Chemical and Biological Engineering

Undergraduate areas of concentration include bioengineering and biotechnology, materials and product engineering, energy and environmental engineering, optimization, dynamics, and information technology, entrepreneurship and management, and science and engineering for new technologies.

In order to qualify for the B.S.E. degree in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, a student must satisfy the requirements of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and must choose courses during the sophomore, junior, and senior years to provide a core knowledge of chemical engineering and advanced knowledge in an area of concentration. The advanced science and core chemical engineering courses in the sophomore and junior years provide the fundamental tools of thermodynamics, transport processes, and reactor analysis. In the spring semester of the junior year, students take a laboratory-based course that utilizes core chemical engineering knowledge. In the senior year, students undertake an in-depth design analysis with state-of-the-art design and optimization tools. Students can tailor their specific interests in chemical and biological engineering by pursuing an area of concentration that culminates with a senior thesis project. The areas of concentration, reflective of the practice of modern chemical engineering, include bioengineering and biotechnology; materials and product engineering; energy and environmental engineering; optimization, dynamics, and information technology; entrepreneurship and management; and science and engineering for new technologies. 

Chemical and Biological Engineering Core

The nine courses listed below are required of all chemical and biological engineering majors:

• 245 Introduction to Chemical Engineering Principles
• 246 Thermodynamics
• 250 Separations in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
• 341 Mass, Momentum, and Energy Transport
• 346 Chemical Engineering Laboratory
• 441 Chemical Reaction Engineering
• 442 Design, Synthesis, and Optimization of Chemical Processes
• 451, 452 Independent Work or 454 Senior Thesis

Most students carry out a two-term senior thesis. Students must complete a two-term thesis for departmental honors. Students who elect one term of independent work are required to take an additional chemical engineering elective at the 300 level or above.

Mathematics Requirement

• MAE 305 Mathematics in Engineering I

Chemistry Requirement

• CHM 201 General Chemistry I, or CHM 207 Advanced General Chemistry: Materials Chemistry
• CHM 202 General Chemistry II, or CHM 215 Advanced General Chemistry: Honors Course
• CHM 303 Organic Chemistry I: Biological Emphasis

Molecular Biology Requirement

• MOL 214 Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology, or MOL 215 Quantitative Principles in Cell and Molecular Biology

Advanced Science Requirements

• Advanced Chemistry. The advanced chemistry course provides a greater depth in the underlying science of chemistry. The course may be any 300-level-or-above chemistry course, including those cross-listed by the chemistry department. With the approval of the departmental representative, the advanced chemistry requirement may be selected from another science department.
• Advanced Chemical Engineering. One advanced chemical engineering course is also required. This can be any 300-level-or-above course (excluding independent work) offered or cross-listed by the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Societal Impact Requirement

Of the seven required Humanities and Social Science electives, undergraduates in chemical and biological engineering must take at least one course in the Ethical Thought and Moral Values area (EM)

n addition to the requirements above, students are required to designate an area of concentration and take three courses from the approved lists below in that area of concentration. The senior independent work should also be undertaken within the area of concentration. In addition, students are required to take at least one course each from two of the advanced areas outside their area of concentration to provide technical diversity. (Note: An asterisk indicates one-time-only courses.)

ABET(link is external) requires chemical engineering students to complete a minimum of 12 engineering topic courses. This is satisfied by completing the nine CBE core courses (including the double credit thesis), plus the following: the required advanced chemical engineering course, and at least two program electives chosen from CBE, CEE, COS, EGR*,ELE, MAE, MSE, or ORF that are on the approved list of courses in the areas of concentration.

*EGR courses that are non-credit do not count for this requirement.

Bioengineering and Biotechnology

• CBE 419 Enzymes
• CBE 423 Biologically Inspired Materials
• CBE 432 The Cell as a Chemical Reactor
• CBE 433 Introduction to the Mechanics and Dynamics of Soft Living Matter
• CBE 438/MOL 438 Biomolecular Engineering
• CBE 439 Quantitative Physiology and Tissue Design
• CBE 440 The Physical Basis of Human Disease
• CBE 443 Separations in Chemical and Biochemical Processes
• CBE 447 Metabolic Engineering
• CBE 573/ELE 573 Cellular and Biochemical Computing Systems
• CHM 412 Applied Quantitative Analysis: Molecular Recognition
• CHM 440 Drug Discovery in the Genomics Era
• CHM 538 Topics in Biological Chemistry - Chemistry Tools to Study Biological Systems
• CHM 542 Principles of Macromolecular Structure: Protein Folding, Structure and Design
• CHM 543 Advanced Topics in Structural Biology: Neurodevelopmental Disorders from a Molecular Point of View
• EEB 320/MOL 330 Molecular Evolutionary Genetics
• EEB 325 Mathematical Modeling in Biology and Medicine
• EEB 327/MOL327 Immune Systems: From Molecules to Populations
• ENE 418/ CBE 418 Fundamentals of Biofuels
• GEO 428 Biological Oceanography
• ISC 326/EEB 326/MOL 326 Human Genomics: The Past, Present, and Future of the Human Genome
• MAE 344 Introduction to Bioengineering and Medical Devices
• MOL 340 Molecular and Cellular Immunology
• MOL 342 Genetics
• MOL 345/CHM 345 Biochemistry
• MOL 348 Cell and Developmental Biology
• MOL 408 Cellular and Systems Neuroscience
• MOL 410 Introduction to Biological Dynamics
• MOL 433/CBE 434 Biotechnology
• MOL 434 Macromolecular Structure and Mechanism in Disease
• MOL 435 Pathogenesis and Bacterial Diversity
• MOL 437 Computational Neurobiology
• MOL 448/CHM 448 Chemistry, Structure and Structure-Function Relations of Nucleic Acids
• MOL 455/COS 455 Introduction to Genomics and Computational Molecular Biology
• MOL 457 Computational Aspect of Molecular Biology
• MOL 459 Viruses: Strategy and Tactics
• MOL 523 Molecular Basis of Cancer
• NEU 258/PSY 258 Fundamentals of Neuroscience
• NEU 259a, 259b/PSY 259a, 259b Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
• NEU 408/MOL 408/PSY 404 Cellular and Systems Neuroscience
• NEU 437/MOL 437/PSY 437 Computational Neuroscience
• PSY 406 Functional Neuroanatomy
• PSY 407 Developmental Neuroscience
• QCB 510/CBE 535 Modeling Tools for Cell and Developmental Biology

Entrepreneurship and Management

• CBE 260/EGR 260 Ethics and Technology: Engineering in the Real World
• CEE 334/ WWS 452/ ENV 334/ ENE 334 Global Environmental Issues
• CEE 460 Risk Assessment and Management
• CHV 331/ WWS 372 Ethics and Public Health
• COS 432 Information Security
• ECO 310 Microeconomic Theory: A Mathematical Approach
• ECO 311 Macroeconomics: A Mathematical Approach
• EGR 392 Creativity, Innovation, and Design
• EGR 437/MAE 437/ELE 437 Innovation Process Leadership
• EGR 492 Radical Innovation in Global Markets
• EGR 494 Leadership Development for Business
• EGR 495 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship
• EGR 497 Entrepreneurial Leadership
• ELE 491 High-Tech Entrepreneurship
• ENV 324 Environmental Entrepreneurship
• GEO 366/ENV 339/WWS 451/ ENE 366 Climate Change: Scientific Basis, Policy Implications
• ORF 245 Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics
• ORF 335 Introduction to Financial Engineering
• ORF 435 Financial Risk Management
• WWS 327/CHM 443 Pharmaceutical Research and Health Policy

Energy and Environmental Technology

• AST 309/MAE 309/PHY 309 Science and Technology of Nuclear Energy: Fission and Fusion
• CBE 335 The Energy Water Nexus
• CEE 207 Introduction to Environmental Engineering
• CEE 304/ ENE 304/ ENV 300 Environmental Implications of Energy Technology
• CEE 305/ GEO 375/ ENE 305 Environmental Fluid Mechanics
• CEE 306 Hydrology
• CEE 308 Environmental Engineering Laboratory
• CEE 311/CHM 311/GEO 311 Global Air Pollution
• CEE 334/ WWS 452/ ENV 334/ ENE 334 Global Environmental Issues
• CEE 471 Introduction to Water Pollution Technology
• CEE 474/ENV 474 Special Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering - Design and Construction of Environmental Sensors
• CEE 477/ ENE 477 Engineering Design for Sustainable Development
• CHM 333/ENV 333 Oil to Ozone: Chemistry of the Environment
• CHM 525/ENV 525 Production of Renewable Fuels and Energy
• ECO 429 Issues in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
• ELE 431 Solar Energy Conversion
• ENE 418/ CBE 418 Fundamentals of Biofuels
• ENV 201a, 201b Fundamentals of Environmental Studies: Population, Land Use, Biodiversity, Energy
• ENV 202a, 202b Fundamentals of Environmental Studies: Climate, Air Pollution, Toxics, and Water
• ENV 204 Global Warming: Causes, Consequences, Policy Responses
• ENV 305 Topics in Environmental Studies- Hormonally Active Pollutants
• ENV 324 Environmental Entrepreneurship
• ENV 531/GEO 531/CEE 583 Topics in Energy and the Environment: Intro to Petroleum Engineering
• ENE 414 Renewable Energy Systems
• GEO 220a or 220b Weather and Climate
• GEO 322 Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change
• GEO 363/CHM 331/ENV 331 Environmental Geochemistry: Chemistry of the Natural Systems
• GEO 364/ CHM 364 Earth Chemistry: Majors Realms of the Planet
• GEO 366/ENV 339/ WWS 451/ ENE 366 Climate Change: Scientific Basis, Policy Implications
• GEO 418/CHM 418 Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry
• GEO 423/CEE 423 Dynamic Meterology
• GEO 424/CEE 424/ENE 425 Introductory Seismology
• GEO 470/CHM 470 Environmental Chemistry of Soils
• MAE 328/EGR 328/ENV 328 Energy for a Greenhouse-Constrained World
• MAE 424/ ENE 424 Energy Storage Systems
• MAE 427 Energy Conversion and the Environment: Transportation Applications

Materials and Product Engineering

• CBE 415/CHM 415 Polymers
• CBE 422 Molecular Modeling Methods
• CBE 423 Biologically Inspired Materials
• CBE 433 Introduction to the Mechanics and Dynamics of Soft Living Matter
• CBE 526/ CHM 527/ MSE 526 Surface Science: Processes and Probes
• CEE 364 Materials in Civil Engineering
• CHM 403 Advanced Organic Chemistry
• CHM 409 Structural Solid State Chemistry
• ELE 441 Solid-State Physics I
• ELE 442 Solid-State Physics II
• ELE 449 Materials and Solid-State Device Laboratory
• GEO 378 Mineralogy
• MAE 324 Structure and Properties of Materials
• MAE 334 Materials Selection and Design
• MSE 301 Materials Science and Engineering
• MSE 302 Laboratory Techniques in Materials Science and Engineering
• MSE 504/CHM 560/PHY 512/CBE 520 Monte Carlo and Molecular Simulation in Statistical Physics & Material Science
• MSE 531/ELE 531 Introduction to Nano/Microfabrication

Optimization, Dynamics, and Information Technology

• CBE 422 Molecular Modeling Methods
• CBE 448 Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics
• CBE 520 Molecular Simulation Methods
• CBE 527 Nonlinear and Mixed-Integer Optimization
• COS 217 Introduction to Programming Systems
• COS 226 Algorithms and Data Structures
• COS 323 Computing for the Physical and Social Sciences
• COS 333 Advanced Programming Techniques
• COS 402 Artificial Intelligence
• COS 424 Interacting with Data
• EEB 355 Introduction to Statistics for Biology
• ORF 245 Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics
• ORF 307 Optimization
• ORF 309/EGR 309/MAT 380 Probability and Stochastic Systems
• ORF 311 Optimization Under Uncertainty
• ORF 406 Statistical Design of Experiments
• ORF 409 Introduction to Monte Carlo Simulation
• ORF 411 Operations and Information Engineering
• ORF 417 Dynamic Programming

Science and Engineering for New Technologies

Transport Phenomena

• CBE 342/CBE 501 Fluid Mechanics
• MAE 306/MAT 392 Mathematics in Engineering II
• MAE 336 Viscous Flows
• MAE 423 Heat Transfer

Chemical Technology

• CBE 421/CHM 421 Catalytic Chemistry
• CHM 304 Organic Chemistry II: Foundations of Chemical Reactivity and Synthesis, or CHM 304b Organic Chemistry II: Biological Emphasis
• CHM 403 Advanced Organic Chemistry
• CHM 305 The Quantum World
• CHM 306 Physical Chemistry: Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics
• CHM 403 Advanced Organic Chemistry
• CHM 405 Advanced Physical Chemistry: Quantum Mechanics
• CHM 406 Advanced Physical Chemistry: Chemical Dynamics and Thermodynamics
• CHM 407 Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and Bonding
• CHM 408 Inorganic Chemistry: Reactions and Mechanisms

Engineering Physics

• PHY 203 Classical Mechanics A, or PHY 205 Classical Mechanics B
• PHY 208 Principles of Quantum Mechanics
• PHY 301 Thermal Physics
• PHY 304 Advanced Electromagnetism
• PHY 305 Introduction to Quantum Theory

Electronic Materials Processing

• ELE 206/COS 306 Introduction to Logic Design
• ELE 208 Integrated Circuits: Practice and Principles
• ELE 341 Solid-State Devices
• ELE 342 Physical Principles of Electronic Devices
• ELE 441 Solid-State Physics I

The advanced chemistry course requirement and the advanced chemical engineering course requirement can both be satisfied by electives in the areas of concentration.

Special Programs and Options. The flexibility built into the chemical and biological engineering curriculum provides an opportunity for students to obtain a thorough education in the fundamentals of chemical engineering science and at the same time pursue a cognate field (a track) such as biology, business, medicine, chemistry, or physics. Students simply elect as few or as many courses in the cognate field as they desire. While some students may concentrate all their electives in a single field, others may prefer to divide their time between two tracks--for example, chemistry and the biological sciences, or physics and mathematics. The following listing suggests the many tracks available.

Applied and Computational Mathematics: Elective courses in mathematics, modeling, and applications.

Applied Mathematics and Computer Technology: Elective courses in statistical studies, mathematics, electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and civil engineering and operations research.

Applied Physics: Elective courses in physics, mathematics, and chemical and biological engineering.

Biotechnology: Elective courses in chemical and biological engineering, molecular biology, and chemistry.

Business and Finance: Elective courses in decision theory, engineering administration, and economics.

Chemistry: Additional courses in chemistry and the biological sciences beyond those required in the regular program.

Energy Conversion and Resources: Elective courses with emphasis on conversion of energy as given by the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Physics.

Environmental Studies: Elective courses in ecology and evolutionary biology, molecular biology, chemistry, chemical and biological engineering, and civil and environmental engineering.

Materials Science: Elective courses in materials science and engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, chemical and biological engineering, and civil and environmental engineering.

Premedical: Elective courses in ecology and evolutionary biology, molecular biology, and chemistry.

Princeton University offers several special programs called certificate programs. Unlike the tracks described above, these certificate programs have formal requirements. They are described elsewhere in this announcement (for example, see the programs in engineering physics, engineering biology, materials science and engineering, sustainable energy, and environmental studies).

1. Submit
   • A Completed Application. You must submit your application online through either the Common Application, Coalition Application or the Universal College Application. 
   • Princeton's Supplement. In addition to the application provided by the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application, all applicants must submit the Princeton Supplement. You should submit the Princeton Supplement online through the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application website. 
   • Application Fee or Fee Waiver. You may submit a fee waiver one of two ways: 1) Select the fee waiver option on the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application. Your college or guidance counselor must approve your fee waiver request online or submit your fee waiver form by mail or fax. 2) Select one of the following fee waiver options on the Princeton Supplement: Princeton-specific, ACT, College Board, NACAC or Realize Your College Potential. All low-income students are eligible for the Princeton-specific fee waiver. Students named QuestBridge Finalists should select the QuestBridge fee waiver. If you use the Princeton-specific fee waiver, you do not need to get approval from your college counselor. Learn more about fee waivers on the How to Apply page.
2. Request
   • Transcript. An official transcript must be sent by a guidance counselor or school official.
   • School Report (SR). The SR form is available from the Common Application and Universal College Application websites. Please ask your guidance counselor or other school official to complete and submit the SR form. If you are using the Coalition Application, the SR and counselor recommendation are uploaded as one item.
   • Counselor Recommendation. If you are using the Common Application online, please note that the SR and the Counselor Recommendation are separate items. Be sure to 'invite' your guidance counselor or academic adviser to complete both items. If you are using the Coalition Application, please invite your counselor to upload the counselor recommendation and school report.
   • Two (2) Teacher Recommendations. Please ask two of your teachers from different academic areas of study to complete and send the teacher recommendation forms, available on the Common Application, Coalition Application and Universal College Application websites. Choose teachers who have taught you in higher-level courses.
   • Mid-year School Report. Please ask your guidance counselor or other school official to complete and submit this form when your mid-year grades are available. The form may be found on the Common Application, Coalition Application and Universal Application websites.
3. Report
   • SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing. Early action applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing test before the Nov. 1 deadline. Regular decision applicants should take the SAT with Essay test by the January test date or take the ACT with Writing by the December date. When registering for the SAT or ACT, use the following codes to ensure your scores are sent to Princeton: SAT: 2672 and ACT: 2588. Learn more about standardized testing for admission.
   • SAT Subject Tests. We recommend, but do not require, the submission of two SAT Subject Tests, which often assist us in the evaluation process. We have no preference for the specific SAT Subject Tests applicants might choose to take. However, if you apply for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, we recommend that you take mathematics Level I or II, and either physics or chemistry. If you decide to submit Subject Tests, early action applicants should take them by the November test date, and regular decision applicants should take them by the January test date. Learn more about standardized testing for admission.
   • TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic scores. If English is not your native language and you are attending a school where English is not the language of instruction, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS Academic) or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), in addition to the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing. You are not required to take the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic if English is your native language or if you have spent at least three years at a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction. Please have your scores sent directly to Princeton: TOEFL: 2672

Optional Application Components

• Arts Form, if applicable. If you've excelled in architecture, creative writing, dance, music, theater or visual arts, and would like us to consider your talent, consult Princeton's online Optional Arts Form. Early action applicants must submit digital arts materials by Nov. 7; regular decision applicants must submit digital arts materials by Jan. 6. You can only submit your online Optional Arts Form after we have received the Common Application, Coalition Application or Universal College Application. If you are unable to submit online, please use the paper Optional Arts Form. For a list of acceptable file formats and submission types, review our Optional Arts Form page. For more information on the optional arts supplement, please visit our FAQs page.
• Interview. Depending on availability, once you have applied, you may be invited to interview with a member of one of our Princeton Alumni Schools Committees. If so, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Interviews take place after the Admission Office has received your application. Many Princeton Alumni Schools Committees have enough volunteers to offer every applicant an interview. As the interview is not a required element of the application, you will not be at a disadvantage if an interview is not available in your area. We do not offer on-campus interviews. Please visit our FAQs page for more information.

The full need of all admitted international students is met the same as it is for students from the United States. Your family’s ability to pay for your university education is not a factor in our admission decision. Students who qualify for financial aid will receive a grant, rather than a loan that has to be repaid, and a term-time job (8-9 hours per week) to meet their need as determined by the Financial Aid Office.

Our financial aid program is entirely based on need. Princeton does not offer academic or athletic merit scholarships. Financial aid awards cover the difference between Princeton’s costs and the amount your parents are expected to contribute to your education. The parental contribution is based on our evaluation of your financial aid application.