Specializations - Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Specializations

There is four specializations areas in MSc Chemical and Biochemical Engineering given in Lyngby and then a specialization Biomanufacturing given as an 4 years Industrial MSc in Kalundborg (see section Biomanufacturing (Industry MSc in Engineering, Kalundborg)).

In the MSc in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering programme, education in chemical and biochemical industrial technology is integrated, while great flexibility is retained in the choice of subjects included in any student's study plan. The programme covers chemical process technology, chemical and biochemical product design, and the process-oriented aspects of biotechnology and biochemistry. The programme qualifies students for research and development in both an academic and an industrial framework.

In order to serve the wide subject area covered by the programme, both chemical engineering and bioprocess technology are represented in the programme courses. Depending on interests, study plans primarily with bioprocess technology content or primarily with chemical engineering content may be constructed, but it is also possible to balance contents from the two fields. The free choice of electives from DTU's MSc courses makes the programme adaptable to the needs of both in-depth and cross-disciplinary education.

Specializations

A study plan may be focused within four areas having both chemical engineering and biotechnology contents. The specialization will be mentioned on the diploma if specific requirements are satisfied. These specializations are:

Chemical and Biochemical Process Technology
The mathematical description of process systems and their components, based on fundamental knowledge of natural sciences, biotechnology and chemical engineering, provides the means for synthesis of chemical and biochemical aspects into process development and equipment design. Within the area in-depth curricula in narrower fields such as reaction engineering, process control or bioprocess technology may be constructed.

Chemical and Biochemical Product Engineering
The industrial and commercial development of advanced biological and chemical materials and products is at the core of this area. The properties of the products are important, but these are influenced by synthesis and production techniques. This interaction between product properties and production techniques governs good product design. The area thus includes some elements of process technology. A strong connection to physics, chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology is present.

Energy and Environmental Engineering
The central elements are processes rooted in chemical or biochemical engineering, but applied to manage energy use and to control the environmental load of production facilities. The area is thus largely process-oriented, but concentrated on energy and environment. Cross-disciplinary design, development and management are important for the area even though chemical and biochemical processes form the core.

Fermentation Based Manufacturing (FBM)

Sustainable production of chemical and biochemical products is increasingly based on fermentation processes rooted in biology and living organisms. Development and scaling-up of such processes to successful production, as well as operation and optimization of existing production facilities require engineers who have a firm basis in both process technology and biological, cell related manufacturing issues.

The FBM specialisation addresses the need for engineers with an education combining process technology and biotechnology. It is common with the FBM study line under MSc Biotechnology with which it shares a common core of mandatory elements. The two FBM study lines are supported by a large grant to develop and increase competence transfer between the two educations for nurturing industrially required cross competence fermentation experts. Each of the two study lines, however, retains priorities of their parent programmes, so that outside the FBM core the study line under MSc Chemical and Biochemical Engineering is structured to satisfy the aims of being chemical and biochemical engineering. 

Engineers from this study line will obtain competences in designing, implementing and operating fermentation based production by combining process technology with cell factory engineering. Engineers from this study line will be instrumental in driving chemical production towards sustainable goals.

Specializations are merely recommended ways of choosing the courses in the curriculum. Applicants are not admitted to a specialization but to the programme and it is possible to choose among all the courses in the curriculum following the directions given. However, if a specialization has been fulfilled the title of the specialization may be added to the diploma.