American University of Beirut

Baha and Walid Bassatne Department of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Energy

​​Chairperson:
Ahmad, Mohammad
Professor:Ahmad, Mohammad
Associate Professors:
Al-Hindi, Mahmoud; Azizi, Fouad; Saad, Walid; Zeaiter, Joseph​
Assistant Professors:Ghorayeb, Kassem; Maalouf, Elsa
Instructor:Itani, Adnan
Assistant Instructor:El Berjawi, Mohammad​

General Information

The Baha and Walid Bassatne Department of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Energy offers the degrees of Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering (Thesis/Non-Thesis) and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (Thesis/Non-Thesis).​

Master of Engineering (ME),
Major: Chemical Engineering

The Baha and Walid Bassatne Department of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Energy fosters a community of scholars among its faculty members and graduate students, who have an interest in advancing knowledge and contributing to the profession.

The ME Thesis program will be open to students with a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Chemical Engineering or other related disciplines.

The student must complete a minimum of 21 credit hours of courses and a 9 credit-hour thesis (30 credit hours in total) on a full- or part-time basis. A minimum of one calendar year of residence is required for graduation from this program.

Students who have a Bachelor of Engineering in a degree other than chemical engineering will be accepted as ME in chemical engineering and should take CHEN 417 and CHEN 470.

The required 30 credit hours of courses and thesis are distributed as follows:

  • 3 credits of applied mathematics
  • 6 credits of chemical engineering core required courses
  • 6 credits of chemical engineering electives
  • 6 credits of non-chemical engineering electives
  • 9 credits of thesis work
  • 0 credit of Seminar (when offered)
  • 0 credit of Thesis Proposal (CHEN 799T/TR)

ME Non-Thesis Program Requirements

The ME Non-Thesis program will be open to students with a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Chemical Engineering or other related disciplines.

The student must complete a minimum of 33 credit hours of courses on a full- or part-time basis. A minimum of one calendar year of residence is required for graduation from this program.

Students who have a Bachelor of Engineering in a degree other than chemical engineering will be accepted as ME in chemical engineering and should take CHEN 417 and CHEN 470.

The required 33 credit hours of courses and thesis are distributed as follows:

  • 3 credits of applied mathematics
  • 6 credits of chemical engineering core required courses
  • 12 credits of chemical engineering electives
  • 9 credits of non-chemical engineering electives
  • 3 credits of Special Topics/ Project​
  • 0 credit of Seminar when offered

The courses of each category are detailed below:

Applied Mathematics Course

The math course or math-oriented course offered by other departments must be approved by the graduate advisor. Additional math courses may be counted as non-chemical engineering electives. Acceptable courses include but are not limited to:​

​CIVE 710
​The Finite Element Method
​3 cr.
MATH 350/
CMPS 350
Discrete Models for Differential Equations​3 cr.
MATH 351/
CMPS 351
Optimization and Nonlinear Problems​3 cr.
CMPS 354The Finite Element Method​3 cr.
ENMG 604Deterministic Optimization Models​3 cr.
MECH 630Finite Element Methods in Mechanical Engineering​3 cr.
MECH 663Computational Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.

​Core Required Courses

​CHEN 611
​Transport Phenomena
​3 cr.
CHEN 617Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design​3 cr.

Special Courses and Thesis

A student should register for the Thesis Proposal (CHEN 799T) and pass it before being allowed to register for his/her thesis. If a student fails CHEN 799T, s/he must register for CHEN 799TR and take the exam during the next term (excluding summer). Once completed, the student can register for CHEN 799, then CHEN 799 (A-E) in subsequent terms until the completion of his/her independent research.

With the exception of CHEN 797, students are not allowed to take any of the listed special courses and Thesis more than once . The Seminar course is compulsory and students should register it every term (excluding summer).

Students must register for the following to complete their thesis requirements:

​CHEN799T/799TR
​Thesis Proposal
​0 cr.
CHEN 799Thesis9 cr.
CHEN 799A/B/CThesis(9cr, 0 billing) 9 cr.
CHEN 799D/EThesis(9 cr., 1 billing)
CHEN 797Seminar0 cr.

Chemical Engineering Elective Courses:

Students can choose courses from the following list:

Please note that students can only credit 600-level (or above) courses in the department.​​

​CHEN 610
​Materials Design and Characterization
​3 cr.
CHEN 612Desalination​3 cr.
CHEN 613Membrane Separation Processes​3 cr.
CHEN 614Environmental Engineering Separation Processes​​3 cr.
CHEN 615Advanced Mass Transfer Processes​3 cr.
CHEN 618Colloid and Interface Science​3 cr.
CHEN 619Sustainability Science: Human and Environment Interaction​3 cr.
CHEN 620Reaction Engineering and Reactor Design II​3 cr.
CHEN 630Sustainable Biorefinery Processes​3 cr.
CHEN 651Advanced Process Control​3 cr.
CHEN 670
Advanced Process Flowsheeting​3 cr.
CHEN 672Polymer Science​3 cr.
CHEN 673Engineering of Drug Delivery Systems​3 cr.
CHEN 674Process Operations and Diagnosis​3 cr.
​CHEN 675
​Tissue Engineering
​3 cr.
CHEN 690Reservoir Engineering​3 cr.
CHEN 696Reservoir Modeling3 cr.​
CHEN 779Special Projects3 cr.​
CHEN 796Engineering Literature Critique1 cr.​
CHEN 798Special Topics in Chemical Engineering I3 cr.​
CHEN 798AWaste Minimization in the Process Industry​3 cr.
CHEN 798BSpecial Topics in Chemical Engineering II​3 cr.

Non-Chemical Engineering Elective Courses:

Students can choose courses from the following list:

Please note that students can only credit 600-level (or above) courses in the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (or at an equivalent level in other faculties).

​BMEN 600
​Biomedical Engineering Applications
​3 cr.
BMEN 601Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems​3 cr.
BMEN 605Biomedical Imaging​3 cr.
BMEN 606Nano Biosensors​3 cr.
CIVE 602Experimental Design and Statistical Methods​3 cr.
CIVE 651Processes in Water and Wastewater Treatment​3 cr.
CIVE 652Landfill Engineering Design​3 cr.
CIVE 654Environmental Bioremediation​3 cr.
CIVE 655Air Pollution and Control3 cr.
CIVE 656Environmental Impact Assessment​3 cr.
CIVE 658Industrial Waste Management​3 cr.
CIVE 710The Finite Element Method​3 cr.
CIVE 740Transport Phenomena in Surface and Subsurface Waters​3 cr.
CIVE 755Air Pollution Modeling​3 cr.
CMPS 350Discrete Models for Differential Equations​3 cr.
CMPS 351Optimization and Non-Linear Problems​3 cr.
​CMPS 354
The Finite Element Method​3 cr.
​EECE 601
​Biomedical Engineering I

​3 cr.
EECE 602Biomedical Engineering II​3 cr.
EECE 663/
MECH 656
System Identification​3 cr.
EECE 671Environmental Aspects of Energy Systems​3 cr.
EECE 672Energy Planning and Policy​3 cr.
EECE 675PV and Wind Electric Energy Systems​3 cr.
ENMG 601Management Theory​3 cr.
ENMG 602Introduction to Financial Engineering​3 cr.
ENMG 603
Probability and Decision Analysis​3 cr.
ENMG 604Deterministic Optimization Models​3 cr.
ENMG 611Supply Chain Design and Management​3 cr.
ENMG 612Advanced Supply Chain Design and Management​3 cr.
ENMG 616Advanced Optimization Techniques​3 cr.
ENMG 622Simulation Modeling and Analysis​3 cr.
ENMG 623Stochastic Models and Applications​3 cr.
ENMG 633Advanced Topics in Project Management​3 cr.
ENMG 654Technology-Based Entrepreneurship​3 cr.
ENGM 659Introduction to System Dynamics​3 cr.
ENMG 663Product Design and Development​3 cr.
MATH 350Discrete Models for Differential Equations
​3 cr.
MATH 351
Optimization and Non-Linear Problems​3 cr.
MECH 603Solar Energy​3 cr.
MECH 606Aerosol Dynamics​3 cr.
MECH 607Micro-Flows Fundamentals and Applications​3 cr.
MECH 609Experimental Methods in Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.
MECH 627Polymers and Their Properties​3 cr.
MECH 630Finite Element Methods in Mechanical Engineering​3 cr.
MECH 634Biomaterial and Medical Devices​3 cr.
MECH 663Computational Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.
​MECH 672
​Modeling Energy Systems
​3 cr.
MECH 674Energy Economics and Policy​3 cr.
MECH 678Solar Electricity​3 cr.
MECH 701Principles of Combustion​3 cr.
MECH 747Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis​3 cr.
MECH 751Simulation of Multiphase Flows​3 cr.
MECH 760Advanced Fluid Mechanics​3 cr.
MECH 761Convection Heat Transfer​3 cr.
MECH 764Advanced Topics in Computational Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.
MECH 765Advanced Finite Volume Techniques​3 cr.
MECH 766Turbulent Flow and Transport​3 cr.
MECH 767Heat Conduction​3 cr.
MECH 768Transport Through Porous Media​3 cr.
MECH 773Numerical Methods in Energy Technology​3 cr.
MECH 798AFundamentals of Energy and Resource Recovery​3 cr.

Master of Science (MS),

Major: Chemical Engineering

The Baha and Walid Bassatne Department of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Energy fosters a community of scholars among its faculty members and graduate students, who have an interest in advancing knowledge and contributing to the profession.

The MS Thesis program is open to students with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering or other related disciplines. Additionally, it is also open to students with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, biology, mathematics or physics.

The student must complete a minimum of 37 credit hours of courses and 9 credit hours of thesis work (46 credits in total) on a full- or part-time basis. A minimum of two calendar years of residence is required for graduation from this program.

The minimum required 46 credit hours of courses and thesis are distributed as follows:

  • 3 credits of applied mathematics
  • 12 credits of core required courses
  • 13 credits of chemical engineering electives
  • 9 credits of non-chemical engineering electives
  • 9 credits of thesis work
  • 0 credit of Seminar (when offered)
  • 0 credit of Thesis Proposal (CHEN 799T/TR)

MS Non-Thesis Program Requirements:

The MS Non-Thesis program is open to students with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering or other related disciplines. Additionally, it is also open to students with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, biology, mathematics or physics.

The student must complete a minimum of 46 credit hours of courses on a full- or part- time basis. A minimum of two calendar years of residence is required for graduation from this program.

The minimum required 46 credit hours of courses and thesis are distributed as follows:

  • 3 credits of applied mathematics
  • 12 credits of core required courses
  • 16 credits of chemical engineering electives
  • 12 credits of non-chemical engineering electives
  • 3 credits of Special Topics/project
  • 0 credit of Seminar when offered

The courses that fall in each category are detailed below:

Applied Mathematics Course:

The math course or math-oriented course offered by other departments must be approved by the graduate student advisor. Additional math courses may be counted as non-chemical engineering electives. Acceptable courses include but are not limited to:​

CIVE 710
The Finite Element Method
​3 cr.
MATH 350/
CMPS 350

Discrete Models for Differential Equations
​3 cr.
MATH 351/
CMPS 351

Optimization and Nonlinear Problems
​3 cr.
CMPS 354
The Finite Element Method
​3 cr.
ENMG 604
Deterministic Optimization Models
​3 cr.
MECH 630
Finite Element Methods in Mechanical Engineering
​3 cr.
MECH 663
Computational Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.

Core Require​d Courses:

CHEN 570
Process Synthesis and Optimization
​3 cr.
CHEN 571 Chemical Product Design​3 cr.
CHEN 611Transport Phenomena ​3 cr.
CHEN 617Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design​3 cr.

​Special Cou​​rses and Thesis:

A student should register for the Thesis Proposal (CHEN 799T) and pass it before being allowed to register for his/her thesis. If a student fails CHEN 799T, s/he must register for CHEN 799TR and take the exam during the next term (excluding summer). Once completed, the student can register for CHEN 799, then CHEN 799 (A-E) in subsequent terms until completion of his/her independent research.

With the exception of CHEN 797, students are not allowed to take any of the listed special courses and Thesis more than once . The Seminar course is compulsory and students should register it every term(excluding summer)

Students must register for the following to complete their thesis requirements.​​

​CHEN 799T/
CHEN 799TR
​Thesis Proposal
​0 cr.
CHEN 799Thesis9 cr.
CHEN 799A/B/CThesis(9cr, 0 billing)
CHEN 799D/EThesis(9 cr., 1 billing)
CHEN 797Seminar0 cr.

​Chemical Engineering Elective Courses:

Students can choose courses from the following list:​

Please note that students can only credit 600-level (or above) courses in the department.

​CHEN 610
​Materials Design and Characterization
​3 cr.
CHEN 612Desalination​3 cr.
CHEN 613Membrane Separation Processes​3 cr.
CHEN 614Environmental Engineering Separation Processes​3 cr.
CHEN 615Advanced Mass Transfer Processes​3 cr.
CHEN 618Colloid and Interface Science​3 cr.
CHEN 619Sustainablity Science: Human and Environment Interaction​3 cr.
CHEN 620Reaction Engineering and Reactor Design II​3 cr.
CHEN 630Sustainable Biorefinery Processes​0 cr.
CHEN 651Advanced Process Control​3 cr.
CHEN 670Advanced Process Flow-sheeting​3 cr.
CHEN 672
Polymer Science​3 cr.
CHEN 673Engineering of Drug Delivery Systems​3 cr.
CHEN 674Process Operations and Diagnosis​3 cr.
CHEN 675Tissue Engineering​3 cr.
CHEN 690Reservoir Engineering​3 cr.
CHEN 696Reservoir Modeling​3 cr.
CHEN 779Special Projects​3 cr.
CHEN 796Engineering Literature Critique​1 cr.
CHEN 798Special Topics in Chemical Engineering I​3 cr.
CHEN 798AA Waste Minimization in the Process Industry​3 cr.
CHEN 798BSpecial Topics in Chemical Engineering II​3 cr.

​Non-Chemical Engineering Elective Courses:

Students can choose courses from the following list:

Please note that students can only credit 600-level (or above) courses in the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (or at an equivalent level in other faculties).

​BMEN 600
​Materials Design and Characterization
​3 cr.
BMEN 601Computational Modeling of Physiological Systems​3 cr.
BMEN 605Biomedical Imaging​3 cr.
BMEN 606Nano Biosensors​3 cr.
CIVE 602Experimental Design and Statistical Methods​3 cr.
CIVE 651Processes in Water and Wastewater Treatment​3 cr.
CIVE 652Landfill Engineering Design​3 cr.
CIVE 654Environmental Bioremediation​3 cr.
CIVE 655Air Pollution and Control​3 cr.
CIVE 656Environmental Impact Assessment​3 cr.
CIVE 658Industrial Waste Management​3 cr.
​CIVE 710
​The Finite Element Method
​3 cr.
CIVE 740Transport Phenomena in Surface and Subsurface Waters​3 cr.
CIVE 755Air Pollution Modeling​3 cr.
CMPS 350Discrete Models for Differential Equations​3 cr.
CMPS 351Optimization and Non-Linear Problems​3 cr.
CMPS 354The Finite Element Method​3 cr.
EECE 601Biomedical Engineering I​3 cr.
EECE 602Biomedical Engineering II​3 cr.
EECE 663 /
MECH 656
System Identification​3 cr.
EECE 671Environmental Aspects of Energy Systems​3 cr.
EECE 672Energy Planning and Policy​3 cr.
EECE 675PV and Wind Electric Energy Systems​3 cr.
ENMG 601Management Theory​3 cr.
ENMG 602Introduction to Financial Engineering​3 cr.
​ENMG 603
​Probability and Decision Analysis
​3 cr.
ENMG 604Deterministic Optimization Models​3 cr.
ENMG 611Supply Chain Design and Management​3 cr.
ENMG 612Advanced Supply Chain Design and Management​3 cr.
ENMG 616Advanced Optimization Techniques​3 cr.
ENMG 622Simulation Modeling and Analysis​3 cr.
ENMG 623Stochastic Models and Applications​3 cr.
ENMG 633Advanced Topics in Project Management​3 cr.
ENMG 654Technology-Based Entrepreneurship​3 cr.
ENGM 659Introduction to System Dynamics​3 cr.
ENMG 663Product Design and Development​3 cr.
MATH 350Discrete Models for Differential Equations​3 cr.
MATH 351Optimization and Non-Linear Problems​3 cr.
MECH 603Solar Energy​3 cr.
MECH 606
Aerosol Dynamics​3 cr.
MECH 607Micro-Flows Fundamentals and Applications​3 cr.
MECH 609​Experimental Methods in Fluid Dynamics
​3 cr.
MECH 627Polymers and Their Properties​3 cr.
MECH 630Finite Element Methods in Mechanical Engineering​3 cr.
MECH 634Biomaterial and Medical Devices​3 cr.
MECH 663Computational Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.
MECH 672
Modeling Energy Systems​3 cr.
MECH 674Energy Economics and Policy​3 cr.
MECH 678Solar Electricity​3 cr.
MECH 701Principles of Combustion​3 cr.
MECH 747Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis​3 cr.
MECH 751Simulation of Multiphase Flows​3 cr.
MECH 760Advanced Fluid Mechanics​3 cr.
MECH 761Convection Heat Transfer​3 cr.
MECH 764Advanced Topics in Computational Fluid Dynamics​3 cr.
​MECH 765
​Advanced Finite Volume Techniques
​3 cr.
MECH 766Turbulent Flow and Transport​3 cr.
MECH 767Heat Conduction​3 cr.
MECH 768Transport Through Porous Media​3 cr.
MECH 773Numerical Methods in Energy Technology​3 cr.
MECH 798AFundamentals of Energy and Resource Recovery​3 cr.

​Science Majors

Students who have a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, biology, mathematics or physics will be accepted as prospective graduate students in the MS program.

It is the responsibility of these students to have completed the equivalent of both MATH 218 and MATH 251 prior to joining the program.

If MATH 251 is not taken, the student has to take EECE 231/CMPS 200 first, then in the next term, the student has to register MATH 251 to pass graduate courses.

Students will also have to pass the following courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or 80 before joining the MS program:

  • Required core chemical engineering courses: CHEN 311, CHEN 312, CHEN 314, CHEN 411 and CHEN 417 .
  • One of the following three courses is required: CHEN 351, CHEN 451, CHEN 470.​

Engineering Majors

Students who have a Bachelor of Engineering other than chemical engineering will have to take the following: CHEN 417 and CHEN 470.

Course Descriptions​

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