Chemical and Biological Engineering Chair: Christopher Kitchens, Ph.D
Office: 236B Drosdick Hall
Telephone: 610-519-5498
Email: chris.kitchens@villanova.edu
About
- Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
- Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Honors.
The chemical engineer typically uses the principles of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics and engineering sciences to creatively solve technical and commercial problems arising in the design and operation of industrial scale processes. These solutions must respond to economic constraints and address social, ethical, environmental and safety implications. Industrial scale processes can include fuels, bulk chemicals, polymers, foods and pharmaceuticals (including protein, gene and cell-based therapies). Graduates are prepared to think critically and apply their skills in chemical and biological engineering to fields such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, research and development, finance, management and patent law.
Mission Statement
The Chemical & Biological Engineering Department is committed to providing undergraduate and graduate students with effective and innovative educational experiences that prepare them to address the technological, professional, and societal opportunities in their careers. Rooted in Augustinian Catholic values, the Department cultivates leaders who integrate ethical responsibility, a collaborative spirit, and the pursuit of knowledge to design solutions that serve the common good. The Department brings value to the Villanova community and the broader world through research that advances engineering and scientific knowledge.
Program Educational Objectives
Consistent with the University’s Augustinian Catholic mission that values broadly educated, well-rounded individuals, recent graduates of the Chemical Engineering program are prepared to:
• Conduct themselves in a manner that recognizes their professional and ethical responsibilities to society.
• Apply their technical capabilities and interpersonal skills to collaborate and succeed in their chosen career.
• Leverage professional opportunities that facilitate their continued learning and career growth.
Curricular Philosophy
The early years of the chemical engineering curriculum includes a strong humanities component while emphasizing the basic principles of natural and engineering sciences. Later courses relate these skills to chemical engineering applications including the solution of open-ended problems constrained by requirements such as economics, safety, and sustainability. Courses develop students’ abilities with the complexity of design experiences systematically increasing throughout the courses in chemical and biological engineering; culminating in the senior process design and process controls courses.
The curriculum includes several engineering, science, and humanities/social science electives, providing flexibility for a student to pursue individual educational and career goals. Chemical and biological engineering electives include opportunities for specialization in traditional and emerging fields of chemical engineering as well as biochemical and biological engineering. Seniors may conduct research for academic credit or complete a six-month co-op. Students develop their academic plan with guidance from a faculty member designated as the student’s academic advisor.
133 credits required to complete degree.
Freshman Year
First Semester
Second Semester
Sophomore Year
First Semester
Second Semester
Elective - Humanities/Social Sci
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
Select one humanities or social science elective from the list below:
Humanities
- Arab & Islamic Studies
- Art History
- Classical Studies
- Communications
- Ethics
- English (excluding internship courses)
- Global Interdisciplinary Studies
- History
- Honors Program (eligible students only)
- Humanities
- Modern Languages (except speaking courses in native language)
- Philosophy
- Theatre
- Theology (2000 and above or course section with core theology attribute)
Social Sciences
- Criminology
- Economics
- Geography and the Environment (courses with Core Social Science or Sustainability-Humanities STEM attribute)
- Humanities: HUM designated PSC
- Peace and Justice
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gender and Women's Studies
Junior Year
First Semester
Elective - Chemical Engineering
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- AP credit cannot satisfy a Chemical Engineering Elective.
- Chemical Engineering Electives are typically only available to Juniors and Seniors.
- Students must take both Senior Project Studio courses if selected.
- Seniors must have special permission to take Chemical Engineering Graduate Courses (CHE > 7000).
- Students requesting permission to take a graduate level course should complete the appropriate form which can be found in the Current Engineering Undergraduate Students Intranet site.
- Any graduate level course counted towards a B.S. degree cannot also be counted towards an M.S. degree.
- For Chemical Engineering Electives or courses offered by other departments, a minimum passing grade of D- is sufficient for the course to satisfy a degree requirement.
- Electives are available based upon instructor availability and student demand.
- A maximum of one "Other Approved Technical Courses" outside of Chemical Engineering may be used to satisfy the Chemical Engineering Elective course requirement.
Advanced Chemical Engineering
Biological Engineering
Advanced Materials Engineering
Industry Sponsored Research/Design
Sustainable Engineering
Other Approved Technical Courses
Maximum one course from the list below.
Elective - Science
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- Science elective options should be discussed with a student’s academic advisor.
- A student may request that a science course not on the approved list be reviewed and considered as a special exception for a science elective.
- Pre-requisites for science courses must be met, and the CBE Department cannot guarantee admission to a course offered by another department.
Elective - Humanities/Social Sci
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
Select one humanities or social science elective from the list below:
Humanities
- Arab & Islamic Studies
- Art History
- Classical Studies
- Communications
- Ethics
- English (excluding internship courses)
- Global Interdisciplinary Studies
- History
- Honors Program (eligible students only)
- Humanities
- Modern Languages (except speaking courses in native language)
- Philosophy
- Theatre
- Theology (2000 and above or course section with core theology attribute)
Social Sciences
- Criminology
- Economics
- Geography and the Environment (courses with Core Social Science or Sustainability-Humanities STEM attribute)
- Humanities: HUM designated PSC
- Peace and Justice
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gender and Women's Studies
Second Semester
Elective - Ethics (for Chemical Engineering)
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
Elective - Chemical Engineering
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- AP credit cannot satisfy a Chemical Engineering Elective.
- Chemical Engineering Electives are typically only available to Juniors and Seniors.
- Students must take both Senior Project Studio courses if selected.
- Seniors must have special permission to take Chemical Engineering Graduate Courses (CHE > 7000).
- Students requesting permission to take a graduate level course should complete the appropriate form which can be found in the Current Engineering Undergraduate Students Intranet site.
- Any graduate level course counted towards a B.S. degree cannot also be counted towards an M.S. degree.
- For Chemical Engineering Electives or courses offered by other departments, a minimum passing grade of D- is sufficient for the course to satisfy a degree requirement.
- Electives are available based upon instructor availability and student demand.
- A maximum of one "Other Approved Technical Courses" outside of Chemical Engineering may be used to satisfy the Chemical Engineering Elective course requirement.
Advanced Chemical Engineering
Biological Engineering
Advanced Materials Engineering
Industry Sponsored Research/Design
Sustainable Engineering
Other Approved Technical Courses
Maximum one course from the list below.
Senior Year
First Semester
Elective - Chemical Engineering
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- AP credit cannot satisfy a Chemical Engineering Elective.
- Chemical Engineering Electives are typically only available to Juniors and Seniors.
- Students must take both Senior Project Studio courses if selected.
- Seniors must have special permission to take Chemical Engineering Graduate Courses (CHE > 7000).
- Students requesting permission to take a graduate level course should complete the appropriate form which can be found in the Current Engineering Undergraduate Students Intranet site.
- Any graduate level course counted towards a B.S. degree cannot also be counted towards an M.S. degree.
- For Chemical Engineering Electives or courses offered by other departments, a minimum passing grade of D- is sufficient for the course to satisfy a degree requirement.
- Electives are available based upon instructor availability and student demand.
- A maximum of one "Other Approved Technical Courses" outside of Chemical Engineering may be used to satisfy the Chemical Engineering Elective course requirement.
Advanced Chemical Engineering
Biological Engineering
Advanced Materials Engineering
Industry Sponsored Research/Design
Sustainable Engineering
Other Approved Technical Courses
Maximum one course from the list below.
Elective - Chemical Engineering
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- AP credit cannot satisfy a Chemical Engineering Elective.
- Chemical Engineering Electives are typically only available to Juniors and Seniors.
- Students must take both Senior Project Studio courses if selected.
- Seniors must have special permission to take Chemical Engineering Graduate Courses (CHE > 7000).
- Students requesting permission to take a graduate level course should complete the appropriate form which can be found in the Current Engineering Undergraduate Students Intranet site.
- Any graduate level course counted towards a B.S. degree cannot also be counted towards an M.S. degree.
- For Chemical Engineering Electives or courses offered by other departments, a minimum passing grade of D- is sufficient for the course to satisfy a degree requirement.
- Electives are available based upon instructor availability and student demand.
- A maximum of one "Other Approved Technical Courses" outside of Chemical Engineering may be used to satisfy the Chemical Engineering Elective course requirement.
Advanced Chemical Engineering
Biological Engineering
Advanced Materials Engineering
Industry Sponsored Research/Design
Sustainable Engineering
Other Approved Technical Courses
Maximum one course from the list below.
Elective - Science
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- Science elective options should be discussed with a student’s academic advisor.
- A student may request that a science course not on the approved list be reviewed and considered as a special exception for a science elective.
- Pre-requisites for science courses must be met, and the CBE Department cannot guarantee admission to a course offered by another department.
Second Semester
Elective - THL (2000 or above)
Theology (THL) course or course with CTHL (Core Theology) attribute, at the 2000 level or above.
Elective - THL/PHI
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
One 3-credit course from:
- Theology (THL) course or course with CTHL (Core Theology) attribute, at the 2000 level or above
- Philosophy (PHI)
- Peace and Justice (PJ)
- ETH 2050 - The Good Life: Ethics & Cont Prob
- EGR 2930 - Catholic Social Teaching for EGRs
- Any Humanities or Social Science course with a PJ (Peace and Justice) attribute
Elective - Chemical Engineering
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
- AP credit cannot satisfy a Chemical Engineering Elective.
- Chemical Engineering Electives are typically only available to Juniors and Seniors.
- Students must take both Senior Project Studio courses if selected.
- Seniors must have special permission to take Chemical Engineering Graduate Courses (CHE > 7000).
- Students requesting permission to take a graduate level course should complete the appropriate form which can be found in the Current Engineering Undergraduate Students Intranet site.
- Any graduate level course counted towards a B.S. degree cannot also be counted towards an M.S. degree.
- For Chemical Engineering Electives or courses offered by other departments, a minimum passing grade of D- is sufficient for the course to satisfy a degree requirement.
- Electives are available based upon instructor availability and student demand.
- A maximum of one "Other Approved Technical Courses" outside of Chemical Engineering may be used to satisfy the Chemical Engineering Elective course requirement.
Advanced Chemical Engineering
Biological Engineering
Advanced Materials Engineering
Industry Sponsored Research/Design
Sustainable Engineering
Other Approved Technical Courses
Maximum one course from the list below.
Elective - Free
Any Villanova three credit course or Villanova courses that when combined add up to a minimum of three credits (for example, three 1-credit Honors courses)
Academic Requirements
Students must earn a minimum grade of C- in all required CHE (Chemical Engineering) courses to satisfy the degree requirements.
These courses include the following:
CHE 2301 ChE Computational Methods
CHE 2402 Technical Communications
CHE 3301 ChE Applied Mathematics
CHE 3401 Unit Operations Lab 1
CHE 3402 CHE Unit Operations Lab 2
A student earning a grade of D+, D, or D- in a required CHE course must retake that course and earn a minimum grade of C- to satisfy the degree requirement.
If an approved equivalent course is taken at another institution, a minimum grade of C is required to transfer the credits to Villanova. Students requesting to take a course elsewhere should complete the appropriate form which can be found on the Current Engineering Undergraduate Students Intranet site.
A student earning a grade of F in a required CHE course that is a prerequisite for a subsequent required CHE course may not enroll in the subsequent course until the prerequisite requirement is satisfied.
For Chemical Engineering Elective courses or courses offered by other departments, a minimum passing grade of D- is sufficient for the course to satisfy a degree requirement.