How Interdisciplinary is Physics/Chem/ChemE Research?

ucbalumnus
Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:24:24 +0000

It may be hard to fit a second major alongside a chemical engineering major, although some physics and chemistry courses can be taken as within-major technical electives in some cases (and the freshman and sophomore courses mostly overlap between the three majors). If you come in with usable AP credit* that the college accepts, you may get extra free elective space in your course plan, so you can take more additional courses. Check each college’s degree plan for more information. Some humanities and social studies breadth courses are required for chemical engineering majors, so you can take cultural studies and linguistics in that allotment of courses.

*AP Calculus BC is usually credited for one or two semesters of freshman calculus (sometimes depending on the score). AP Physics B should be considered as a good high school physics course and gives no credit for students who need a calculus-based physics course (including for any of the three subjects you mention). AP Chemistry may or may not be credited; in some cases, it may be credited against a chemistry course for non-majors (e.g. biology or other engineering), as opposed to one for chemistry or chemical engineering majors. Whether to use the AP credit to skip courses when allowed is likely a personal decision; try reviewing the college’s final exams for the courses that can be skipped to see how well you know the material in the college’s course.