Undergraduate Degree Concentrations
Students majoring in Chemical Engineering may elect to follow a concentration within the field, choosing from any of the areas listed below. A selection of four to five courses in a given area is required to receive a concentration. Note that some concentrations call for 500-level courses and that an undergraduate who wishes to take any 500-level course must get permission to register from the instructor. These courses may be counted in the “Technical Electives” and “Engineering” categories of the Course Planning Guide, unless noted otherwise.
To declare your concentration, complete the CBE Concentration Declaration Form after all requirements are met. Courses for which the student has registered but not yet completed are acceptable.
Concentration in Pharmaceutics and Biotechnology
Students majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering may elect to follow a concentration in Pharmaceutics and Biotechnology. The student must include at least four courses in the concentration, choosing from among any of the courses listed below. The field of study will appear on the transcript at graduation, provided that upon successful completion of four acceptable courses, the student submits the concentration declaration form.
| BE 305 | Cellular Engineering |
| BE 553 | Tissue Engineering |
| BIOL 202 | Cell Biology and Biochemistry |
| BIOL 221 | Molecular Biology and Genetics |
| BIOL 402 | Biochemistry |
| BIOL 421 | Molecular Genetics |
| BIOL 446 | Statistics for Biologists |
| BIOL 475 | Microbiology and Biotechnology |
| BIOL 476 | Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab (0.5 c.u.) |
| CBE 150 | Introduction to Biotechnology |
| CBE 479 | Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering |
| CBE 480 | Laboratory in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering |
| CBE 517 | Principles of Genome Engineering |
| CBE 552 | Cellular Engineering |
| CBE 554 | Engineering Biotechnology |
| CBE 555 | Nanoscale Systems Biology |
| CBE 557 | Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery- Soft Matter Fundamentals |
| CBE 559 | Multiscale Modeling of Biological Systems |
| CBE 562 | Drug Discovery and Development |
| CBE 564 | Drug Delivery |
| CHEM 451 | Biological Chemistry |
| ENGR 450/550 | Biotechnology, Immunology, Vaccines and COVID-19 |
Note: To take a 500-level or higher numbered course, an undergraduate student must obtain permission from the instructor.
Concentration in Polymers and Soft Matter Science and Engineering
Students majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering may elect to follow a concentration in Polymers and Soft Matter Science and Engineering. The student must include at least four courses in the concentration, choosing from among any of the courses listed below. The field of study will appear on the transcript at graduation, provided that upon successful completion of four acceptable courses, the student submits the concentration declaration form.
| CBE 511 | Physical Chemistry of Polymers and Amphiphiles |
| CBE 522 | Polymer Rheology and Processing |
| CBE 525 | Molecular Modeling and Simulations |
| CBE 535 | Interfacial Phenomena |
| CBE 570 | Experimental Methods for Polymer Science and Soft Matter |
| MSE 330 | Soft Materials: Colloids, Polymers, Gels and Crystals |
| MSE 360 | Structure of Materials |
| MSE 393 | Materials Selection |
| MSE/CBE 430 | Polymers and Biomaterials |
| MEAM 536 | Viscous Flows: Theory & Modern Applications |
Note: To take a 500-level or higher numbered course, an undergraduate student must obtain permission from the instructor.
Concentration in Energy and the Environment
Students majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering may elect to follow a concentration in Energy and the Environment. The student must include at least four courses in the concentration, choosing from any of the courses listed below. The field of study will appear on the student’s transcript at graduation provided that, upon successful completion of four acceptable courses, the student submits the concentration declaration form.
| CBE 325 | Renewable Energy |
| CBE 375 | Engineering and the Environment |
| CBE 505 | Carbon Capture |
| CBE 543 | Sustainable Development of Water Resource Systems |
| CBE 544 | Computational Science of Energy and Chemical Transformations |
| CBE 545 | Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage |
| CBE 546 | Industrial Catalysis |
| EAS 401* | Energy and Its Inputs |
| EAS 402* | Renewable Energy and Its Impacts |
| ENGR 250 | Energy Systems, Resources and Technology |
| ENGR 503 | Engineering in Oil, Gas & Coal |
| ESE 521 | The Physics of Solid State Energy Devices |
| ESE 567/OIDD 261 | Risk Analysis and Environmental Management |
| MEAM 402 | Energy Engineering |
| MEAM 503 | Direct Energy Conversion: From Macro to Nano |
| MSE 455/555 | Electrochemical Engineering of Materials |
| MSE 545 | Energy Storage and Technology |
* Course can be used as a TBS (Technology, Business and Society) Elective
Note: To take a 500-level or higher-numbered course, an undergraduate student must obtain permission from the instructor.
Concentration in Nanotechnology (Only for students who entered Fall 2019 and earlier)
Students majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering may elect to follow a concentration in Nanotechnology. The student must include at least five courses in the concentration, choosing from among any of the courses listed below. The field of study will appear on the transcript at graduation, provided that upon successful completion of five acceptable courses, the student petitions to have the concentration added to her/his transcript. Students are also encouraged to consider the Minor in Nanotechnology offered by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). A student considering this minor, should consult the MSE department before taking courses.
NOTE: Students entering in Fall 2020 or later will not have the option to declare this concentration.
| BIOL 402 | Biochemistry |
| BIOL 421 | Molecular Genetics |
| CBE 150 | Introduction to Biotechnology |
| CBE 444 | Nanoscale Systems Biology |
| CBE 479 | Intro to Biochemical Engineering |
| CBE 480 | Biochemical Engineering Lab |
| CBE 535 | Interfacial Phenomena |
| CBE 552 | Cellular Engineering |
| CBE 554 | Engineering Biotechnology |
| CBE/ BE 560 | Biomolecular Engineering |
| CHEM 451 | Biological Chemistry |
| EAS 210 | Introduction to Nanotechnology |
| ESE/MSE 525 | Nanometer Scale Science and Engineering |
| MSE 260 | Macro and Nanoscale Materials |
| MSE 465/565 | Fabrication and Characterization of Nanostructured Devices |
| PHYS 280 | Biological Physics |
Note: To take a 500-level or higher numbered course, an undergraduate student must obtain permission from the instructor.
In This Section:
Your CBE Contact:
Julia Falcon
Undergraduate Coordinator
Office: 311A Towne Building
Phone: 215-898-8352
Email: jfalcon@seas.upenn.edu