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Session 3513

Updating the Chemical Engineering Curriculum for the 21st Century

Dana E. Knox & Robert B. Barat

Otto H. York Department of Chemical Engineering New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ 07102

Abstract

The field of chemical engineering is evolving, and curricula must evolve to match the new world in which graduates of our programs will find themselves. There is a general consensus that there should be ever-greater emphasis on biological-based processes and on batch processes. But does this force a decreased emphasis on chemical processes and continuous processes? Feedback from alumni and from industry continues to indicate the need for an even greater emphasis on written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to function well in teams and in multidisciplinary environments. But does this require less emphasis on engineering fundamentals? Students often have difficulty synthesizing material from various courses. Can design content be introduced throughout the curriculum to help resolve this without adverse effects? These are the types of issues that must be addressed by all departments when they undergo their periodic program reviews.

The chemical engineering department at New Jersey Institute of Technology has just completed an extensive top-to-bottom review and revision of the curriculum for its Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree. This paper will review the input that was received from our various constituencies, and will discuss how the above (and other) issues were resolved in the re- development of our program.

Introduction

The need for periodic review of your core processes is needed in all fields of endeavor. Higher education is no different. Curricula must change and evolve as the world changes and evolves.

The field of chemical engineering has undergone substantial change in recent years and continues to do so in the present. Most departments of chemical engineering across the country are renaming themselves to include some aspect of biology in their names. These changes reflect a fundamental shift in where most chemical engineering graduates find jobs in the modern world.

“Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2004, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Knox, D., & Barat, R. (2004, June), Updating The Chemical Engineering Curriculum For The 21 St Century Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13200