Undergraduate Program Information
Chemical and biomolecular engineering is a discipline whose study prepares students for an enormously varied set of career paths. Graduates have become corporate executives, plant engineers, professors, inventors, lawyers, researchers, bankers, money managers, physicians, consultants, financial officers, and sales engineers. They have found employment with oil, chemical, biomedical, pharmaceutical, microelectronics, environmental, pulp and paper, food, textile, fertilizer, fragrance, and automobile companies, and with academia, government, banks, and brokerages. Chemical engineers have led the development of biomedicine and biotechnology and they have been crucial to the materials revolution, especially in computer chip manufacture, nanotechnology, and plastics and fibers. Additionally, they are essential in providing the everyday energy needs of the nation. Chemical and biomolecular engineering emphasizes environmentally benign manufacturing and sustainable development.
The chemical and biomolecular engineering undergraduate curriculum leads to a Bachelor of Science in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Chemical and biomolecular engineering principles are taught as the foundation of that degree but students also are expected to develop an ability to solve all kinds of problems, to view systems in their entirety, and to formulate and test solutions irrespective of the framework of the problem. Completion of the B.S. degree prepares students for entry into the workforce, advanced study in chemical and biomolecular engineering, or countless other graduate programs.
The curriculum has two options. The Biotechnology Option is for students who wish to focus their education on the biomolecular aspects of chemical and biomolecular engineering. This option includes the core chemical engineering courses, specialized biomolecular engineering courses, biochemistry, and technical electives focused in the biotechnology area. The Standard Program provides the basics of biomolecular engineering but allows much more flexibility for the student to pursue other areas of chemical engineering such as microelectronics, materials, and the environment. Special opportunities exist for students wishing to pursue minors or certificates in fields of particular interest, and students are encouraged to explore the frontiers of knowledge through involvement in faculty-directed research.
In addition to the B.S., the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering offers programs leading to the master of science and the Ph.D.
Georgia Tech’s bachelor of science degree in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, Maryland 21202-4012. Telephone: (410) 347-7700.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Georgia Tech’s Cooperative Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education.