Prospective Undergraduate Students
"Big-school opportunities, small, hometown feel."
With The Ohio State University being one of the largest universities in the United States, and its Chemical Engineering program being the second largest in the country after Georgia Tech, vast opportunities abound.
There is a dazzling range of opportunities for learning, research, and career and leadership development. Some students might anticipate that Ohio State's size sets the stage for an impersonal student experience, but many students find the opposite to be true. Once students get into their major and begin taking classes with their cohorts, many find that the program has a small, home-town or even family feel.
OPPORTUNITIES
The undergraduate program in the William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering offers students an exciting and rewarding experience while providing a solid foundation in both the theoretical and applied aspects of chemical engineering.
Read about a few of our successful alumni to see the broad range of career options our students have at their disposal, including industry work, consulting, entrepreneurial ventures, management, and even careers in medicine and law.
Students have the option of obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, or a Combined BS/MS degree in chemical engineering.
The program also offers a minor in Petroleum Engineering.
Diverse Curriculum and Areas of Focus
One of the trademarks of a chemical engineer is the ability to improve existing materials and processes to achieve safer and more cost-efficient outcomes. Chemical engineers today can work at the cellular and molecular level to perform such things as metabolic engineering, nanomanufacturing, research involving medical diagnostics and innovative materials used in medical devices, and much more. As such, there are a number of research areas that students might choose to focus on.
Scholastics
- Average freshman ACT composite score - 30.1. The national average is 20.8 and scores of 28-36 represent the top 10%.
- Overall percentage of students participating in the honors program - 42.2%.
- High student retention - 92.6% for students enrolled in the freshman engineering honors program in chemical engineering.
- Scholarships - On average, 120+ CBE students receive annual department scholarship assistance.
Demographics
Undergraduate student enrollment is 37.2% female and 7.3% underrepresented minority*. International students represent
7 countries.
• Graduate student enrollment is 31.4% female and 3.9% underrepresented minority*. International students represent
7 countries.
Along with their academic work, students are provided the opportunity to become involved in undergraduate research where they will work alongside graduate students and professors, and to gain work experience by completing a co-op and internship for companies such as Battelle Memorial Institute, Procter and Gamble, Exxon Mobil, General Mills, Scotts Co., DOW Chemical, Unilever, DuPont, Merck, Marathon Oil, Shell Oil Co., and many more.
Joining and actively participating in social and professional organizations brings students closer together and provides many career benefits, as well. Two of the most prominent organizationas are the student chapter of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) and Chem-E Car, a national competition involving the creation of a car that is powered through chemical reactions.
Located in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry (CBEC) building, students have state-of-the art facilities and hands-on collaborative learning experiences that prepare them to meet today's diverse, interdisciplinary demands.
Hands-On Learning
An integral part of chemical engineering education at Ohio State is the "Unit Operations" portion of the program. Students find Unit Ops to be invaluable in their preparation for careers in a variety of capacities and industries (Visit this website to see a virtual tour of "Unit Operations").
Another key learning experience is Capstone Design, otherwise known as Process Design and Development-CBE 4764, is the last required course in the chemical engineering undergraduate curriculum. The Capstone experience is taught primarily through project-based learning and strives to give students an opportunity to grapple with open-ended problems in which they don’t have enough information and often don’t even start with a well-defined question. Ohio State has partnered with companies, often through alumni, to offer students valuable experiences. Most companies are local, but some overseas companies have come to campus to participate in the class.
To commemorate the final Unit Ops held in Old Koffolt Labs prior to moving into the new Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry (CBEC) building in 2015, we made a short video providing a quick view into what Unit Ops has meant to students. We hope you enjoy it!