Program Overview
Students in the 10-ENG program must take Differential Equations and the Chemistry Thermodynamics course as part of their GIR requirements. They must also take the 5 Chemical Engineering Core Courses that define the fundamental knowledge of the field of chemical engineering (heat and mass balances, thermodynamics, kinetics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transport). The 10- ENG student will then be able to take options with regard to their scientific/engineering foundation class work, their concentration, and their senior capstone experience.
10-ENG students will be able to choose 3 subjects from a list of about 15 Foundational Concept Subjects. The Foundational Concept subjects of the flexible engineering program consist of basic science and engineering courses that help lay the groundwork toward the chosen concentration. Three subjects must be selected from a list of potential topics. One of the foundational concept subjects must be a chemical engineering CI-M subject, and one must be a laboratory subject that satisfies the Institute Laboratory requirement. The subjects should be selected with the assistance of a 10-ENG program advisor from the Chemical Engineering department so as to be consistent with the requirements of the program and the general Institute requirements. Several of these courses can satisfy the CI-M requirement of this degree program.
The flexible engineering concentration consists of seven subjects that are selected by the student either from a suggested subject list provided for each 10-ENG concentration, or subjects may be proposed by the student that fit the theme of the chosen concentration. The concentrations have been selected by the Department of Chemical Engineering to represent new and developing cross disciplinary areas that benefit from a strong foundation in engineering within the chemical engineering context. These lists are included in the concentration descriptions provided here, and at the Chemical Engineering Student Office. Students work with their 10-ENG advisors to propose an agreed-upon 10-ENG program, which is then approved by the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Committee.
The flexible engineering program major capstone experience will consist of 12 units total from any combination of Integrated Chemical Engineering (ICE) (10.490), the Integrated Chemical Engineering-Topic modules (10.492A and B, 10.493, 10.494A and B), and a senior level project. Alternatively, the student may choose to complete a senior thesis in a topic area relevant to the concentration. Senior level projects or senior thesis projects must be specifically designed to integrate engineering principles into specific applications or problems, and are not standard undergraduate research (UROP) projects; such projects will require the preliminary approval of the Department Undergraduate Officer, Tom Kinney (tkinney@mit.edu).
- Concentrations must be at least 39 to 48 units to meet Institute Requirements.
- All concentration subjects must be letter graded.
- No concentration subject may also be counted as a GIR.
- UROPs are not allowed to count as part of the concentration.
- Each concentration subject should have a relationship to the overall theme of the student’s concentration.
- Basic math and science or less closely related engineering subjects may be included in a concentration only if they are a prerequisite to a higher level engineering subject in the concentration; otherwise such subjects should be taken as unrestricted electives.
- The seven subjects counted toward the concentration plus the foundational concepts must include at least 60 units of engineering subjects and 15 units of science subjects; this content should be reviewed by the 10-ENG advisor and by the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Committee and its Chair.