Curriculum of chemical engineeringAs chemical engineering knowledge developed, it was inserted into university courses and curricula. Before World WarⅠ, chemical engineering programs were distinguishable from chemistry programs in that they contained courses in engineering drawing, engineering thermodynamics, mechanics, and hydraulics taken from engineering departments. Shortly after World WarⅠthe first text in unit operations was published. Courses in this area became the core of chemical engineering teaching.By the mid-1930s, chemical engineering programs included courses in (1) stoichiometry (using material and energy conservation ideas to analyze chemical process steps), (2) chemical processes or “unit operations”, (3) chemical engineering laboratories “in which equipment was operated and tested”, and (4) chemical plant design (in which cost factors were combined with technical elements to arrive at preliminary plant designs). The student was still asked to take the core chemistry courses, including general, analytical, organic, and physical chemistry. However, in addition, he or she took courses in mechanical drawing, engineering mechanics, electric circuits, metallurgy, and thermo-dynamics with other engineers.Since World War Ⅱchemical engineering has develop rapidly.As new disciplines have proven useful, they have been added to the curriculum. Chemical engineering thermodynamics became generally formulated and taught by about 1945. By 1950, courses in applied chemical kinetics and chemical reactor design appeared. Process control appeared as an undergraduate course in about 1955, and digital computer use began to develop about 1960.The idea that the various unit operations depended on common mechanisms of heat, mass, and momentum transfer developed about 1960. Consequently, courses in transport phenomena assumed an important position as an underlying, unifying basis for chemical engineering education. New general disciplines that have emerged in the last two decades include environmental and safety engineering, biotechnology, and electronics manufacturing processing. There has been an enormous amount of development in all fields, much of it arising out of more powerful computing and applied mathematics capabilities.1.Science and Mathematics CoursesChemistryChemical engineers continue to need background in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, but also should introduced to the principles of instrumental analysis and biochemistry.· Valuable conceptual material should be strongly emphasized in organic chemistry including that associated with biochemical process.· Much of thermodynamic is more efficiently taught in chemical engineering, and physical chemistry should include the foundations of thermodynamic.Physics.Biology.· Biology has emerged from the classification stage, and modern molecular biology holds great promise for application. Future graduates will become involved with applying this knowledge at some time in their careers.· A special course is required on the functions and characteristics of living cells with some emphasis on genetic engineering as practiced with microorganisms.Materials Science.·Course work should include the effects of microstructure on physical, chemical, optical, magnetic and electronic properties of solids.·Fields of study should encompass ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, metals, and composites.Mathematics.Computer Instruction.·Although students should develop reasonable proficiency in programming, the main thrust should be that use of standard software including the merging of various programs to accomplish a given task. Major emphasis should be on how to analyze and solve problems with existing software including that for simulation to evaluate and check such software with thoroughness and precision.·Students should learn how to critically evaluate programs written by others.· All courses involving calculations should make extensive use of the computer and the latest software. Such activity should be more frequent as students progress in the curriculum. Adequate computer hardware and software must be freely available to the student through superior centralized facilities and/or individual PC’s. Development of professionally written software for chemical engineering should be encouraged.2.Chemical engineering coursesThermodynamics.· The important concepts of the courses should be emphasized; software should e developed to implement the concepts in treating a wide variety of complex, yet interesting, problems in a reasonable time. The value of analysis of units and dimensions in checkingproblems should continue to be emphasized.· Examples in thermodynamics should involve problems from a variety of industries so that the subject comes alive and its power in decision making is clearly emphasized.Kinetics, Catalysis, and Reactor Design and Analysis.·This course also needs a broad variety of real problems, not only design but also diagnostic and economic problems. Real problems involve real compounds and the chemistry related to them.·Existing software for algebraic and differential equation solving make simulation and design calculation on many reactor systems quite straightforward.· Shortcut estimating methods should be emphasized in addition to computer calculations.·The increased production of specialties make batch ad semibatch reactor more important, and scale-up of laboratory studies is an important technique in the fast-moving specialties business.3.Unit OperationsThe unit operations were conceived as an organized means for discussing the many kind of equipment-oriented physical processes required in the process industries. This approach continues to be valid. Over the years some portions have bee given separate statussuch as transport phenomena and separations while some equipment and related principles have not been included in the required courses, as is the case with polymer processing, an area in which all chemical engineers should have some knowledge.·Transport phenomena principles can be made more compelling by using problems form a wide range of industries that can be analyzed and solved using the principles taught.·Some efficiency may be gained by teaching several principles and procedures for developing specifications and selection the large number of equipment items normally purchased off-the-shelf or as standard design.·A great deal of time can be saved in addressing designed equipped such as fractionators and absorbers be emphasizing rigorous computer calculations and the simplest shortcut procedures. Most intermediate calculation procedures and graphical methods should be eliminated unless they have real conceptual value.Process Control.·This course should emphasize control strategy and precise measurement in addition to theory.·Some hands-on experience using current practices of computer control with industrial-type consoles should be encouraged.·Computer simulation of processes for demonstration of controlprinciples and techniques can be most valuable, but contact with actual control devices should not be ignored.Chemical engineering laboratories.·Creative problem solving should be emphasized.·Reports should be written as briefly as possible; they should contain an executive summary with clearly drawn conclusions and brief observations and explanations with graphical rather than tabular representation of data. A great deal of such graphing can be done in the laboratory on computers with modern graphics capabilities. Detailed calculations should be included in an appendix.·Some part of the laboratory should be structured to relate to product development,Design/Economics·In the design course in engineering, students learn the techniques of complex problem solving and decision making within a framework of economic analysis. The very nature of processes requires a system approach’ the ability to analyze a total system is one of the special attributes of chemical engineers that will continue to prove most sought after in a complex technological world.·Because of the greater diversity of interests and job opportunities, some consideration should be given to providing a variety of short design problem of greatest personal interest.·The design approach can be most valuable in diagnosing plant problems, and some practice in this interesting area should be provided.·Rigorous economic analysis and predictive efforts should be required in all decision processes.·Safety and environmental considerations should also be emphasized.·Modern simulation tools should be made available to the students.Other Engineering Courses.The electrical engineering courses should emphasize application of microprocessors, lasers, sensing devices, and control systems as well as the traditional areas of circuits and motors. The course should provide insight into the principles on which each subject is based.Remaining courses in engineering mechanics and engineering drawing should be considered for their relevance to current and future chemical engineering practice.4.Other coursesEconomics and Business courses.It is difficult to find a single course in economics or business departments that covers the various needs of engineers. Thequalitative ability of engineers makes it possible to teach following topics in a single-semester course—in many cases in the Chemical Engineering Department: business economics, project economic analysis, economic theory, marketing and market studies, and national and global economics.Humanities and Social Science Courses.It is important to understand the origins of one’s own culture as well as that of others.Communication Course.Since improved communication skills require continuous attention, the following requirements may be useful:·Oral presentations in at least one course each year.·Several literature surveys in the junior and senior years.·Introduce computer-based communication systems.Area of Specialization.The elective areas should be generous in hours to maximize freedom of choice. Each department will have to consider its own and its total university resources and strenghs as well as the quality and preparation of its students. The suggested areas are: ·Life sciences and applications·Materials sciences and applications·Catalysis and electrochemical science and applications·Separations technology·Computer applications technology·Techniques of product development and marketing·Polymer technologyEach of these areas should be strongly career-oriented. The interest in a given area will depend on opportunities perceived by the students.。