Advising
Every student in the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering is required to meet with a faculty advisor at least once every semester before registering for the following semester.
Academic advising sessions are held for two weeks each semester. Prior to the advising session, students will receive an email directing them to schedule an appointment time to see an advisor. If you need to speak with our undergraduate coordinator, please send an email to cheugradcoord@lsu.edu.
Workday Student
Workday Student is LSU’s new student information system and is now live. Starting Spring 2025, all LSU students will begin using Workday to complete essential tasks, including:
- Course registration and academic advising
- Managing financial aid
- Viewing and paying tuition and fees
- Accessing financial information for Summer and Fall 2025 and beyond
Changing Majors/Minors
If your current major is not a good fit, it is understandable that you may want to change it. This page contains various resources to assist with the process. The ChE transfer advisor is Prof. Kerry Dooley.
- Changing your major could affect your eligibility for your residential college, major-specific scholarships, or Academic Common Market.
- Changing your major later in your college career may affect the length of time it will take you to complete your degree.
How to Change Your Major
- Can change on myLSU (my.lsu.edu > Student Services > Application Status)
- Keep in mind that your intended major affects your small group during orientation (the earlier you change, the better)
- Consult with an advisor in UCFY or your senior college
- You may need to complete paperwork in person
- If you change your major early enough in the semester, you may be able to reschedule courses that apply to your new major. Your advisor may advise you to keep your current schedule or focus on General Education courses.
- Consult with an advisor in your senior college
- You may need to complete paperwork in person
- Depending on your GPA and courses taken, you may need to meet additional requirements for your new major (some majors within the same college have different requirements)
- Meet with existing college first to discuss degree audit and exit process
- Meet with desired college next to discuss change of major and senior college application process
- Depending on your GPA and courses taken, you may need to meet additional requirements for your new senior college (this may extend the time it will take you to complete your degree)
Technical Electives
The ChE curriculum requires students to take 12-15 credit-hours of technical electives, depending upon a student's catalog year (12 credit-hours for students whose catalog year is 2020-2021 or later, 15 credit-hours for students whose catalog year is 2019-20 or earlier). Six credit-hours must be ChE electives (Group A). The remaining credit hours can be made up of ChE electives (Group A), approved technical electives from other departments (Group B), or a combination of ChE electives and approved technical electives from other departments (Group A or Group B).
The department is no longer offering technical concentrations. If you have already chosen to pursue a concentration, you will be allowed to complete it. When you are advised each semester, the academic advisor you see will have a list of applicable courses that will apply to your concentration of choice. The following list applies to all other students.
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHE 3410 | Sustainability in Chemical Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 3900 | Independent Research I | 3 |
| CHE 3901 | Independent Research II | 3 |
| CHE 3910 | Honors Independent Research I | 3 |
| CHE 3911 | Honors Independent Research II | 3 |
| CHE 4210 | Industrial Catalysis | 3 |
| CHE 4220 | Genetic Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 4221 | Chemical Engineering Project I | 3 |
| CHE 4222 | Chemical Engineering Project II | 3 |
| CHE 4230 | Advanced Process Control Systems | 3 |
| CHE 4253 | Introduction to Industrial Pollution Control | 3 |
| CHE 4260 | Biochemical Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 4263 | Environmental Chemodynamics | 3 |
| CHE 4270 | Processing of Advanced Materials | 3 |
| CHE 4272 | Chemical Processing of Nanomaterials | 3 |
| CHE 4275 | Electrochemical Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 4285 | Principles of High Polymers | 3 |
| CHE 4410 | Special Topics in Chemical Engineering Design | 3 |
| CHE 4420 | Special Topics in Chemical Engineering Science | 3 |
| CHE 4425 | Colloids and Interfacial Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 4480 | Technical Leadership in Chemical Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 4488 | Process Separations Design and Synthesis | 3 |
All Group A Technical Electives
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHE 3249 | Co-op in the Chemical Engineering Industry | 3 |
Any 4000-level Biological Engineering Course
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BE 3340 | Process Design in Biological Engineering | 3 |
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2051 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 2083 | The Elements of Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 2153 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 3060 | Introductory Plant Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 3090 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 4087 | Basic Biochemistry | 4 |
| BIOL 4093 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 4110 | Introductory Microbial Physiology | 3 |
Any 4000-level Chemistry Course
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 3491 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
Any 4000-level Civil Engineering Course
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CE 2450 | Statics | 3 |
| CE 3400 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| CE 3415 | Structural Analysis I | 3 |
Any 4000-level Electrical Engineering Course
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EE 2950 | Comprehensive Electrical Engineering | 3 |
Any 4000-level Environmental Engineering Course
| Course | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EVEG 3110 | Water and Wastewater Treatment | 3 |
| EVEG 3145 | Environmental Engineering III | 3 |
Any 4000-level Mechanical Engineering Course
Any 4000-level Physics Course
Senior Check-Out
The university has a check-out procedure designed to ensure that seniors meet their graduation requirements. You must complete the check-out process before you can register for the semester in which you anticipate graduation. The process consists of three steps:
In order to identify yourself as a degree candidate, use myLSU to set your anticipated date of graduation. You are encouraged to verify your anticipated date of graduation while registering for courses each semester. If, after registration, you realize that you will be eligible for graduation, you can identify yourself as a degree candidate through Student Services.
Prior to the semester in which you are scheduled to graduate, a degree audit is sent to your department to certify which graduation requirements have been met and which ones are remaining. Before registering, you must meet with the senior check-out advisor. During this meeting you will review and sign your degree audit, then you will complete an Application for Degree form. Your degree audit will be sent to the Office of Student Services for final review by a counselor. You will receive a confirmation email from a counselor with the subject line “Check-out Complete” or “Check-out Not Complete.” If check-out is complete, you may proceed with scheduling as usual. If check-out is not complete, your email will include further instructions.
The LSU College of Engineering now requires all students to complete a survey during their graduating semester. The EBI Survey is useful for short- and long-term planning by both the College of Engineering and LSU. The survey supports comparing our curricula with other engineering, computer science, and construction management programs across the country. Students are sent an email with a link to the survey and a deadline for its completion.
Helpful Links
University Center for Freshman Year (UCFY): for students who have not been accepted into their senior college with less than 30 credit hours
University Center for Advising & Counselor (UCAC): for Allied Health students and students who have not been accepted into their senior college with more than 30 credit hours