3-2 Program in Chemical Engineering

In the 3-2 Program, the student completes three academic years of study at one of several cooperating institutions (with which Penn State has signed agreements) and then transfers to Penn State for two additional academic years. Upon completion of the program, the student is awarded a degree by the first institution and a B.S. degree by Penn State. The program makes it possible for a student to spend the first three years at an institution near one's home, thus reducing expenses.

Arrangements for the 3-2 Program for selected majors are in effect with these institutions:

• Bloomsburg State University
• East Stroudsburg University
• Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
• Elizabethtown College
• Franklin and Marshall College
• Inter American University of Puerto Rico
• Juniata College
• Kutztown University
• Lebanon Valley College
• Lock Haven University
• Mansfield University
• Millersville University of Pennsylvania
• Shippensburg State University
• Slippery Rock University
• St. Francis College
• St. Vincent College
• SUNY Geneseo
• Susquehanna University
• Towson University
• Waynesburg College
• and West Chester University

Inquiries concerning admission should be made at these institutions.

By agreement between Penn State and the participating institutions, 3-2 students transfer to Penn State 76 credits. These are referred to as block credits because they transfer as a block, not as individual courses. They typically satisfy most of the general requirements (e.g. math, physics, general electives, lower level chemistry). Once at Penn State, the student must take the remaining courses required by the major. Chemical Engineering requires 134 credits for graduation, therefore, students must take a total of at least 58 credits (=134-76) at Penn State. The specific courses -apart from the required and elective ChE courses (38 credits), and the Engineering Science electives (6 credits) -are determined based on the student's transcript.

A student who has not completed prerequisites for course required in the major will be required to take additional courses at Penn State, which may result in more than 58 credits. Occasionally, a student may have taken additional credits at his/her institution, e.g. advanced chemistry, that may be counted towards degree requirements in Chemical Engineering. In this case, the student will not be asked to repeat the course at Penn State but he/she will be asked to take an equivalent number of credits to satisfy the 58-credit requirement.

The schedule of 3-2 students at Penn State is a very individual process. Prospective students should contact the program coordinator, Themis Matsoukas, in Chemical Engineering to discuss their case in detail.

• Students in the program are advised that the sequence of Chemical Engineering courses is best covered in five semesters (2.5 years). While it may be possible to pack these courses into four semesters (two years), such schedule would be very challenging and the Department of Chemical Engineering recommends against it.