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Chemical Engineering Co-Operative Program

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Engineering (BEng)
Program Website: chemeng.ryerson.ca (opens in new window) 
Administered by: Department of Chemical Engineering
Program Format: Full-time, five-year co-op program.

The Chemical Engineering BEng Co-operative degree program is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.

Chemical Engineering is a versatile field that synergizes engineering principles and science (chemistry, biology and physics) leading to dynamic, multidisciplinary applications in the vital areas of energy, biotechnology, biochemical, environmental, polymer and food engineering.

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U courses in: English, Advanced Functions (MHF4U), Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U), Physics (SPH4U) and Chemistry (SCH4U)

Notes:

  1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
  2. The grade(s) required in the subject prerequisites (normally in the 70 percent range) will be determined subject to competition.
  3. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

The Department offers a mandatory co-operative program which provides the graduating chemical engineering student with up to 20 months of work experience that enhances their organization and technical abilities as well as their oral and written communication skills. Students must successfully complete four work terms.

Although neither the Department nor the Office of Co-operative Education (opens in new window)  can guarantee a placement, they provide assistance in locating suitable positions and counseling of students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-operative program enables students to earn competitive wages to partially offset the costs of a university education. Students will work directly with trained engineers or other skilled professionals, gaining experience in several settings.

The first two years of the program focus on the basic sciences and include introductory courses in chemical engineering principles.

The third and fourth years of the academic program give students the opportunity to study chemical engineering in depth, and to apply this knowledge to process design applications. Computer applications in chemical engineering are emphasized in the curriculum. Fourth year allows students to choose specialized elective groups to broaden their knowledge in the chemical and related engineering fields. These courses include Food Processing, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Biochemical Engineering, Air Pollution and Control, Particulate Engineering, Process and Engineering Optimization, Transport Phenomena and Plastics Technology.

Practical skills development and communication skills are emphasized throughout the program. There are laboratory courses in all the aspects of science and engineering. The co-op portion of the program gives students an opportunity to obtain practical experience in their field and a better understanding of their profession. This work experience puts the co-op graduate in an advantageous position to obtain permanent employment compared to graduates from traditional programs.

Career Opportunities

The Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering Co-operative) program prepares students for careers in a variety of chemical areas, including the petroleum, pulp and paper, food, pharmaceutical, and polymer industries, and government research and testing laboratories. Opportunities include product development, research, quality control, and technical sales and service as well as works in the environmental field. After gaining experience, graduates may assume management responsibilities. Some graduates continue with post-graduate studies.

Transition Programs

First Year Transition Program: The objective of the first year transition program (opens in new window)  is to provide students, who may need more time to adapt to the demanding university curriculum, with an immediate opportunity to upgrade their Academic Standing. In the second semester, Phase I of the transition program offers all first semester core courses: CHY 102, MTH 140, MTH 141, and PCS 211 in parallel with the second semester regular program courses. Students who have failed and/or are missing any one of these courses at the end of the first semester are required to upgrade their Academic Standing through enrolling in the transition program. During the condensed Spring semester (May-July) Phase II of the transition program offers all second semester core courses: AER 222, BME 100, CHE 200, CHY 211, CPS 125, CVL 207, ELE 202, MEC 222, MTH 240, MTL 200, and PCS 125. These courses represent a repeat of the second semester regular program courses that were not taken by students enrolled in Phase I of the transition program. These courses will be offered subject to adequate enrolment.

Second and Third Year Transition Program: The second year transition program is intended to help students who have failed the second year course CHE 214 (provided that the student has passed the laboratory portion of CHE 214) to stay in-phase with their classmates and still have a chance to be promoted to third year in the following academic year. This is accomplished by allowing such students to enrol in CHE 214 in the Transition Program; this course will be offered subject to adequate enrolment. The third year transition program is intended to help students who have failed or dropped the third year courses CHE 308 and/or CHE 312 and/or CHE 319 and/or CHE 338 to continue their studies in the sixth and seventh semesters. This is accomplished by allowing such students to enrol in CHE 308 and/or CHE 312 and/or CHE 319 and/or CHE 338 in the Transition Program; these courses will be offered subject to adequate enrolment.

Early Intervention Program

Highly innovative and proactive retention strategies play an important role in helping students build the skills for success in a demanding engineering curriculum. Through the First-Year Engineering Office (opens in new window) , the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science has incorporated the Early Intervention Program into the first-year engineering experience. At the semester's mid-point, students who are failing courses in their core curriculum are identified and encouraged to attend an interview with a member of our academic support team (Program Director/Academic Advisor and/or the Student Counsellor). Together, they discuss options to help reduce the chances of academic failure.

Writing Skills Resource Path

All new engineering students are automatically enrolled in CEN 199: Writing Skills.

CEN 199 is graded on a Pass/Fail basis, and is used to track the results of the Writing Skills Test (WST).

All students admitted into engineering are required to write the mandatory Writing Skills Test (WST) during Orientation Week. Students who pass the WST (by achieving a grade of ‘B' or higher) will receive a PASS in CEN 199 and therefore may enrol in the lower level liberal studies course of their choice (subject to availability).

Students who do not pass the WST will receive an INP (In Progress Grade) in CEN 199 and will be required to enrol in one of LNG 111, LNG 112, LNG 113, or LNG 121 as their first-year lower level liberal studies course. These courses, which count toward lower level liberal studies requirements, are writing-intensive humanities and social science courses designed to give students the opportunity to strengthen their foundations in communication. These students will then have three additional opportunities to write and pass the WST:

  • In May, following 2nd Semester.
  • During Orientation Week before 3rd Semester.
  • In May, following 4th Semester.

A PASS in CEN 199: Writing Skills is required to enrol in all third-year engineering courses. Students with a grade of INP in CEN 199 will not be allowed to enrol in any third-year engineering course.

Detailed information is available from the First-Year Engineering Office (opens in new window) . Room ENG 377 Telephone: 416-979-5000 ext. 4261.

Optional Specialization in Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OS EIE)

This option provides students with a solid foundation in innovation and entrepreneurship theory as well as the immersive experience of advancing and shaping an idea into a business. The lecture courses cover principles of engineering economics, entrepreneurship and innovation management, and technology based new venture creation. The practicum will guide students through the process of identifying a new business concept, developing their technology, and preparing their business for market readiness. For eligibility, registration and course information see Optional Specialization in Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OS EIE).

Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OS MS)

Students can enrich their studies and hone their management skills with the Optional Specialization in Management Sciences. Courses within the optional specialization cover four major areas in management sciences: Strategic Engineering Management, Operations Management/Operations Research, Finance, and Organizational Behaviour. For eligibility, registration, and course information see Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OS MS).

Engineering Transfer Credits

Applicants approved into an Engineering program cannot expect to receive any transfer credits in Engineering discipline or Engineering related discipline courses if their applicable post-secondary education was not completed at a program accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (external link, opens in new window)  (CEAB).

Core and professional engineering course transfer credits will ONLY be granted at the time of admission. An Offer of Admission will notify the applicant of transfer credit decision(s) subject to acceptance of their Offer.

Liberal studies discipline courses taken at CEAB accredited or non-accredited schools will be considered for either lower- or upper-level liberal studies transfer credit. College courses, in general, are not eligible for transfer credit except in the case of lower-level liberal studies courses.

Liberal Studies

Students must take two lower level liberal studies courses and two upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

Aerospace, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Mechanical, and Undeclared Engineering

ARB, CHN, FRE, GRK, SPN and WLG courses are not available for credit.

BLG 181, BMS 150, CHY 182, CHY 183, ITM 277, MEC 110, PCS 111, PCS 181, PCS 182 and SCI courses are not available for credit.

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

Aerospace, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering

BLG 599, BLG 699, CHY 583, CHY 599, CPS 650, MTH 511, MTH 599 and PCS 581 are not available for credit.

ARB 301, ARB 401, CHN 301, CHN 401. FRE 301, FRE 401, SPN 301, SPN 401, SPN 510 and SPN 610 are not available for credit.

Minors

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

1st & 2nd Semester

Common to: Aerospace, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering. 

1st Semester

REQUIRED:

CEN 100 Introduction to Engineering
CEN 199* Writing Skills
CHY 102 General Chemistry
MTH 140 Calculus I
MTH 141 Linear Algebra
PCS 211 Physics: Mechanics

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

CHE 200 Chemical Engineering Fundamentals
CHY 211 General Chemistry Laboratory
CPS 125 Digital Computation and Programming
ECN 801 Principles of Engineering Economics
MTH 240 Calculus II
PCS 125 Physics: Waves and Fields

* CEN 199 is graded on a pass/fail basis.

  

3rd & 4th Semester

3rd Semester

REQUIRED:

CHE 204 Thermodynamics I
CHE 217 Fluid Mechanics
CHY 224 Organic Chemistry
EES 512 Electric Circuits
MTH 425 Differential Equations and Vector Calculus

4th Semester

REQUIRED:

CHE 214 Thermodynamics II
CHE 215 Process Measurements
CHE 220 Heat Transfer
CHY 203 Instrumental Methods of Analysis
CMN 432 Communication in the Engineering Professions

Note: All 1st and 2nd year courses must be successfully completed in order to be eligible to begin the co-op placements.

  

5th & 6th Semester

5th Semester (Offered in Winter Term Only)  

REQUIRED:

CHE 307 Chemical Engineering Materials
CHE 308 Mass Transfer
CHE 309 Introductory Bioengineering
CHE 331 Engineering Statistics and Probabilities
CHE 338 Chemical Engineering Computations

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

6th Semester (Offered in Fall Term Only) 

Revised Fall 2017.

REQUIRED:

CHE 312 Chemical Reaction Engineering
CHE 315 Unit Operations Laboratory I
CHE 318 Separation Processes
CHE 319 Process Modeling and Simulation
CHE 617 Chemical Process Safety Loss Prevention

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from the following:

ENG 503 Science Fiction
GEO 702 Technology and the Contemporary Environment
HST 701 Scientific Technology and Modern Society
PHL 709 Religion, Science and Philosophy
POL 507 Power, Change and Technology

  

7th & 8th Semester

7th Semester

REQUIRED:

CHE 44A/B* Plant Design
CHE 413 Chemical Engineering Equipment Design
CHE 415 Unit Operations Laboratory II
CHE 430 Process Control

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

CEN 800 Law and Ethics in Engineering Practice
CHE 44A/B* Plant Design

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

PROFESSIONAL: Three courses from Table I.

* A multi-term course.

Academic and Work terms

The sequencing of academic and work terms is shown below:

Students must successfully complete four work terms in order to graduate from the Chemical Engineering co-op program.

The co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Chemical Engineering. Further information about the program is available on the Department's website (opens in new window) .

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see  (PDF file) Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Roberto Floh
Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer
Archi Industrial Products Inc., Eggshell Resources Inc.

J. J. Niewels
Engineering Manager, Global Advanced Engineering
Husky Injection Molding

Peter Takaoka
Manager, Industrial Services
R. V. Anderson Associates Limited

Cordell Samuels
Superintendent, Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant
Regional Municipality of Durham