Certificates and Minors

Certificates are internal study plans tailored to guide students through an interdisciplinary specialization area using the available elective courses (i.e. chemistry-elective, technical electives, and free electives) in their curriculum. Undergraduate students can opt to complete a Certificate by fulfilling their elective requirements from selected courses in one of the following three concentration areas: Pharmaceutical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, or Environmental Engineering. These are managed at the departmental level and are not registered on the students’ academic record. The student must request the Certificate to the Academic Advisor around graduation.

Certificate in Environmental Engineering (15 credit-hours)

Required Courses

  • INQU5015 – Fundamentals of Air Pollution
  • INQU5018 – Air Pollution Control
  • INQU5019 – Industrial Waste Control

Elective Courses     
A minimum of six (6) credits in courses in the area to be chosen from the following:

  • INQU5006, INQU5026, INQU5050, INQU6016**
  • INQU4995*, INQU4998*, INQU5995*
  • INGE5066, INGE5996
  • QUIM3085
  • INCI4008, INCI4138, INCI4145, INCI5006, INCI5007, INCI5009, INCI5012, INCI5015

(*) A maximum of three (3) credits if the experience is related to the certificate’s area.
(**) Graduate courses require the Authorization of Department Director for enrollment.

Certificate in Bioprocess Engineering (15 credit-hours)

Required Courses   

  • INQU4207 – Bioseparation Engineering
  • INQU5006 Statistical Methods for Chemical Engineers
  • INQU5035 – Bioreactor Engineering

Elective Courses     
A minimum of six (6) credits in courses in the area to be chosen from the following:

  • INQU5029, INQU4047, INQU6010**
  • INQU4995*, INQU4998*, INQU5995*
  • QUIM5071, QUIM5072
  • BIOL3725

(*) A maximum of three (3) credits if the experience is related to the certificate’s area.
(**) Graduate courses require the Authorization of Department Director for enrollment.

Certificate in Pharmaceutical Engineering (16 credit-hours)

Required Courses  

  • INQU4029 – Pharmaceutical Operations
  • INQU5036 – Particulate Systems

Elective Courses     
A minimum of nine (9) credits in courses in the area to be chosen from the following:

  • INQU5006, INQU4207, INQU5029,
  • INQU4995*, INQU4998*, INQU5995*
  • QUIM5065, QUIM5150, QUIM5205

(*) A maximum of three (3) credits if the experience is related to the certificate’s area.
(**) Graduate courses require the Authorization of Department Director for enrollment.

Minor in Pharmaceutical Engineering

The department also offers a formal 10 credit-hours Minor in Pharmaceutical Engineering. Students must apply on or before their third year of studies, must have a GPA of 2.50 or above, and approved INQU5006 or ININ4010 with a letter grade of C or more.

Students must approve the following courses:  

  • INGL3236 – Technical Communication
  • ADMI4085 – Fundamentals of Project Management
  • INQU4029 – Pharmaceutical Operations

All courses must be approved with letter grade of C or above. Active students must finish Minors’ coursework before or at the same time of their Major’s. 

Interested students must fill-out and submit at the Registrar’s Office the Request for a Second Bachelors, Second Major, Minor Concentration, Professional Certification and Curricular Sequence. The application has a cost and the deadline is usually around the 15th day of the second month of the semester (i.e. February or September).

Other Minors and Curricular Sequences

Below is a list of Minors and Curricular Sequences at UPRM relevant to the chemical engineering profession. It is not intended to be all inclusive. A full list is provided under Curricular Sequences and Minor Concentrations section of the undergraduate catalog.

Minor in Project Management (College of Business Administration)
Minor in Computer Science and Engineering (College of Engineering)
Curricular Sequence in Food Science and Technology (College of Agricultural Sciences)
Curricular Sequence in Materials Science and Engineering (College of Engineering)

For additional information, contact the College that offers the Minor or Curricular Sequence.