Chemical Engineering Grad with Physics undergrad?

[chiako]

Hello. I am currently a physics major attending a university where there is no true engineering degree. I was wondering if one who is pursuing a degree in physics would even have a chance of getting into a program involved with chemical engineering. To me, it seems the further along, physics and chemistry can intertwine together, especially when you look at such things as thermodynamics and quantum mechanics. My question is, would I qualify for entry into a graduate chemical engineering program (Generalize this. I am sure it depends all on the university being applied to) with an undergraduate degree in physics, or should I place my hope elsewhere? I am currently about a third of the way from completing my degree. Below is a list of courses I have, or will be taking:

Analytic Geometry and Calculus (three semester sequence)
Linear Algebra
Elementary Differential Equations
Introduction to Electrical Circuits
General Physics (two semester sequence)
Statics of Engineering
Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (two semester sequence)
Introduction to Optics
Intermediate Mechanics
Introduction to Modern Physics
Thermal Physics
Quantum Mechanics (two semester sequence)
Atomic Physics
Nuclear Physics
Mathematics Electives (two semester sequence)
General Chemistry (two semester sequence)

 

[fss]

My question is, would I qualify for entry into a graduate chemical engineering program (Generalize this. I am sure it depends all on the university being applied to) with an undergraduate degree in physics...?

How can you generalize while acknowledging it depends on the university? Just based on your academic resume I'd say you have little chance unless you had some really stellar work/research experience in CE with great recommendations to go along with it.

 

[chiako]

How can you generalize while acknowledging it depends on the university? Just based on your academic resume I'd say you have little chance unless you had some really stellar work/research experience in CE with great recommendations to go along with it.

The reason I say "generalize" is because all graduate programs for a certain subject have SOME kind of "base-line" of classes that needs to be completed with undergraduate studies. As far as "stellar work/research experience," are you trying to come off as condescending or something? If you are, knock it off. I didn't ask anything that remotely corresponded to my grades or research experience. My question can be further simplified into this: If one is pursuing a degree in physics, what classes would be needed, as a base-line, for thought of admittance into a Chemical Engineering program for graduate studies? You may assume I have all ready talked to college advisers. I am looking for third-party information at this time.

 

[fss]

As far as "stellar work/research experience," are you trying to come off as condescending or something? If you are, knock it off. I didn't ask anything that remotely corresponded to my grades or research experience.

The title of your thread is:

Chemical Engineering Grad with Physics undergrad?

Do you not understand what typical graduate admissions criteria are? If not, perhaps you should get a better idea of what you're in for. This board as well as Google can provide you with a standard picture of a typical science/engineering advanced degree applicant. Since you don't seem to mind dealing in generalities, the basic criteria that pop up over and over are:

-Grades
-Standardized test scores
-Recommendations
-Research experience

My question can be further simplified into this: If one is pursuing a degree in physics, what classes would be needed, as a base-line, for thought of admittance into a Chemical Engineering program for graduate studies?

Seeing as you have taken exactly 2 chemistry courses, neither of which involved anything more difficult than redox reactions, I'd say any chemistry course past general chemistry would help your case. Is that too obvious? You haven't even taken a chemistry lab. Or, perhaps there's more to the story (kind of like my earlier post re: research and recommendations) than you've initially let on? Something (anything) that would help anyone give more informative advice?

 

[fss]

If you don't think recommendations and research experience is relevant, here are some links to graduate CE programs that require that you submit them (which can therefore be assumed to be a factor in the admissions process). I tried to sample from a wide range of institutions so you can see how ubiquitous these requirements are.

http://www.cbe.buffalo.edu/admissions/graduate.php
http://www.seas.harvard.edu/audiences/prospective-graduates/faqs
http://www.cheme.cornell.edu/cheme/graduate/admissions.cfm
http://web.mit.edu/cheme/academics/office/faqs.html
http://www.chbe.gatech.edu/grads/prospective/admissions.php
http://www.che.vt.edu/grad_app.php
http://chms.engineering.ucdavis.edu/admissions/graduates/faq.html#pread_2
http://www.engr.ku.edu/prospective/graduate/apply/

 

[chiako]

Thank you for answering my question the second time around. You seem to be under the assumption that I haven't taken chemistry labs, which is far from the case. As per grades, research, recommendations, and what have you; if I didn't have those as it were, I wouldn't even consider this. My GPA has granted me two semesters on the Chancellor's list, and thrice on the Dean's. I have four semesters of chemical research. I have recommendations as it is.

All I wanted to know is what courses I should put more under my belt before trying to get into a program. Classes (or preparatory classes), not the process. For example, I was looking at Particle Physics with the University of North Texas. They assume a student has -certain classes- taken for admittance, in this case:

Cutnell & Johnson Physics; Krane Modern Physics;Fowles Analytical Mechanics;Arfken Essential Mathematical Methods for Physicists; Serway & Jewett Physics for Scientists & Engineers; Griffith Introduction to Quantum Mechanics; Bowley Introductory Statistical Mechanics.

Or, for less-specifics, from Princeton's entry:

A sound undergraduate education in physics and mathematics is assumed, including courses in electricity and magnetism, classical mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, differential equations, and complex variables.

This is what I was looking for. This was taken from the 2011 Graduate Program catalog printed by the American Institute of Physics. I was hoping for, once again, a base-line of preparatory classes one might need to take before thinking of this degree choice so I can take them to be considered, along with my grades, my research, and recommendations. If I was unclear to begin with, I apologize, but it gives you no right to be abrasive as you have been.

I haven't found anything of these yet, except for such things (out of the same catalog) for Chemical Physics. Is there a difference between the two? Or can preparatory classes for Chemical Physics be applied to Chemical Engineering? Classes required for the former are (for Washington State University's AIP catalog entry):

Symon, Mechanics; Reitz, Milford, and Christy, Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory; Zemansky, Heat and Thermodynamics; Liboff, Introductory Quantum Mechanics; Boas, Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences; Eisberg and Resnick, Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles. Preparation in optics, solid state physics, nuclear physics, and/or acoustics is encouraged.