Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Chemical Engineering, students will be able to demonstrate:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  3. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  4. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  5. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. 

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Chemical Engineering must complete:

  • A minimum of 72 credit hours to satisfy major requirements. 
  • A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
  • A minimum of 13 courses (39 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.

The BA with a Major in Chemical Engineering is a flexible program and allows a student to pursue other areas of interest with or without a second major (or an academic minor).  

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Chemical Engineering72
Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering120

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements
Chemistry
CHEM 121GENERAL CHEMISTRY I3
or CHEM 111 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
CHEM 123GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I1
or CHEM 113 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I
CHEM 122GENERAL CHEMISTRY II3
or CHEM 112 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
CHEM 124GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II1
or CHEM 114 AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB II
CHEM 211
CHEM 213
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I
and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I
3
CHEM 301PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I3
Mathematics
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
or MATH 105 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II3
or MATH 106 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II
MATH 211ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA3
MATH 212MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS 13
Physics
Select 1 from the following: 24
MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
and MECHANICS DISCUSSION
HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
Select 1 from the following: 34
ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION
HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Core Courses
CHBE 243CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LAB I2
CHBE 301CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS3
CHBE 302APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND NUMERICAL METHODS FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS I3
CHBE 305APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND NUMERICAL METHODS FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS II3
CHBE 310FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING3
CHBE 344CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LAB II2
CHBE 390CHEMICAL KINETICS AND REACTOR DESIGN3
CHBE 401TRANSPORT PHENOMENA I3
CHBE 402TRANSPORT PHENOMENA II3
CHBE 403DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS4
CHBE 411THERMODYNAMICS I3
CHBE 412THERMODYNAMICS II3
Select 1 course from the following:3
APPLIED BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING
SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR PROCESSES
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Chemical Engineering72
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *17
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information

Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering should be aware of the following program restriction: 

  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering may not additionally pursue the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (BSChE) Degree.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Chemical Engineering should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis. 

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering website: https://chbe.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Chemical Engineering 

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students 

In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.

Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.

As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:

  • must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
  • should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
  • more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.

Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MChE chair of the department graduate studies committee. 

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering website: https://chbe.rice.edu/.