University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Calendar 2000 - 2001 Chemical Engineering
(Offered by the Department of Chemical Engineering and
Applied Chemistry.
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Undergraduate Program in Chemical Engineering (AECHEBASC) UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT COUNSELLOR
Chemical Engineering is that primary engineering discipline based on the fundamental sciences of chemistry, physics, biochemistry and mathematics, in which processes are conceived, designed and operated to affect compositional changes in materials of all kinds. The skills of the chemical engineer are necessary to the development of advanced materials, such as high strength and reinforced plastics, the application of modern theories of surfaces and interfaces to development of biomaterials, membrane separations, and food products, and the application of high energy sources, such as lasers and microwave plasmas in the production of semiconductors and modern electronic circuitry. These applications of modern technology to the solution of problems in the evolution of high technology complement the more traditional role of the chemical engineer in the use of and conservation of natural resources, energy conversion, and environmental control. Chemical engineers also play an important role in the development of a healthier environment and safer and healthier industrial workplaces. They are primarily responsible for improvements in the technology of evaluating and controlling hazards. In addition to the basic sciences, chemical engineers use a well-defined body of knowledge in the application of the conservation laws, which determine mass flow and energy relations; thermodynamics and kinetics, which determine what reactions are feasible and the rate at which they occur; and the chemical engineering rate laws, which determine limits to the transfer of heat, mass and momentum. A strong background in applied chemistry furnishes the chemical engineer with the knowledge to participate in the broadest range of engineering activities, and indeed to pursue other professional careers in management, medicine, law, teaching and government. Students in First Year are taught in common with students in other branches of engineering, although they take one subject in the Winter Session related to chemical engineering. They may also select a Humanities/Social Science Elective in one of the terms. After completing their first year, students have the option of either staying in the general Chemical Engineering Program or taking the Collaborative Environmental Option. Both of these programs, described below, involve the same fundamental chemical engineering courses and will graduate well qualified chemical engineers. Second and Third Year material in the general program is unique to chemical engineering and applied chemistry. There is a strong emphasis on physical and organic chemistry, application of mathematics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, process control and the major separation processes. Instruction in important aspects of economic analysis is also included. In Second Year, the inclusion of Humanities/Social Science electives in the general program provides some flexibility in the selection of courses. In Fourth Year, students in the general program select several elective courses that suit their individual interests. In the fall session every student participates in the design of a chemical plant, and every student is required to undertake an individual full year research project. This project, the culmination of which is a thesis, serves in many cases as an introduction to research, and while its nature may vary widely, it provides an opportunity to apply the principles developed during the first three years of the program to problems of engineering interest. Those students who intend to pursue postgraduate studies may, with Departmental approval, enter the Coordinated Bachelor/Master?s Program by enrolment in the appropriate thesis course. A thesis project may, for example, concern an experimental laboratory investigation, the design of a process, or a computer study of a complex chemical system. The Technical Elective subjects available in the Fourth Year cover a wide range of fundamental and application areas of chemical engineering and applied chemistry. The Collaborative Environmental Option in Chemical Engineering is designed for those students who wish to have an enhanced study in the environmental area. Students selecting this option will take the same fundamental courses as the students in the general program and the same number of courses in total. In years 2 and 3 they will take several environmental courses (about one per term) together with students enrolled in the Collaborative Environmental Options in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. In fourth year, students in the option will participate in an environmental engineering project with a team of students, undertake a full year research thesis and can select technical electives in the environmental area. For more information, please see the section of the calendar on the Environmental Engineering Collaborative Program. Second Year Chemical Engineering
(General Program)
* As described in the description of the practical experience requirements, students are required to have completed a total of 600 hours of acceptable practical experience before graduation (normally during their summer vacation periods). Third Year Chemical Engineering
(General Program)
All students enrolled within this Program are eligible to apply for admission into the Skoll Program. Details are provided on page 24. Students accepted into the Skoll Program are required to consult with their Undergraduate Student Counsellor on the composition of the 4F courses that will be required. Fourth Year Chemical Engineering
(General Program)
Technical Electives Students are required to select their three technical electives out of the Fundamentals group and the Applications group. At least one of the technical electives must be chosen from the Fundamentals group. Students may take their free and technical electives in any order between the two terms. Fundamentals
Applications
General
Students wishing to develop an understanding of technologies of importance in a particular industrial sector, such as chemical process metallurgy, may do so by choosing appropriate courses from a selection of technical and free electives and carrying out a suitable thesis project. The thesis project may be supervised by a member of another Department and the electives may also be among those listed by other programs. AECHEBASCE - COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL OPTION IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Second Year Collaborative Environmental Option
* As described in the description of the practical experience requirements, students are required to have completed a total of 600 hours of acceptable practical experience before graduation (normally during their summer vacation periods). Third Year Collaborative Environmental
Option
Fourth Year Collaborative Environmental
Option
* Students are required to select their Environmental Technical Electives from a list of courses approved by the Division of Environmental Engineering (see section on the Environmental Engineering Collaborative Program). Students may take their technical and environmental technical electives in any order between terms. Graduate Programs in Chemical Engineering The Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, which also houses studies in nuclear engineering, provides exciting opportunities for students who would like to pursue advanced studies beyond the undergraduate level toward the M.Eng., M.A.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees. More than 50 graduate level courses toward the study requirement of the degree programs are offered by the Department. Graduate student research is conducted mostly in the Wallberg Building, which also houses the undergraduate laboratories and lecture rooms. A broad range of modern facilities and equipment is available for experimental research. Financial support is provided to graduate students through research grants and/or fellowships, together with some undergraduate teaching in the laboratories. Undergraduate students interested in postgraduate programs are invited to discuss research activities and graduate studies in the Department with any member of staff at any stage of their undergraduate program. Further information may also be obtained from the Coordinator of Graduate Studies of the Department in Room 240, Wallberg Building and from the Calendar of the School of Graduate Studies.
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