Analytical Chemistry for Chemical Engineers

A common challenge facing chemical engineering graduate students is a lack of basic knowledge in analytical chemistry techniques. To help students surmount this challenge, a new elective course at Mississippi State University entitled BioAnalytical Research Methods was developed. This course was a collaborative effort between the Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory. The topics covered in the course included chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, and proteomics. The class combined theory of analytical techniques with hands-on experience to aid students in understanding the applicability of common analytical methods. Students were also encouraged to teach others about research methods they had personally used in their research. This paper will discuss the first iteration of the new course in terms of material covered, laboratory experiments, grading components, student response, and curriculum modifications that will be implemented for the next iteration of the class.