Chemical and Biochemical ENGINEERING ABET Goals
The educational objectives of the undergraduate Chemical Engineering Program focus on both the general knowledge and the specific skills and attitudes that graduates should possess upon completion of the program. These are specified in terms of the educational objectives of the general engineering core and additional objectives specific to the Chemical Engineering Program.
These objectives are consistent and with the mission statement of Brown University, as published on the University web site:
The mission of Brown University is to serve the community, the nation, and the world by discovering, communicating, and preserving knowledge and understanding in a spirit of free inquiry, and by educating and preparing students to discharge the offices of life with usefulness and reputation. We do this through a partnership of students and teachers in a unified community known as a university-college.
The Division of Engineering pursues a three-fold purpose: to equip students with a solid foundation for productive careers; to advance the knowledge base for future technologies; and to merge teaching, scholarship, and practice in the pursuit of solutions to human needs. These purposes clearly continue the Brown tradition of usefulness and service. They also focus especially on creating knowledge of a particular type ?the technological advances (and their scientific foundations) that play such a prominent role in furthering the quality of life in an age of information and global competition. The Brown curriculum in general makes students accountable for their academic choices, granting both the freedom to determine a uniquely suited educational path and the responsibility to become broadly educated. Translating those values into a technical degree program offers a challenge, in that many technical and scientific knowledge components have a consecutive and progressive character. The Division of Engineering establishes a number of requirements, yet, wherever possible, offers students options and "sub-options" through which they tailor their programs to meet individual needs and interests. The Engineering core constitutes a mostly fixed set of requirements for all engineers. Through the core curriculum, we prepare students from a wide range of backgrounds for successful completion of an undergraduate degree in an engineering or science field, especially an ABET-accredited degree in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Materials, or Mechanical Engineering. By basing all of these engineering disciplines in a common core of science and engineering topics, we foster both an interdisciplinary approach to understanding problems and a multidisciplinary environment for learning and team-building.
At the same time, a fundamental principle of a liberal education is that students should understand how knowledge is obtained and organized in the broad areas encompassing the humanities, social sciences, and physical and life sciences. It is important to understand how these fields of knowledge define their objects of study and how they employ different methods of investigation. Within these areas, effort should be made to integrate the course choices in a coherent way. For example, one possibility is to take a sequence of courses that provide both continuity and depth in a subject matter; another is to take several courses that deal with the same subject matter but from different perspectives. In this way, students may begin to build upon what they have learned in one course, coming ultimately to a deeper understanding of an area of study.
In addition to the preceding general goals, the specific chemical engineering component of the program has the following three major objectives:
- To provide students with a broad knowledge of the principles and fundamentals of chemical engineering and their application, including societal impacts, such as safety and environmental aspects, to: prepare them to practice as professional chemical engineers; enroll in graduate programs of study or professional schools; or pursue other professional careers that involve the application of the engineering method;
- To provide students with the skills necessary to successfully perform in the multidisciplinary environment of the 21st century, such that they will readily be able to readily adapt to emerging and evolving technologies and career opportunities; and
- To provide students with the foundation required, and an appreciation for the value of continuing professional development in maintaining their professional competence.
With respect to specific skills, graduates should be proficient in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and computer usage, including the ability to use chemical engineering process design software. Students also must possess effective oral and written communication skills and have the ability to work well in teams. Students also should be skilled at applying health/safety and ethical principles to open-ended problems, and should appreciate the value of continuing professional development in maintaining their professional competence.
