CURRICULUM RENEWAL FOR BETTER DESIGN-RELATED STUDENT OUTCOMES IN SECOND-YEAR CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

Abstract

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UBC is currently undergoing a major curriculum renewal with the aim of modernizing the two undergraduate programs it offers to better prepare students for increasingly diverse industries. Part of this initiative aims to introduce design earlier and integrate it throughout the programs. At the core of the new 2nd year curriculum are two new courses: CHBE 220 and 221 – Fundamentals of Chemical and Biological Engineering I/II. CHBE 220 is taken in term 1 and replaces a previous classically-structured physical chemistry course and an introductory seminar on process technology. It focuses on basic chemical process design and analysis, drawing from thermodynamics and kinetics as needed to support design topics. CHBE 221, offered in term 2, replaces the previous introductory cell biology course, and focuses on industrial microbiology and bioprocess design, drawing from cell and molecular biology and physical chemistry as needed to support design tasks. Both courses include substantial term-spanning design projects. This paper outlines the content and structure of both courses and their place in the updated curriculum. It describes the integrated design projects and other course deliverables. Recommendations for future iterations of the courses are also presented.