 102Biological Principles II3
BIOL 102LBiological Principles II Laboratory1
BIOL 120Human Biology3
BIOL 120LLaboratory in Human Biology1
BIOL 200 and above3
ENVR 231Introduction to Sustainability Management and Leadership3-4
ENVR 321Environmental Pollution and Health3
ENVR 331Integrating Sustainability3
GEOL 300 and above
MSCI 300 and above
PHYS 300 and above
CSCE 145Algorithmic Design I4
CSCE 146Algorithmic Design II4
CSCE 210Computer Hardware Foundations3
CSCE 215UNIX/Linux Fundamentals1
CSCE 350Data Structures and Algorithms3
ENCP 530Cases in Technology Feasibility Analysis3
ENCP 533Legal Aspects of Engineering & Innovation3
ENCP 535Developing and Launching New Ventures in Science and Technology3
ENCP 536Innovation and New Venture Analysis3
ACCT 222Survey of Accounting3
FINA 333Finance and Markets3
MGMT 371Principles of Management3
MGSC 290Computer Information Systems in Business3
MKTG 350Principles of Marketing3

Career Elective (3 hours)

Course Title Credits
All approved Carolina Core Courses for AIU, CMS, GFL, GHS, GSS, and VSR
All Engineering Electives
All Chemistry Electives
All Chemistry Lab Electives
All Technical Electives
AERO 401National Security/Leadership Responsibilities/Commissioning Preparation (POC cadets only)3
AERO 402National Security / Leadership Responsibilities / Commissioning Preparation II (POC cadets only)3
AFAM 201Introduction to African American Studies: Social and Historical Foundations3
AFAM 202Introduction to African-American Studies3
AFAM 335The American Civil Rights Movement3
ANTH 101Primates, People, and Prehistory3
ANTH 102Understanding Other Cultures3
ANTH 219Great Discoveries in Archaeology3
ANTH 300 and above except ANTH 399, ANTH 501
ARTE 101Introduction to Art3
ARTH 105History of Western Art I3
ARTH 106History of Western Art II3
ARTH 300 and above except ARTH 399, ARTH 498, ARTH 499, ARTH 599
ARMY 406American Military Experience (Army cadets only)3
CPLT any course; courses CPLT 270 and above count as 300-level
DANC 101Dance Appreciation3
ECON 221Principles of Microeconomics3
ECON 222Principles of Macroeconomics3
ECON 224Introduction to Economics3
ECON 300 and above except ECON 399, ECON 421, ECON 499, ECON 524, ECON 595
ENGL any course above 102, except 460 through 467
Foreign languages 121 Elementary
Foreign languages 300 and above except intensive reading courses or courses about teaching
GEOG 103Foundations of Geography3
GEOG 121Geographies of Global Change3
GEOG 300 and above except GEOG 399, GEOG 595
HIST any course
LASP 301Interdisciplinary Study of Latin America3
LASP 311Latin American Cultures3
LASP 315South American Indian Cultures3
LASP 322Mesoamerican Prehistory3
LASP 331Geography of Latin America3
LASP 351Politics and Governments of Latin America3
LASP 398Special Topics in Latin American Studies3
LASP 425Prehistoric Archaeology of South America3
LASP 451International Relations of Latin America3
LING 300Introduction to Language Sciences3
LING 340Language, Culture, and Society3
LING 405Topics in Linguistics3
LING 540Topics in Language and Culture3
LING 541Language and Gender3
LING 542Research in Language Conflict and Language Rights3
LING 543Discourse, Gender, and Politics of Emotion3
LING 545Anthropological Approaches to Narrative and Performance3
LING 567Psychology of Language3
LING 600Survey of Linguistics3
MUSC 110Introduction to Music3
MUSC 140Jazz and American Popular Music3
MUSC 145Introduction to Music Literature3
MUSC any music history course at or above 300-level
NAVY 303Evolution of the Art of War (Midshipmen only)3
PHIL 102Introduction to Philosophy3
PHIL 300 and above
PSYC 101Introduction to Psychology3
PSYC 103Psychology of Adjustment3
PSYC 300 and above except PSYC 570 to PSYC 599
POLI any course except POLI 379, POLI 399
RELG any course
SOCY 101Introductory Sociology3
SOCY 300 and above except 399
THEA 200Understanding and Appreciation of Theatre3
THEA 561History of the Theatre I3
THEA 562History of the Theatre II3
UNIV 101The Student in the University3
WGST 112Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies3
WGST 113Women's Health3
WGST 207Gender and Culture3
WGST 300Sex and Gender3
WGST 301Psychology of Marriage3
WGST 304Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality3
WGST 305Sociology of Families3
WGST 307Feminist Theory3
WGST 308African-American Feminist Theory3
WGST 310Psychology of Women3
WGST 351The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective3
WGST 352Gender and Politics3
WGST 430Topics in Women's Studies1-3
WGST 454Women and the Law3
WGST 554Women, Gender, and Crime3
WGST 555Language and Gender3

4. Major Requirements (33 hours)

Major Courses (33 hours)

Course Title Credits
ECHE 321Heat-Flow Analysis3
ECHE 322Mass Transfer3
ECHE 430Chemical Engineering Kinetics3
ECHE 440Separation Process Design3
ECHE 456Computational Methods for Engineering Applications3
ECHE 460Chemical Engineering Laboratory I3
ECHE 461Chemical Engineering Laboratory II3
ECHE 465Chemical-Process Analysis and Design I3
ECHE 466Chemical-Process Analysis and Design II3
ECHE 550Chemical-Process Dynamics and Control3
ECHE 567Process Safety, Health and Loss Prevention3
Total Credit Hours33

Concentrations (15 hours) optional

Students may pursue any of the following concentrations by choosing specified engineering, technical, and chemistry elective courses to fulfill degree requirements:

  • Concentration in Biomolecular Engineering
  • Concentration in Energy
  • Concentration in Interdisciplinary Engineering
  • Concentration in Materials
  • Concentration in Environmental Engineering
  • Concentration in Numerical Methods and Computing

To fulfill the requirements for any concentration, a student must complete five courses (15 credit hours) in one area. Consult the department website or advising handbook for the most up to date list of approved concentration courses. Although these courses are designated as electives in the B.S.E. curriculum in chemical engineering, certain courses in the lists are designated as “required” with respect to fulfilling concentration requirements. Also note that the lists may not include all of the prerequisites for some of the listed courses.

Concentration in Biomolecular Engineering (15 hours)

Course Title Credits
BIOL 302Cell and Molecular Biology 13
or BMEN 240 Cellular and Molecular Biology with Engineering Applications
CHEM 550Biochemistry3
Select one of the following:3
Introduction to Biomaterials
Kinetics in Biomolecular Systems
Select two of the following:6
Fundamental Genetics
Advanced Human Physiology
Developmental Biology
Histology
Human Molecular Genetics
Introduction to Biomaterials
Biomonitoring and Electrophysiology
Infectious Disease & Immunology for Biomedical Engineers
Human Anatomy and Physiology for Biomedical Engineers
Medical Microbiology for Biomedical Engineers
Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering for Undergraduates
Kinetics in Biomolecular Systems
Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering
Independent Research
Delivery of Bioactive Agents
Immunoengineering
Cardiovascular System: From Development to Disease
Advanced Biomechanics
Tissue Engineering
Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering 1
Engineering of Soft Materials
Total Credit Hours15
1

BIOL 101 and BIOL 102 are prerequisites for BIOL 302. Multiple distinct 389/589 courses may be counted.

Concentration in Energy (15 hours)

Course Title Credits
ECHE 573Next Energy3
Select four of the following:12
Introduction to Materials
Special Topics in Chemical Engineering (designated energy electives) 1
Special Problems (approved energy-related research project, up to 3 credit hours)
Corrosion Engineering
Combustion
Introduction to Microelectronics
Photovoltaic Materials and Devices
Semiconductor Devices for Power, Communications and Lighting
Introduction to Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear Fuel Cycles
Fundamentals and Applications of Fuel Cells
Special Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering (designated energy electives) 1
Introduction to Combustion
Solar Heating
Total Credit Hours15
1

Multiple distinct 389/589 courses may be counted.

Concentration in Interdisciplinary Engineering (15 hours)

Course Title Credits
Select five courses from the following:15
Statics
Statics
Statics
Solid Mechanics
Dynamics
Numerical Linear Algebra
Statistics for Engineers
Scientific Applications Programming
Computational Methods for Engineering Applications
Electrical Engineering for Non-Majors
Circuits
Introduction to Materials
Materials
Instrumental Analysis
Total Credit Hours15

Concentration in Materials (15 hours)

Course Title Credits
ECHE 372Introduction to Materials3
Select one of the following:3
Special Topics in Chemical Engineering (designated materials courses)
Corrosion Engineering
Polymer Processing
Special Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering (designated materials courses)
Select three of the following:9
Inorganic Chemistry
Introduction to Polymer Synthesis
Materials Chemistry
Introduction to Microelectronics
Semiconductor Devices for Power, Communications and Lighting
Introduction to Nuclear Materials
Special Topics in Chemical Engineering (designated materials electives) 1
Special Problems (Approved materials-related research project, up to 3 credit hours)
Corrosion Engineering
Polymer Processing
Special Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering (designated materials electives) 1
Total Credit Hours15
1

Multiple distinct 389/589 courses may be counted.

Concentration in Environmental Engineering (15 hours)

Course Title Credits
ECIV 350Introduction to Environmental Engineering3
ECIV 362Introduction to Water Resources Engineering3
ECIV 558Environmental Engineering Process Modeling3
CHEM 623Introductory Environmental Chemistry3
or CHEM 624 Aquatic Chemistry
Select one of the following:3
Introduction to Sustainability Management and Leadership
Environmental Pollution and Health
Environmental Ethics
Integrating Sustainability
Total Credit Hours15

Concentration in Numerical Methods and Computing (15 hours)

Course Title Credits
Select one of the following:3
Introduction to Applied Numerical Methods
Introduction to Applied Numerical Methods
Select four of the following:12
Algorithmic Design I
Algorithmic Design II
Discrete Structures
Discrete Mathematics I
MATH (500-level or higher)
Numerical Modeling for Earth Science Applications
Engineering Analysis I
Computational Fluid Dynamics for Engineering Applications
Special Advanced Topics in Chemical Engineering (depending on topic coverage, multiple versions possible)
Total Credit Hours15

B.S.E. with Distinction

The B.S.E. with Distinction is available to students majoring in chemical engineering who wish to participate in significant research and/or design activities in chemical engineering with a faculty mentor.

A minimum GPA of 3.50 in major courses, 3.50 in all engineering courses, and 3.50 overall is required at the time the student applies to enter the departmental undergraduate research track.

The student should apply to enter the departmental undergraduate research track and choose the members of the thesis committee as early as possible but in all cases at least one year before submitting and defending the thesis. The thesis committee will consist of a thesis advisor, who must be a tenure-track faculty member in chemical engineering, and two other tenure-track or research faculty members in chemical engineering or in any other department.

By the end of the semester in which the student is admitted into the research track, a short description of the research must be agreed upon by the thesis committee and the student, and filed in the college office. Projects involving research and/or design are acceptable. The design projects or research projects for ECHE 465, ECHE 466, ECHE 567, or other courses are not acceptable as the thesis. The student must also choose three credit hours of engineering or technical elective courses related to the thesis topic. The course(s) must be approved by the thesis committee and completed by the student at least one semester before the thesis is submitted and defended.

Before submitting and defending the thesis, the student must have completed three credit hours of ECHE 499 under the thesis advisor, preferably one credit hour per semester. During the semester in which the thesis is submitted and defended the student must also complete three credit hours of ECHE 497, one credit hour under each of the three members of the thesis committee. At least two months before submitting and defending the thesis, the student must present a progress report to the thesis committee orally and in writing.

By the end of his/her last semester, the student must have presented the research at a national meeting of a professional society (such as AIChE, ACS, ECS, etc.), at Discovery Day at USC, or at a comparable venue. The student must also submit a written thesis describing the research and defend it orally before the thesis committee. The defense must be announced at least one week in advance and be open to the general public.

Students who successfully fulfill all of these requirements with a GPA of at least 3.50 in the three hours of ECHE 497, 3.50 in all major courses, 3.50 in all engineering courses, and 3.50 overall, will be awarded their degree with “Distinction in Chemical Engineering” upon graduation.

Major Map

A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.

Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.

Chemical Engineering, B.S.E.