UB - University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Chemical and Biological Engineering

BS in Chemical Engineering Technical Electives

A new curriculum involving substantial changes to the degree program was introduced in Fall 2006, and these changes are being phased in as the freshman class entering in 2006 proceeds toward graduation in 2010. Students entering in 2006 and thereafter should follow the new curriculum requirements (denoted "2006 curriculum" below), while those students planning to complete the degree before 2010 (in particular, transfer students) must follow the former degree requirements (denoted "Pre-2006 curriculum" below).

To qualify as a technical elective a course must be a minimum of three credit hours.

General Technical Electives

A technical elective (TE) is any course offered by the following UB schools that is not explicitly required for the CE degree:

  • School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) - any course with one of the following prefixes:
    • EAS  (Engineering and Applied Sciences)
    • CE  (Chemical and Biological Engineering)
    • CIE  (Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering)
    • CSE  (Computer Science and Engineering)
    • EE  (Electrical Engineering)
    • IE  (Industrial and Systems Engineering)
    • MAE  (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
  • College of Arts and Science (CAS) - any course with one of the following prefixes:
    • BIO   (Biological Sciences)
    • CHE  (Chemistry)
    • GLY  (Geology)
    • MTH  (Mathematics)
    • PHY  (Physics)
  • School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (SMBS) - any course with one of the following prefixes:
    • BCH   (Biochemistry)
    • BPH  (Physiology and Biophysics)
    • MIC  (Microbiology and Immunology)
    • PGY  (Physiology and Biophysics)
    • STA  (Biostatistics)

In some instances, graduate courses may be used as TE's.

2006 curriculum requirements: Two TE's are required to complete the CE degree; one of these courses must be at the 200-level or above and the other must be at the 300-level or above.
Pre-2006 curriculum requirements: Three TE's are required to complete the CE degree; one of these courses must be at the 100-level or above, another at the 200-level or above, and the third must be at the 300-level or above.

Note well: any course that substantially duplicates the material presented in another course that is being counted toward the degree cannot be used to satisfy the TE requirement. Thus (for example) CHE 319, which duplicates much of the material in MAE 204 and CE 304, is not a valid TE. If you have any doubt that a particular course may be invalid as a TE for this reason, check with your academic advisor before registering for the course. It is your responsibility to ensure that the courses you take to satisfy the TE requirements are acceptable.

If you don't know what you want to take, look at this list of suggested TEs.

Engineering Technical Electives

An engineering (SEAS) elective is any course offered by the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. These are any courses with the prefix: EAS, CE, CIE, CSE, EE, IE, or MAE. The course must be at the 200-level or above, and must not be otherwise required to complete the degree. 

2006 curriculum requirements: No engineering technical electives are needed.
Pre-2006 curriculum requirements: One engineering technical elective is needed toward the degree.

Chemical Engineering Technical Electives

A chemical engineering technical elective is any course offered by the department (and thus having the prefix CE). The courses offered as chemical engineering TE's vary from one semester to the next, and from one year to another.

2006 curriculum requirements: Two chemical engineering TE's.
Pre-2006 curriculum requirements: Two chemical engineering TE's.

We are accepting certain courses from Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering (viz., CIE 334, 340, 343, 441, 442, 444) to fulfill this requirement. These courses relate to environmental engineering, which is a field of interest in chemical engineering. You must obtain permission from the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering to enroll in any of these courses.

Note that various tutorial courses (TUT) can be used to satisfy technical elective requirements.  For example, the following courses can be used to satisfy general TE, engineering TE, and/or chemical engineering TE requirements: Chemical Engineering Projects (CE 406), Internship/Practicum (CE 496), Undergaduate Research and Creative Activity (CE 498), and Independent Study (CE 499).

Note well: students are allowed to use at most two tutorial courses (or other combinations not exceeding six credits) toward their overall technical elective requirements.  For example, if a student completes three semesters of undergraduate research (CE 498), only two of these tutorial experiences can be used to satisfy TE requirements.  The third experience would be considered "extra".  Students are permitted to complete as many "extra" (non-degree contributing) tutorial courses as they wish.