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A STREAM IN PROCESS SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (PSE) IN THE UNDERGRADUATE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM T. Marlin*, A. Hrymak, J. MacGregor, V. Mahalec, P. Mhaskar, and C. Swartz Department of Chemical Engineering McMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4L7 (marlint@mcmaster.ca)

1. Introduction

Process Systems Engineering (PSE) plays a central role in the chemical engineering education and practice. In this paper, we present our experiences with offering an undergraduate stream in Process Systems Engineering to enable students to build expertise in this field. (We will discuss the meaning of a stream later; for now, let’s consider it a “minor” within the chemical engineering four-year curriculum.) We believe that a stream offers tremendous advantages to students, namely (1) enabling students to follow their interests, (2) providing experiences in learning in depth, and (3) empowering students to focus their course options and electives. The stream has advantages for faculty as well; for example, faculty can make research strengths accessible to undergraduates and can convey to their students the excitement of studying and applying new technologies.

In this paper, we provide • An approach to provide focussed course options and electives in a stream, which could be modified for other stream topics • A recommendation for the division of PSE topics between required and elective courses • A description of advanced PSE topics and how they can be delivered within the chemical engineering curriculum

We begin by explaining our view of the topics included in PSE stream, with a brief comparison with a few prominent alternative definitions of PSE, and we address the need for a clearly defined stream, rather than a selection of courses. Then, we define PSE learning goals, and present the sequence of courses that address these goals. We demonstrate that the courses include considerable integration and numerous industrial experiences. We conclude by relating experiences from the stream and plans for future enhancements.

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Marlin, T., & Hrymak, A., & MacGregor, J., & Mahalec, V., & Mhaskar, P., & Swartz, C. (2007, June), A Stream In Process Systems Engineering (Pse) In The Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1501