Columbia University in the City of New York · Courses
CHEN E
66 courses with the subject CHEN E, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
CHEN E1000Chemical Engineering for Humanity1.00
Prerequisites: This course will be available for first semester first year students to take. Introduction to the role of Chemical Engineering in addressing grand challenges facing humanity. Address challenges illustrating the important role that Chemical Engineers play in solving societal problems, including to those related to climate change, biotechnology and medicine, clean energy, and sustainable manufacturing of chemicals and materials
Prerequisites: First-year chemistry and physics or equivalent. Serves as an introduction to the chemical engineering profession. Students are exposed to concepts used in the analysis of chemical engineering problems. Rigorous analysis of material and energy balances on open and closed systems is emphasized. An introduction to important processes in the chemical and biochemical industries is provided
Prerequisites: A Python course. ordinary differential equations. Corequisites: CHEE E3010 Advance chemical-engineering problem-solving skills through the use of computational tools (primarily developed in Excel or Python). Examples are drawn from thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and chemical kinetics. The course is project based, emphasizing data analysis and report writing. Unstructured collaboration with peers is highly encouraged. Requisite numerical methods and Chemical Engineering concepts introduced
Prerequisites: Mechanics, Vector Calculus, Ordinary Differential Equations Corequisites: CHEN E3020 A mechanistic and mathematical description of the engineering fundamentals of heat and mass transport and fluid mechanics based on mass, momentum and energy balances from the molecular to the continuum to the industrial device scale. Problems and applications will focus on energy, biological and chemical systems and processes
Prerequisites: (CHEN E3110) CHEN E3110; CHEN E3220 Corequisites: CHEN E3220 Developments in Transport I are extended to handle turbulence. Topics include: Turbulent energy cascade, wall-bounded turbulent shear flow, time-averaging of the equations of change, Prandtls mixing length hypothesis for the Reynolds stress, the Reynolds analogy, continuum modeling of turbulent flows and heat transfer processes, friction factor, and Nusselt number correlations for turbulent conditions. Then macroscopic (system-level) mass, momentum, and energy balances for one-component systems are developed and applied to complex flows and heat exchange processes. The final part focuses on mass transport in mixtures of simple fluids: Molecular-level origins of diffusion phenomena, Ficks law and its multicomponent generalizations, continuum-level framework for mixtures and its application to diffusion dominated processes, diffusion with chemical reaction, and forced/free convection mass transport
Prerequisites: (CHEE E3010) and (CHEN E2100) CHEE E3010 AND CHEN E2100; CHEN E3220 Corequisites: CHEN E3220. This course deals with fundamental and applied thermodynamic principles that form the basis of chemical engineering practice. Topics include phase equilibria, methods to treat ideal and non-ideal mixtures, and estimation of properties
Candidates for the B.S. degree may conduct an investigation of some problem in chemical engineering or applied chemistry or carry out a special project under the supervision of the staff. Up to 6 points may be counted toward the technical elective content requirement. (Note that if more than 3 points of research are pursued, an undergraduate thesis is required.)
Prerequisites: Restricted to Chemical Engineering undergraduate students. Provides work experience on chemical engineering in relevant intern or fieldwork experience as part of their program of study as determined by the instructor. Written application must be made prior to registration outlining proposed internship/study program. A written report describing the experience and how it relates to the chemical engineering core curriculum is required. Employer feedback on student performance and the quality of the report are the basis of the grade. This course may not be taken for pass/fail or audited. May not be used as a technical or nontechnical elective. May be repeated for credit, but no more than 3 points total of CHEN E3999 may be used for degree credit
Subject
CHEN E
Credits (min)
1
Credits (max)
2
Credit unit
points
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for credit, but no more than 3 points total of CHEN E3999 may be used for degree credit Summer 2026: CHEN E3999 Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Locatio
Prerequisites: First-year chemistry and physics, vector calculus, ordinary differential equations, and the instructors permission. Part of an accelerated consideration of the essential chemical engineering principles from the undergraduate program, including selected topics from Introduction to Chemical Engineering, Transport Phenomena I and II, and Chemical Engineering Control. While required for all M.S. students with Scientist to Engineer status, the credits from this course may not be applied toward any chemical engineering degree
Prerequisites: First-year chemistry and physics, vector calculus, ordinary differential equations, and the instructors permission. Part of an accelerated consideration of the essential chemical engineering principles from the undergraduate program, including topics from Reaction Kinetics and Reactor Design, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, I and II, and Chemical and Biochemical Separations. While required for all M.S. students with Scientist to Engineer status, the credits from this course may not be applied toward any chemical engineering degree
Exposes scientists and engineers to the development, protection, and exploitation of intellectual property rights. Legal processes for obtaining and defending intellectual property rights are detailed. Best practices for innovation and commercialization are explored. Methods for valuation and monetization of intellectual property are illustrated through application of basic accounting and financial principles to case studies
Prerequisites: CHEE E3010 AND CHEN E3110; or the equivalent. Develops and applies non-equilibrium thermodynamics for modeling of transport phenomena in fluids and their mixtures. Continuum balances of mass, energy and momentum for pure fluids; non-equilibrium thermodynamic development of Newtons law of viscosity and Fouriers law; applications (conduction dominated energy transport, forced and free convection energy transport in fluids); balance laws for fluid mixtures; non-equilibrium thermodynamic development of Ficks law; applications (diffusion-reaction problems, analogy between energy and mass transport processes, transport in electrolyte solutions, sedimentation)
Prerequisites: Successful completion of an undergraduate chemical engineering thermodynamics course. The course provides a rigorous and advanced foundation in chemical engineering thermodynamics suitable for chemical engineering PhD students expected to undertake diverse research projects. Topics include Intermolecular interactions, non-ideal systems, mixtures, phase equilibria and phase transitions and interfacial thermodynamics
CHEN E4180Machine Learning for Biomolecular and Cellular Applications3.00
Prerequisites: Some knowledge of Python, elementary statistics, thermodynamics Introduction to machine learning techniques with applications to biological systems, emphasizing cell-biological molecular mechanisms and applications, and computational simulation. Overview of biology. Introduction to biological neurons and neural networks, learning and memory. Parallels between biological and artificial neural networks. Deep neural networks are introduced, hands-on computational experience for students. Big data from experiments or computational simulations: machine learning to extract mechanisms, dimensional reduction. Deep learning applications include drug discovery, protein structure prediction, molecular coarse-graining for simulations, and acceleration of molecular dynamics simulations
Prerequisites: Physical chemistry and a course in transport phenomena. Engineering analysis of electrochemical systems, including electrode kinetics, transport phenomena, mathematical modeling, and thermodynamics. Common experimental methods are discussed. Examples from common applications in energy conversion and metallization are presented
Reaction kinetics, applications to the design of batch and continuous reactors. Multiple reactions, non-isothermal reactors. Analysis and modeling of reactor behavior
Prerequisites: Material and energy balances. Ordinary differential equations including Laplace transforms. Reactor Design. An introduction to process control applied to chemical engineering through lecture and laboratory. Concepts include the dynamic behavior of chemical engineering systems, feedback control, controller tuning, and process stability
CHEN E4380Green Chemical Engineering ＆ Innovation3.00
Prerequisites: CHEM W1404 AND CHEM S2444 AND CHEN E2100 Approaches used in chemistry and chemical engineering to design green, sustainable products and processes; focus of using the tenets of green chemistry as a means for chemical innovation. Technical and design practice and measuring the impacts of green and conventional approaches emphasized. Themes of business, regulatory, ethical, and social considerations relevant to chemical engineering practice
Prerequisites: CHEN E2100 or Or equivalent or instructor's permission Chemical engineering fundamentals as applied to process research, development, and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. Course topics include: comprehensive overview of the biopharmaceutical business (therapeutic areas, markets, drug discovery, clinical development, commercialization), process research, creation, development, optimization, sustainability, green chemistry and engineering, safety (patient, process, and personnel), unit operations and associated calculations relevant to pharmaceutical processes, process scale-up, implementation, assessment, technology transfer, new technologies, economic analysis, drug product formulation and manufacturing, and regulatory considerations. Case studies and real-life examples are presented throughout the course
Scientific and economic analysis of real-world technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Partner with students from the business school to assess and assigned technology based on technical viability, commercial opportunity, and impact on mitigating or adapting to climate change. Assigned technologies provided by the investment community to teams of four, with expectations for independent research on the technologies, with deliverables of written and oral presentations
Prerequisites: (CHEN E2100) and (CHEN E4140) CHEN E2100 AND CHEN E4140 The practical application of chemical engineering principles for the design and economic evaluation of chemical processes and plants. Use of ASPEN Plus for complex material and energy balances of real processes. Students are expected to build on previous coursework to identify creative solutions to two design projects of increasing complexity. Each design project culminates in an oral presentation, and in the case of the second project, a written report
Aimed at seniors and graduate students. Provides classroom experience on chemical engineering process safety as well as Safety in Chemical Engineering certification. Process safety and process control emphasized. Application of basic chemical engineering concepts to chemical reactivity hazards, industrial hygiene, risk assessment, inherently safer design, hazard operability analysis, and engineering ethics. Application of safety to full spectrum of chemical engineering operations
Lect: 3. An introduction to the chemistry and physics of soft material systems (polymers, colloids, organized surfactant systems and others), emphasizing the connection between microscopic structure and macroscopic physical properties. To develop an understanding of each system, illustrative experimental studies are discussed along with basic theoretical treatments. High molecular weight organic polymers are discussed first (basic notions, synthesis, properties of single polymer molecules, polymer solution and blend thermodynamics, rubber and gels). Colloidal systems are treated next (dominant forces in colloidal systems, flocculation, preparation and manipulation of colloidal systems) followed by a discussion of self-organizing surfactant systems (architecture of surfactants, miceles and surfactant membranes, phase behavior). Fall 2026: CHEN E4620 Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment CHEN 4620 001/11443 M W 10:10am - 11:25am 644 Seeley W. Mudd Building Christopher Durning 3.00 17/40 CHEN 4620 V01/18084 Christopher Durning 3.00 2/99
Prerequisites: Physical chemistry or instructor's permission. Self-contained treatments of selected topics in soft materials (e.g. polymers, colloids, amphiphiles, liquid crystals, glasses, powders). Topics and instructor may change from year to year. Intended for junior/senior level undergraduates and graduate students in engineering and the physical sciences
Focuses on sustainability aspects of polymers. Emphasizes polymers at end of life, including recycling processes. Examines how polymers generate micro- and nanoplastics during use and after environmental disposal. Highlights the role of data science and ML in understanding and addressing these issues. Focuses on polymer life cycle with emphasis on underlying scientific principles
Prerequisites: Undergraduate-level biology, organic chemistry and instructor's permission. Chemical and physical aspects of genome structure and organization, genetic information flow from DNA to RNA to Protein. Nucleic acid hybridization and sequence complexity of DNA and RNA. Genome mapping and sequencing methods. The engineering of DNA polymerase for DNA sequencing and polymerase chain reaction. Fluorescent DNA sequencing and high-throughput DNA sequencer development. Construction of gene chip and micro array for gene expression analysis. Technology and biochemical approach for functional genomics analysis. Gene discovery and genetics database search method. The application of genetic database for new therapeutics discovery
Lect: 3. Quantitative statistical analysis and mathematical modeling in cell biology for an audience with diverse backgrounds. The course presents quantitative methods needed to analyze complex cell biological experimental data and to interpret the analysis in terms of the underlying cellular mechanisms. Optical and electrical experimental methods to study cells and basic image analysis techniques are described. Methods of statistical analysis of experimental data and techniques to test and compare mathematical models against measured statistical properties will be introduced. Concepts and techniques of mathematical modeling will be illustrated by applications to mechanosensing in cells, the mechanics of cytokinesis during cell division and synaptic transmission in the nervous system. Image analysis, statistical analysis, and model assessment will be illustrated for these systems.
Prerequisites: PHYS W1401 OR CHEE E3010; Or instructors approval This course is for junior/senior undergraduates and graduate (MS) students. The course focuses on the fundamentals of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging in fields ranging from biomedical engineering to electrochemical energy storage. Course material covers basic NMR theory, instrumentation (including in situ/operando setup), data interpretation, and experimental design to couple with other materials characterization strategies. Course grade based on problem sets, quizzes, and final project presentation
Prerequisites: Any quantitative undergraduate course with elements of biology, such as Chemistry, Biochemical Engineering/Biochemistry, Biophysics, but also at the instructor’s permission.
CHEN E4880ATOMISTIC SIMULATIONS FOR SCIENCE AND EN3.00
Prerequisites: A course in statistical mechanics or thermodynamics or instructors permission Many materials properties and chemical processes are governed by atomic-scale phenomena such as phase transformations, atomic/ionic transport, and chemical reactions. Thanks to progress in computer technology and methodological development, now there exist atomistic simulation approaches for the realistic modeling and quantitative prediction of such properties. Atomistic simulations are therefore becoming increasingly important as a complement for experimental characterization, to provide parameters for meso- and macroscale models, and for the in-silico discovery of entirely new materials. This course aims at providing a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge atomistic modeling techniques that are frequently used both in academic and industrial research and engineering. Participants will develop the ability to interpret results from atomistic simulations and to judge whether a problem can be reliably addressed with simulations. The students will also obtain basic working knowledge in standard simulation software
Aimed at graduate students of Chemical Engineering. Examines the application of Chemical Engineering fundamentals and entrepreneurship in starting up a biopharmaceutical company and in developing a biopharmaceutical product. Serves as a description of the major stages of developing a biopharmaceutical product. Topics presented will include drug discovery, preclinical and clinical development, IP, manufacturing, and regulatory process. In addition, implementation of the lean startup methodology, business valuation, and financial considerations for a biopharmaceutical startup will be offered. Basic topics in the chemical engineering curriculum (reaction kinetics, mathematical modeling, unit operations, thermodynamics), as well as specific topics in developing biopharmaceuticals will be discussed in this course
Lect: 3. Additional current topics in chemical engineering taught by regular or visiting faculty. Special topics arranged as the need and availability arise. Topics usually offered on a one-time basis. Since the content of this course changes each time it is offered, it may be repeated for credit. Spring 2026: CHEN E4900 Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment CHEN 4900 001/12731 M W 8:40am - 9:55am 644 Seeley W. Mudd Building Sanat Kumar 3.00 6/20 CHEN 4900 003/12784 T 4:10pm - 6:55pm 503 Hamilton Hall Jingguang Chen 3.00 17/45 CHEN 4900 004/12998 F 10:10am - 12:50pm 227 Seeley W. Mudd Building Lauren Marbella 3.00 13/45
CHEN E4910SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY IN PHARMACEUTICAL3.00
Prerequisites: Thermodynamics any, or General Chemistry Students. Must be engineering juniors or seniors, engineering graduate students, or PhD and undergraduate students in the sciences, e.g. chemistry or biology. Prerequisites: Pre-requisites: Thermodynamics (any), or General Chemistry Students must be engineering juniors or seniors, engineering graduate students, or PhD and undergraduate students in the sciences, e.g. chemistry or biology
CHEN E4920PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY FOR ENGINEERS3.00
This course provides students an overview of biopharmaceutical design, development, manufacturing, and regulatory requirements from an engineering perspective. The unit operations, equipment selection, and process development associated with small molecule, biologics, and vaccine manufacturing are all illustrated through examples, and quantitative engineering approaches are applied as appropriate. Small molecules, biologics, vaccines, solid oral formulations, sterile processing, and design of experiments (DoE) are treated along with a module on regulatory requirements.
CHEN E4930Biopharmaceutical Process Laboratory3.00
Prerequisites: see notes re: points Organic Chemistry Lab 1, Organic Chemistry Intended for junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining hands-on experience in biopharmaceutical processing. Processes and unit operations applied widely in the biopharmaceutical industry, including tableting, dissolution, disintegration, fermentation, chromatography, tangential flow filtration, mixing, and crystallization. Process parameters, chemical and molecular properties, process performance, and product attributes. Includes a combination of lectures (given during lab time), experiments, and report writing
Fall 2026: CHEN E6543 Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment CHEN 6543 001/11453 T 11:40am - 12:55pm 826 Seeley W. Mudd Building Scott Banta 1.00 0/25
Prerequisites: Instructors permission This research seminar introduces topics at the forefront of biological research in a format and language accessible to quantitative scientists and engineers lacking biological training. Conceptual and technical frameworks from both biological and physical science disciplines are utilized. The objective is to reveal to graduate students where potential lies to apply techniques from their own disciplines to address pertinent biological questions in their research. Classes entail reading, criticism and group discussion of research papers and textbook materials providing overviews to various biological areas including: evolution, immune system, development and cell specialization, the cytoskeleton and cell motility, DNA transcription in gene circuits, protein networks, recombinant DNA technology, aging, and gene therapy
Required for all M.S. students in residence in their first semester. Topics related to professional development and the practice of chemical engineering. No degree credits granted. Intended for M.S students only; and not for M.S./Ph.D. track, Ph.D. or D.E.S. students
Prescribed for M.S. candidates; elective for others with the approval of the Department. Degree candidates are to conduct an investigation of some problem in chemical engineering. No more than 6 points in this course may be counted for graduate credit
Prerequisites: The qualifying examinations for the doctorate Open only to certified candidates for the Ph.D. and Eng.Sc.D. degrees. Doctoral candidates in chemical engineering are required to make an original investigation of a problem in chemical engineering or applied chemistry, the results of which are presented in their dissertations. No more than 15 points of credit toward the degree may be granted when the dissertation is accepted by the department
3, 6, 9 or 12 pts. A candidate for the Eng.Sc.D. degree in chemical engineering must register for 12 points of doctoral research instruction. Registration in CHEN E9800 may not be used to satisfy the minimum residence requirement for the degree. Spring 2026: CHEN E9800 Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment CHEN 9800 001/16308 Allie Obermeyer 3.00-12.00 1/1 Fall 2026: CHEN E9800 Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment CHEN 9800 001/11497 Allie Obermeyer 3.00-12.00 0/1
