Chemical Engineering M.S. and Chemical and Biological Engineering Ph.D.
Contact Information
Dr. David Dixon
Chemistry Building, Room 220
(605) 394-1230
Fax: (605) 394-2421
david.dixon@sdsmt.edu
For Additional Information:
Download Catalog Pages:
Chemical Engineering M.S. (PDF)
Chemical and Biological Engineering Ph.D. (PDF)
Program Summary
A graduate with a M.S. in Chemical Engineering or a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering obtains an education that provides an in-depth understanding of the chemistry, mathematics, and physical laws describing systems at both the molecular level and the macroscopic level. This can be in areas such as, transport phenomena, chemical kinetics, biochemical engineering, chemical thermodynamics, materials, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, process modeling, and biotechnology.
The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is in a position to be the Chemical and Biological Engineering program of choice in the region. The department has an innovative and recognized undergraduate curriculum and extraordinarily vigorous graduate program. The faculty members are in a position to provide practical research that can drive local economic development (biofuels, materials, nano, and bioprocessing).
The Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering (CBE) is the only Chemical and Biological Engineering program in South Dakota and has offered a M.S. in Chemical Engineering for more than 50 years. The Chemical and Biological Engineering Ph.D. program will provide the CBE Ph.D. graduate an educational experience resulting in cutting-edge training that will allow graduates to find positions in fields like; biochemical and petrochemical processing, bio-based energy technologies, including biomass and biofuels; bio-based and bio-compatible materials; bioremediation; emerging energy technologies; nanoenergetics; combustion synthesis; and polymer and composite materials and processing.
Program Description
The need for a Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering is apparent with the recent developments surrounding crude oil supplies and production, global warming, biomolecular developments, and regional instabilities. With increasing demand on new fuel and chemical sources, derived from feed stocks other than natural gas and crude oil, there is a significant need for research engineers with training that cuts across chemical engineering and industrial microbiology. This unique educational training is accomplished by fusing chemical engineering, biochemical engineering and industrial microbiology into a coherent curriculum.
The CBE Department is a valuable and vital asset to the South Dakota higher education system and to the economic development in the State of South Dakota. The research pursued by the faculty during the eight decades since its inception has consistently spanned the areas of chemical process and plant design, materials synthesis and processing, and biochemical engineering. Today the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is poised to extend and enhance dramatically its traditions of excellence.
The Chemical and Biological Engineering program is recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally for its distinctive qualities, including, innovative curriculum, dedicated faculty, niche research expertise, and economic development activities. The biology component of the department is a critical and foundational part of the university mission and the Governor’s 2010 initiatives, including; a core of the new Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering; a critical component of the B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Geology/Geological Engineering; and finally, it is a key part of the new 2010 Center for Bioprocessing Research and Development (CBRD) and extremophile research at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL).
