Graduate Courses
Below on this page are CHEE graduate courses with syllabi and prerequisites. Many of the courses offered or required for the new Environmental Engineering ME are in other University of Arizona departments. For information on those non-CHEE courses, please see the individual department websites.
See the CHEE Graduate Handbook (PDF) for program details.
Please see information on Fall 2020 Course Modalities.
Additional course information, including fees and grading bases, is available through the UA Catalog.
ATMO 469A/569A: Air Pollution I: Gases
An introduction to the chemistry and physics of the troposphere and stratosphere. Topics include natural biogeochemical cycles; atmospheric photochemistry; stratospheric ozone; urban ozone and particulate matter; atmospheric visibility; acid deposition; air pollution meteorology; Gaussian plume model; photochemical model; air quality regulations. Identical to ATMO 469A.
ATMO 469B/569B: Air Pollution II: Aerosols
An introduction to the chemistry and physics of atmospheric aerosols. Topics include aerosol sources and sinks; basic aerosol properties; single aerosol mechanics; aerosol population dynamics; atmospheric aerosol optics; aerosols and climate; aerosols and health; regional haze; aerosol measurement techniques.
CHEE 400A/500A: Environmental Engineering Laboratory I
This laboratory experience focuses on unit operations and processes commonly applied in environmental engineering and supports fundamental concepts developed in required courses for Environmental Engineering majors. Individual and group reports and oral presentations will serve as vehicles for the development of technical communications skills. Two and a half hours of laboratory per week during 5 weeks.
CHEE 400B/500B: Environmental Engineering Laboratory II
This laboratory experience focuses on unit operations and processes commonly applied in environmental engineering and supports fundamental concepts developed in required courses for Environmental Engineering majors. Individual and group reports and oral presentations will serve as vehicles for the development of technical communications skills. Two and a half hours of laboratory per week during 5 weeks. Graduate-level requirements include a course paper, an oral presentation, and additional exam questions.
CHEE 412/512: Electrochemical Engineering
This course is suited to people with a physical sciences background who have not been trained as electrochemists, but who want to add electrochemical methods to their repertoire. There are many disciplines in which it would be advantageous to understand and use some electrochemical methods to complement the work that they are doing. The following topics will be covered: 1) Introduction and Overview of Electrode Processes 2 )Chemical vs. Electrochemical Thermodynamics and cell potentials, Nernst equation, electrode-solution interface, double-Layer structure, and adsorption and applications in analytical electrochemistry and sensors 3) Chemical Stoichiometry vs. Faraday's Law and coulometry, bulk electrolysis 4) Chemical vs. Electrochemical Kinetics and electrode reactions, rates, mechanisms and rate constants, mass transport, Butler-Volmer, Tafel, and Levich equations 5) Kinetic Methodology and potential step and sweep methods, polarography, controlled-current techniques, controlled mass transport approaches, rotating electrodes, microelectrodes, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy 6) Electrochemical Instrumentation and voltmeters, potentiostats, cells, counter and reference electrodes, etc. Also included, if time permits: 7) Coupled Characterization Methods and modified electrodes, spectroelectrochemistry, in-situ neutron scattering, surface analysis, etc. 8) Scanning Probe Techniques and scanning electrochemical microscopy, AFM, etc.
CHEE 420/520: Chemical Reaction Engineering
Application of thermodynamic and kinetic fundamentals to the analysis and design of chemical reactors. Graduate-level requirements include an in-depth research paper on a current topic.
CHEE 437/537: Surface Science
Fundamental material, electrical and chemical properties of solid metal, semiconductor, insulator and organic surfaces applied to selected gas-solid surface chemical reactions important in semiconductor processing and heterogeneous catalysis. This course is designed to introduce students to the chemistry and physics of solid surfaces and interfaces with an emphasis on the gas-solid interface. The first half of the course is devoted to learning the fundamental material, electrical and chemical properties of solid surfaces. The second half covers applying these fundamentals to topics in chemical catalysis and integrated circuit manufacture.
CHEE 474/574: Fate and Transport Processes in Environmental Engineering
Processes affecting mass transfer and transformation in natural and engineered environmental systems. Process modeling using reactor models. Mass transfer kinetics and equilibrium. Mass and energy balances.
CHEE 476A/576A: Water Treatment System Design
Application of theory and engineering experience to design of unit operations for production of potable water. Covers water regulations, conventional treatment technologies and selected advance treatment topics. Graduate-level requirements include a research paper.
CHEE 476B/576B: Wastewater Treatment System Design
Application of theory and engineering experience to design of unit operations for treatment of wastewater. Covers water regulations, conventional treatment technologies and selected advanced treatment topics. Graduate-level requirements include additional homework problems, course paper and additional exam questions.
CHEE 477R/577R: Microbiology for Engineers
Principles of microbiology, including physiology, metabolism, genetics and ecology. Explores fundamental microbial processes and their environmental significance and application in environmental engineering. Graduate-level requirements include an oral report to the class based on a literature search.
CHEE 478/578: Introduction to Hazardous Waste Management
Management, planning, legal and engineering aspects of liquid and solid hazardous waste treatment and disposal. Graduate-level requirements include additional homework problems, a term paper, and additional exam questions.
CHEE 481A/581A: Engineering of Biological Processes
Application of design of biological systems principles of engineering, science and mathematics, including statistics, kinetics, sensors, and bioreactor design and scale-up. Exploration of principal areas of biological engineering, such as food process engineering, tissue engineering and large-scale fermentation processes. Graduate-level requirements include an oral presentation and belonging to the Journal Club. Identical to ABE 481A/581A.
CHEE 481B/581B: Cell and Tissue Engineering
Development of biological engineering methods including applied genetics, metabolic regulation, and bioreactors employed in industrial processes for manufacture of pharmaceuticals and in the design of tissue engineered devices to replace normal physiological function.
CHEE 482/582: Analysis of Emerging Environmental Contaminants
Contaminants of emerging concern are major scientific and political issues. Many have been detected in air, water, soil and biota, and most are identified and quantified using nonstandardized methods, often with limited or questionable quality assurance and quality control. At times, public policy and resource allocation are based on these uncertain data. There are thousands of potential contaminants for which no analytical methodologies have been developed. Through this course, students become familiar with the diversity of analytical (instrumental) and bioanalytical (bioassay) tools currently available, and discover the pros and cons of each approach. The class also discusses future opportunities, such as development of online sensors and miniaturization of environmental methods. While the emphasis of the course is on water analysis, the class also briefly discusses implications for other environmental matrices, such as biosolids, sediments, solids, tissues, body fluids and aerosols. Contaminants are discussed in terms of classes (such as pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, nanoparticles, metals, disinfection byproducts) and physical chemical properties (such as water solubility, pH, volatility, molecular weight and molecular geometry). This class provides a hands-on experience with key instrument platforms, such as gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, inductively coupled plasma with mass spectrometric detection, liquid chromatography with diode array UV, fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection. Cellular and whole animal bioassays for the screening of complex mixtures of contaminants are discussed and demonstrated. Key principles of toxicity identification and evaluation are covered, along with real-world examples of how to determine causes of observed environmental toxicity. Students work independently and in groups to investigate a key issue relative to environmental analysis, write a paper on this topic, and present and defend their findings before the class.
CHEE 483/583: Introduction to Polymeric Materials
The aim of this course is to develop a working understanding of the foundations of polymeric materials. Successful completion of this course will allow you to understand basic polymer chemistry, characterization of polymers and polymer behavior. Topics covered include the structure of polymers, mechanisms of polymer synthesis, characterization methods (including calorimetric, mechanical, rheological and X-ray-based techniques), and their electronic, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties. Special classes of polymers: engineering plastics, semiconducting polymers, photoresists and polymers for medicine.
CHEE 487/587: Topics in Transport Phenomena
Special topics in transport phenomena oriented toward practical applications in specific industrial and research areas. Topics include the dynamics of non-Newtonian fluids, thermal radiation, transport in multiphases systems, design of fluid transport systems, atmospheric transport and mechanics of interfaces.
CHEE 489/589: Trends in Nanomedicine Engineering - Fundamentals of Therapeutics and Drug Delivery Systems
Nanomedicine engineering research involves the advance of diagnostics for rapid screening and monitoring, controlled and localized drug delivery, targeted cancer therapies, enhanced cell material interactions, scaffolds for tissue engineering and gene delivery systems amongst others. Developments in nanomedicine engineering to effectively benefit patients require the interaction of diverse disciplines including chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, engineering, materials science, cellular and molecular biology, pharmaceutical sciences and clinical translational medicine. This interdisciplinary course will address how materials are fabricated and characterized, and how they interact in biological systems. The emphasis of the course will be in the application of therapeutics and controlled release drug delivery systems. Integration of biomaterial nanostructures and release analysis will be highlighted throughout the course. Through lectures, paper reviews, class discussions, experimental lab exposure, class presentations and homework assignments, students will develop an in-depth understanding of the various ways nanoparticles have been used as diagnostics tools, in advancing tissue engineering and in how drug delivery systems can be improved to overcome the problems associated with typical oral and intravenous administration. Several types of drug and gene delivery methods, including oral, transdermal, implantable, targeted and pulmonary, will be discussed. The course will highlight the rational design of drug delivery devices based on the fundamental understanding in engineering, pharmacology, chemistry and biomaterials science.
CHEE 500R: Water Chemistry for Engineers
Introduction to primarily aqueous-phase equilibria governing water-quality characteristics of interest in potable water supply, wastewater treatment and natural waters. Topics include acid-base and metal-ligand equilibria, oxidation-reduction reactions, and chemical reaction thermodynamics. Some emphasis on equilibria governing interphase (gas-liquid, solid-liquid) chemical distribution. Mathematical approaches to prediction of equilibrium chemical speciation are stressed. Graduate-level requirements include application of canned computer algorithms to solve equilibrium chemistry problems.
CHEE 502: Advanced Engineering Analysis
Process modeling techniques, residence time distribution theory, dynamics of distributed parameter systems, nonlinear parameter estimation.
CHEE 503: Research Proposal Writing for Chemical Engineers
The purpose of this graduate-level course is to develop the writing and oral presentation skills necessary for the preparation of original research proposals in chemical engineering. The course will cover topics in principles of effective writing and composition; fundamentals of technical communication (written and oral); literature reviews; grant opportunities and strategies; professional ethics in research activities; "grantsmanship"; and professional development at the graduate and post-graduate level. The course will emphasize practical development of skills through practicums and peer-review exercises. Preparation and review of an original proposal will be required for completion of this course.
CHEE 505: Advanced Chemical Engineering Transport Phenomena
Momentum, energy and mass transport in continua, solution of multidimensional laminar flow problems, turbulence, boundary layer theory.
CHEE 506: Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
Advanced applications of First and Second Laws, nonideal gases and liquids and their mixtures, principles of chemical equilibrium, and molecular theory.
CHEE 514: Sustainable Water Supplies for Remote Communities
This capstone course integrates engineering and science disciplines with humanities to fully prepare students for the interdisciplinary collaboration required to tackle the Food, Energy and Water Systems (FEWS) challenges of indigenous communities with skill, respect and fellowship. This 4-credit hour course is designed to combine the aspects of the FEWS in engineering, although the course is open to all graduate students. The course primarily focuses on the “water” aspect of the food, energy and water nexus at the start of the course. The second half of the course will tie in the rest of the FEWS subjects into a design project. The course will be a mixture of lecture and project-based learning. Topics to be covered are: regulatory approaches to water quality, water engineering, water issues specifically in Arizona, and a final design project.
CHEE 525: Emerging Issues in Water Quality
This course will investigate, discuss, and debate major emerging water quality issues which threaten our water sustainability and the regulatory paradigms to address these challenges.
CHEE 530: Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering
Kinetics of heterogeneous reaction systems, non-ideal flow reactor models, reactor stability, analysis of industrial reactors.
CHEE 542: Bioremediation of Inorganic Contaminants
This course focuses on biological remediation techniques for inorganic contaminants (nitrogen and sulfur-containing compounds, iron, heavy metals, metalloids and radionuclides). The course explores fundamental chemical and biological processes as well as engineering aspects.
CHEE 572: Interfacial Chemistry of Biomolecules in Environmental Systems
Introduction to the chemical and adhesive properties of macromolecules at interfaces. The fundamental physico-chemical forces that govern adsorption of macromolecules at interfaces and inter-particle adhesion will be discussed. Topics such as surface tension, self-assembly, adsorption of polymers and biomolecules, and bacterial cell adhesion will be discussed with emphasis on environmental applications. Identical to WES 572. (Offered even academic years only).
CHEE 574: Environmental Transport Processes
Engineering concerns in toxic and hazardous waste management with focus on aspects of chemical transport between air, water and soil systems, and microbial degradation processes in natural and engineering environment. Identical to CE 574.
CHEE 591: Preceptorship
Specialized work consisting of individual instruction and practice in chemical or environmental engineering. Activities may include instruction in laboratories and discussion sessions, and preparation and support of course materials.
CHEE 594: Practicum
Practical professional training. Student will play an engineer-in-training role within a municipal agency or consulting firm. These periods of apprenticeship or training and professional activities will be arranged in an ad hoc basis to the mutual satisfaction of student's advisor and the sponsoring agency. (1-5 units)
CHEE 597A: Engineering GK-12
This workshop will support graduate fellows working in K-12 classrooms through the Engineering program. Through weekly discussions, reading and journaling, graduate students will reflect upon their classroom experiences, share teaching strategies and learn about the processes of teaching and learning engineering. May be repeated a maximum of 2 units or 2 completions.
CHEE 597B: Engineering Outreach Methodology
This workshop will support graduate students interested in K-12 outreach and working in K-12 classrooms through the engineering program. Through weekly discussions, assignments, reading and journaling, graduate students will learn teaching methods and about how engineering concepts can be incorporated into everyday classes.
CHEE 599: Independent Study
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599. (1-3 units)
CHEE 676: Advanced Water and Wastewater Treatment
Advanced design for water and wastewater treatment. Emphasis on modern environmental engineering processes for water and wastewater treatment. Identical to CE 676.
CHEE 696A: Chemical and Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar
The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research though discussion, report and/or papers. May be repeated for credit 6 times (maximum 7 enrollments).
CHEE 696C: Topics in Mine Environment Management
Topics in state-of-the-art and practice for mine reclamation and environmental management of mine sites will be discussed from current literature. Students will gain an understanding of mining operations and the environmental impacts of the mine that need to be managed. Students will integrate readings in soil science, geology, hydrology, chemistry, biology, and engineering to formulate research topics.
CHEE 900: Research
Individual research, not related to thesis or dissertation preparation, by graduate students. May be repeated for a maximum of unlimited units or unlimited completions. (1-6 units)
CHEE 909: Master’s Report
Individual study or special project or formal report thereof submitted in lieu of thesis for master's degree. (1-4 units)
CHEE 910: Thesis
Research for the master's thesis (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or thesis writing). Maximum total credit permitted varies with the major department. May be repeated for a maximum of unlimited units or unlimited completions. (1-12 units)
CHEE 920: Dissertation
Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing). May be repeated for a maximum of unlimited units orunlimited completions. (1-12 units)