The bachelor degree of Chemical and Process Engineering (CHPE) is designed to provide sound undergraduate education in applicable to chemical and process engineering related fields of engineering with an excellent technology base. They engender broad awareness of social, cultural, and ethical issues together with good understanding of the role of engineering in the community. These traits lead to internationally recognized degrees. To be awarded a bachelor degree, a student must successfully complete three semesters of common engineering before entering the Department. The remaining seven semesters are program dependent. Nevertheless, students can choose from a common basket of elective courses offered by the Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department. To be awarded a bachelor degree in CHPE, a student must successfully complete 136 credits of University, College and Departmental Requirements as shown below in the table.

               B.Eng Degree Requirements

Common Courses within the PCE Department:

Engineering Thermodynamics, Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer, Numerical Methods, Statistics for Engineers, Electrical Engineering Fundamentals, Engineering Economy Professional Practice and Management for PCE. The Bachelor degrees are designed to provide undergraduate education in this field of Engineering, with an excellent technology base, and which engenders a broad awareness of social, cultural, and ethical issues together with a good understanding of the role of engineering in the community, and which leads to an internationally recognized degree.

Chemical and Process Engineering Specialization Courses:

General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry, Materials Engineering, Principles of Chemical Processes,  Introduction to Chemical and Instrumental Analysis, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Computer Aided Design, Unit Operations I & II, Chemical Engineering Lab I, II and III, Process Heat Transfer, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Chemical Process Control, Chemical Process Safety, Project I & II, , Plant and Process Design.  In addition the students select 3 technical electives from the list of major electives provided in the degree plan.

Industrial Training Courses:

Two mandatory Industrial Training courses are also part of the College requirement. In Training I, students get a 2-week in-house training in their third year, during the break between the fall and spring semesters (In the month of January). In the PCE Department, this training is in the form of laboratory projects that are conducted in the chemical engineering laboratories. Training II is planned in the summer after the students complete their fourth year. For a period of 8 weeks, the students receive training from a private company or government ministry related to their specialization. A number of students receive their summer training abroad through collaboration agreements with international parties or through International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE). The student, supervised by the training organization, has to submit a report to his/her program at the end of the training period. The industrial training program is coordinated by the Assistant Dean for Industrial Training and Community Services. 

The Chemical and Process Engineering (CHPE) program produces graduates who will:

PEO 1: Become professional and competent engineers who excel in technical, digital and soft skills

PEO 2: Demonstrate leadership, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship considering the pillars of sustainability and contemporary issues

PEO 3: Engage in life-long learning activities and programs

STUDENT OUTCOMES:

The ABET student outcomes (which are used to evaluate the student’s outcome during the accreditation cycle) are given below.

Graduating students should have:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

In order to graduate, a student is required to complete a total of 136 credit hours resulting in the award of a Bachelor Degree in Chemical and Process Engineering ( CHPE ). The credit hours are allocated to University, College and Department requirements.

PCE Course Offerings and Equivalency

The CHPE undergraduate Degree plans can be downloaded by clicking on the following links:

• 2024 Degree Plan
• 2023 Degree Plan
• 2022 Degree Plan
• 2021 Degree Plan
• 2020 Degree Plan
• 2019 Degree Plan
• 2018 Degree Plan
• 2017 Degree Plan
• 2016 Degree Plan
• 2015 Degree Plan

CHPE3101 Materials Engineering (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM1071)

(Equivalent: MEIE3161(2-way))

This course covers: Materials engineering; Properties and performance; Crystalline phases; Imperfection in crystalline solids; Solid solution; Elastic and Plastic deformation; Hardness testing; Fatigue and creep testing; Phase diagrams, engineering alloys and Corrosion.

CHPE3102 Engineering Thermodynamics (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: MATH2107, CHEM1071)

(Equivalent: MEIE3141(2-way))

This course covers: Basic concepts of thermodynamics; PVT of pure fluids and equations of state; First and second laws; Thermodynamic properties of pure fluids; Applications to flow processes.

CHPE3103 Professional Practice (2 credits)

(Pre-requisite: LANC2161)

(Equivalent: CIVL2401 (2-way))

This course introduces the student to basic issues in Engineering Ethic by the study of the morality of engineers’ actions, duties and ideals and their interactions and consequences on the society. The societal responsibilities of engineers are analyzed through chemical and petroleum engineering code of practice. Thus, students will understand issues such as: moral autonomy, corporate responsibility, whistle blowing, conflict of interest, risk assessment, environment and sustainable development.

CHPE3112 Principles of Chemical Processes (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM1071)

This course covers: Application of physical and chemical principles to problems in chemical and processing industries; Stoichiometry; Processes and process variables, Thermodynamic data; Material balance on non-reactive and reactive systems. General energy balance; Heat of reactions; Energy balance for reactive systems.

CHPE3212 Chemical Process Industries (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324)

This course introduces a theoretical study of a number of chemical industries and processes of strategic importance to Oman as well as other industries outside Oman; petrochemical, fertilizer industry, LNG, water/sewage treatment soaps and detergents, cement, food processing, glass, electrochemical, plastics, perfumes, fuel gases etc.

CHPE3302 Fluid Flow (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE3102)

This course covers: Fluid statics; Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids; Bernoulli equation; Flow of fluids; Flow meters, Pumps and compressors; Two-phase flow, Fluid flow in porous media, Packed and Fluidized beds; Agitation and mixing.

CHPE3402 Heat Transfer (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: MATH4174, CHPE3302)

(Equivalent: MEIE4144(2-way))

This course covers: Concepts and theories of heat transfer; Introduction to different modes of heat transfer; Steady state and transient heat transfer: Conduction, natural and forced convection, and radiation; Heat Transfer coefficients; Introduction to heat exchangers.

CHPE4102 Polymers (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324 or PNGE3111)

This course offers an overview of engineering analysis and design techniques for synthetic polymers. It includes polymerization reactions, mechanical and viscoelastic characterization, deformation mechanisms, processing and polymer rheology. Additional topics on biopolymers and nanotechnology will be covered.

CHPE4106 Introduction to Colloids and Interface Science (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324 or PNGE3111)

This course aims to introduce the students to the science and applications of colloids and interfaces. Topics covered are: introduction to colloids, surface tension, wettability, capillarity, intermolecular and surfaces forces, DLVO theory, emulsions, colloidal stability in presence of polymers and surfactants.

CHPE4112 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE3102, CHPE3112)

The objective of this course is to develop the laws of thermodynamics into working equations, and to cover the fundamental property relations, residual properties, vapor-liquid equilibrium of ideal and non-ideal systems and chemical reaction equilibrium in order to apply these concepts in the design of chemical process equipment.

CHPE4114 Computer Aided Design (2 credits)

(Pre-requisite: PNGE3202)

This course covers: Modeling and simulation; Introduction to computational tools available for the solution of chemical and process engineering problems; Chemical process simulators; Spreadsheets.

CHPE4202 Corrosion Engineering (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM2102)

This course in corrosion engineering introduces corrosion and its adverse effects on engineering equipment and processes. The main topics to be covered include: Principles of corrosion, types of corrosion, corrosion control, cathodic protection, corrosion inhibitors, corrosion prevention, corrosion testing and material selection.

CHPE4206 Introduction to Nanotechnology (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324 or PNGE3111)

This course covers the following topics: nanotechnology, nanomaterials, atoms, molecules & clusters, colloids, top down approach, bottom up approach, property changes with size scaling, synthesis of nanomaterials, applications of nanomaterials, sensors.

CHPE4212 Unit Operations I (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE3402)

This course covers: Molecular, convective and interphase mass transfer; Transport properties; Continuous and stage-wise mass transfer; Absorption/stripping operations; Design of certain separation equipment.

CHPE4302 Desalination (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE3402)

This course aims at studying industrial desalination processes. Topics covered include global and local water resources, water quality and analysis, technical and economic analysis of major desalination processes such as multi-stage flash, reverse osmosis, multiple-effect distillation and electro dialysis.

CHPE4306 Wastewater Treatment (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324 or PNGE3111)

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the theory and practice of wastewater treatment. The course covers wastewater treatment concepts including key constituents and quality standards. This course will help students develop the ability to apply basic understandings of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena to the successful design and operation of wastewater treatment plants.

CHPE4312 Chemical Engineering Lab I (2 credits)

(Pre-requisites: ENGR3006, CHPE3402)

This is the first of a three-semester laboratory course sequence involving experiments covering the application of fundamental principles of chemical and process engineering to thermodynamics, fluid flow, and heat transfer. Experimental planning, automated data acquisition and report writing are stressed. Safety considerations are emphasized throughout.

CHPE4402 Natural Gas Processing (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE4112)

This course introduces different techniques for processing natural gas. Topics include: Natural gas properties including real gas mixtures behavior and the equations of state; Natural gas water systems, natural gas condensate systems, hydrate formation and inhibition; Separation processes; Field treatment of natural gas, absorption, and adsorption processes; Natural gas dehydration, sweetening and sulfur recovery.

CHPE4412 Process Heat Transfer (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE3101, CHPE3402 or MEIE 4144)

This course aims at investigating the design and the implementation of industrial heat exchangers. It provides the background needed to understand and master the commercial software packages used by professional engineers for design and analysis of heat exchangers. It also focuses on the types of heat exchangers most widely used by industry, namely shell-and-tube exchangers (including condensers, reboilers and vaporizers), air-cooled heat exchangers and double-pipe (hairpin) exchangers. It provides a substantial introduction to the design of heat exchanger networks using pinch technology, the most efficient strategy used to achieve optimal recovery of heat in industrial processes.

CHPE4512 Chemical Reaction Engineering (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324)

This course covers kinetics of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions, design of isothermal reactors such as Batch, CSTR and PFR. Other topics include data collection and handling; catalysis and catalytic reactions; non-isothermal reactor design; multiple reactions; and residence time distribution.

CHPE4612 Unit Operations II (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE4112, CHPE4212)

This course covers: Distillation; Liquid-liquid and solvent extraction; Design of industrial separation equipment. Flowsheeting programs will be used.

CHPE4712 Chemical Engineering Lab II (2 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE4312, CHPE4612, PNGE4101, CHEM3348)

(Co-requisite: CHPE4101)

This is the second of a three-semester laboratory course sequence that involves experiments, covering the application of fundamental principles of chemical and process engineering to process  unit operations. Experimental planning, automated data acquisition and report writing are stressed.

CHPE4812 Special Topics I (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE3402)

This is one of two Special Topics courses which are used to introduce new subjects in Chemical and Process Engineering in regular course format. Topics of interest to Oman's industrial development will be given priority. Topics given in this course cannot be repeated in CHPE4912 Special Topics II.

CHPE4912 Special Topics II (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE3402)

This is one of two Special Topics courses which are used to introduce new subjects in Chemical and Process Engineering in regular course format. Topics of interest to Oman's industrial development will be given priority. Topics given in this course cannot be repeated in CHPE4812 Special Topics I.

CHPE5112 Chemical Process Control (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE4512, MATH3171)

This course introduces the principles of dynamic process modeling and control. Methods and techniques are developed for the analysis, design and simulation of automatic control systems for chemical process plants. Subject covers modeling the static and dynamic behavior of processes; principles of process instrumentation, control strategies; design of feedback, feedforward, and other control structures as well as performing stability analysis of control loops.

CHPE5116 Biochemical Engineering (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE4512)

This course aims at covering topics in application of chemical engineering principles to biochemical processes. Topics include: basics of biology, enzymes, cells work, microbial growth, metabolic pathways, operation and control of bioreactors, recovery and purification of products.

CHPE5207 Petroleum Refining Processes (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHEM3324 or PNGE3111)

This course describes all the processes involved in modern crude oil refineries such as desalting, atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation, thermal cracking, catalytic cracking, hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, isomerization, polymerization, absorption processes, adsorption processes, gasoline blending, wastewater treatment, and sulfur removal. It starts with an introduction to crude oil composition and characterization and specifications of the desired products from refineries.

CHPE5212 Chemical Engineering Lab III (2 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE4712, CHPE5112)

This is the third of a three-semester laboratory course sequence involving experiments covering the application of fundamental principles of process control as well as reaction engineering in chemical engineering operations. In the process control experiments, the students will practice on areas such as level, flow, pressure and temperature control and instrumentations. Additionally, in the reaction engineering experiments, the batch, continuous and tubular reactors will be covered. Experimental planning, automated data acquisition and report writing are stressed.

CHPE5312 Project I (2 credits)

(Pre-requisites:CHPE4114, CHPE4512, CHPE4612, CHPE3103)

This is the first part of the cap-stone design project. Students perform raw material selection, process selection and flow sheeting, mass and energy balance, and plant location.

CHPE 5412 Plant and Process Design (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE4412, CHPE4512, CHPE4612, PNGE5103)

This course intends to introduce students to the principles of chemical process design, process flow diagrams including symbols, piping and instrumentation, representation of the structure of complex, interconnected chemical processes with recycles streams, general design considerations regarding environmental, health, safety and selection of plant location and layout, process design development, selection, materials of construction and corrosion considerations. Capital and operating cost estimation and profitability analysis.

CHPE5512 Project II (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE5312, CHPE5412, CHPE5612, PNGE5203)

This is the second part of the cap-stone design project. Students perform detailed design of the major equipment, process control, HSE studies, and economic analysis.

CHPE5612 Chemical Process Safety (3 credits)

(Pre-requisites: CHPE3302, PHYS2108)

A study of the fundamentals of chemical process safety. It includes toxicology, industrial hygiene, source models, fires and explosions, relief systems, hazard identification, risk assessment, accident investigations, and process safety management.

CHPE5712 Process Integration, Synthesis and Simulation (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE4612)

This course presents systematic process-integration tools for the synthesis, development, and screening of potential process flowsheets. It includes Introduction to Process Design, Global Analysis of Mass and Energy Flows, Mass Integration, Energy Integration.

CHPE5812 Heterogeneous Catalysis and Reactor Design (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: CHPE4512)

This course covers definition of heterogeneous catalysis; properties of catalysts; catalyst preparation; catalyst characterization; kinetics of catalytic reactions; ideal heterogeneous reactors; non-isothermal reactor design; mass and heat transfer effects in heterogeneous reactors; catalysis in petrochemicals and environmental protection. A number of practical sessions will support this course.

For information on other courses, listed in your degree plan offered by other department/college, Kindly click here.

In the first part (first FYP course) of the cap-stone design project students perform raw material selection, process selection and flow sheeting, mass and energy balance, and plant location. In the second part (second FYP course) of the second part of the cap-stone design project, students perform detailed design of the major equipment, process control, HSE studies, and economic analysis.

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Chemical & Process Engineering Program Enrollment and Graduation Statistics

* Students have not yet  selected programs

** Includes late students in year 6 and above

 . 

FT--full time

PT--part time

Note: The College doesn’t have any part-time (PT) students for undergraduate programs