Presentation

Educational aims

The 1st cycle Degree Course in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering aims at training technicians able to face, in a group context, problems in the design and management of chemical-physical and biochemical transformation of matter for the production of material goods (drinking and/or desalinated water, food, catalysts, pharmaceuticals, materials for electronics, ceramic and polymeric materials, etc.), energy (fuels and biofuels, hydrogen, electrical energy from redox processes) and the protection and recovery of the environment (catalytic converters and particulate filters, environmental treatment processes of gaseous and liquid currents and remediation processes of contaminated land). The course, which is not divided in curricula, is therefore designed to integrate the contents of the three fundamental sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), with general industrial engineering skills and specific chemical engineering contents, thus providing knowledge, methods and elaboration skills favouring graduates’ access to the labour market. The study of basic sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) is organised in a way to make students able to use the laws underlying chemical-physical phenomena, highlighting as much as possible their technical-practical implications, and providing the elements of mathematical language and formalism enabling the translation of the studied contents in quantitative terms. With this objective the first half of the educational programme consists of teachings related to Calculus and Geometry, Physics, Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. To further enhance the ability to interpret, formalise and solve chemical-physical and biochemical problems of its graduates, the Degree Course integrates the aforementioned basic contents, with teachings in the field of biology, namely biochemistry and microbiology, completing the training in basic sciences by offering them the knowledge of the main rules underlying the functioning of living systems. The above-described contents are integrated by typical Chemical Engineering teachings starting from the second year (Thermodynamics of Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Transportation Phenomena, Chemical and Biochemical Plants, Principles of Chemistry and Industrial Biochemistry), providing also useful knowledge in the design and management of biotechnological and biochemical processes, thanks to fact that the Course teachers focus their research activities on biotechnological fields. This knowledge is integrated with the typical disciplines of Industrial Engineering such as Construction Theory and Electrical Engineering. The course programme includes mandatory optional and elective modules, which may be chosen in the class-specific sectors of Industrial Engineering, enabling students to face more specific issues, not only of chemical engineering, but also of other technological fields to which the latter may contribute, such as environmental remediation, renewable energy sources, biomedical engineering. These further opportunities enable students to deepen and use the concepts, simultaneously integrating all the scales of reality from the molecular to the macro one, to participate profitably in the group management of problems not necessarily limited to the design, optimization and management of chemical-physical and biochemical processes. Finally, in the field of equipment design and of the study of chemical and biochemical processes, economic, safety, environmental sustainability and professional ethics issues are also considered. These issues are further developed through seminar activities, classified as "other educational activities".

work perspectives

Profile: Junior Chemical and Biochemical Engineer Functions: Among the main activities carried out by the junior chemical and biochemical engineer it is worth mentioning the following: - participation in the management of production and transformation processes based on the use of chemical, biochemical and microbiological technologies. - collaboration in the management and operation of industrial plants for chemical, biotechnological, biochemical, food and pharmaceutical productions, for the production, distribution and use of fuels and biofuels, of energy and for the treatment of wastewater and waste. - participation in the management and operation of plants for the depollution, for the treatment of fumes and emissions from combustion processes, for waste disposal, for water purification and for the remediation of polluted soils with chemical-physical, biochemical, and microbiological technologies. It is worth pointing out that better and more important opportunities for professional growth and expansion of skills, specialization, and management of high professional responsibilities in all sectors of the processing and transformation industry previously listed can only be achieved by integrating training through the achievement of a 2nd cycle degree, or anyway through further training activities such as professional 1st level university master courses. A high capability for autonomous management of complex problems will be achieved with the attendance of a PhD course and the achievement of the relevant academic qualification. Skills: The main competences of the chemical engineer and junior are: - ability to use the theoretical, logical and formal aspects of mathematics, of the three basic sciences, (chemistry, physics and biology), of the general principles of structural mechanics and electrical engineering, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat and matter transportation phenomena, and of unit operations for the interpretation and description, also through mathematical language, of the chemical-physical, biochemical and microbiological issues involved in industrial processes, in traditional (chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas) as well as in innovative (biotechnologies, materials, water, soil and air purification, green technologies) sectors. - ability to work profitably in a group to identify, formulate and solve complex problems of the relevant disciplinary field. - ability to participate in the management of complex and/or innovative systems, processes and services. - ability to organize independent learning of related problems in the field of chemical and biochemical engineering - communication skills in the specific professional field. Professional opportunities: Junior Chemical and Biochemical Engineers trained in this 1st cycle Degree Course are professionals working in different industrial sectors, in the operational management of plants, processes or services based on the use of chemical-physical, biochemical, and microbiological transformation in the contexts of environmental and economic sustainability and safety. The main industrial sectors of reference are the chemical, oil, energy, biotechnological and biochemical, pharmaceutical, agri-food, materials sectors, often characterised by the presence of large industrial groups operating internationally. Only for some activities, if carried out as freelancers, it may be required to pass the national professional qualification exam for the profession of engineer and to enrol in the specific section of the professional Register. The main professional opportunities for 1st cycle graduates in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering may be found in: - Oil and petrochemical companies - Bio-refineries - Chemical and agri-food companies - Electronic companies - Energy companies - Companies producing materials - Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies - Industrial and research laboratories. - technical and legal-technical premises of public administration - engineering firms, consultancy companies, companies and service companies for environmental protection, materials recycling and safety of processes and systems - private professional firms.

Characteristics of the final exam

To obtain the degree, students must have acquired 180 credits including those relating to the final examination, in accordance with the Course Regulations. The final exam offers students the opportunity to try their hand at analysing a topic of application interest in chemical engineering using the knowledge and expertise accumulated during the course to synthesize it and present it in a critical way also using multimedia tools. The final examination consists of an oral test, in accordance with the rules fixed every year by the final examination Regulations, respecting and consistent to the academic schedule, the ministerial requirements and to the relevant Guidelines of the University.