
Source: Jeannie Michaels, facebook.com/carnegieimperialexchange
As science, engineering technology and industrial enterprises continue to globalize, it is increasingly important for students to learn about other cultures and experience what it's like working in different societies. Engineers of the future will interact with, work with, and collaborate with engineers from around the world. Furthermore, most engineers will have to travel for work or may receive career opportunities in other countries. To help prepare our students for this future, we have created several foreign exchange programs, providing the opportunity to experience life and engineering around the globe.
Imperial College, London, England
Carnegie Mellon started an exchange program with Imperial College in London, UK, in September 1997. This program is for chemical engineering students and involves an exchange with the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College. Every year about three students can participate in this program.
The Imperial College exchange program offers fascinating opportunities to students interested in spending their junior year abroad. Imperial College is one of the leading schools in Europe in engineering and manufacturing. Air Products & Chemicals and Procter & Gamble will consider interviewing students for a summer internship before or after going to London. They are interested in students who get training in the US and the UK. The possible internship with Procter & Gamble is in two parts. The first is in the summer prior to the year in London and takes place in Cincinnati. The second part is in the London research facilities at Procter and Gamble at the end of the one-year stay in London.
The Imperial College exchange program has similar arrangements as the exchange program at RWTH Aachen. Students pay regular fees to Carnegie Mellon. Housing costs are of the order of £550 per month and food about £300 per month. Classes start early in October. Imperial College is located in a prime location in central London, South Kensington, next to Hyde Park.
The courses that Chemical Engineering students will take at Imperial College and that are nearly equivalent to the ones in your junior year here at Carnegie Mellon are the following:
06-323 Heat and Mass Transfer | ChE 104.2 Heat and Mass Transfer and ChE 202.1 Heat Transfer |
06-361 Unit Operations | ChE 202.1 Separation Process I |
06-321 Chem. Eng. Thermodynamics | ChE 205 Thermodynamics II |
06-363 Transport Lab | Knowledge Labs |
06-364 Chemical Reaction Engineering | Reaction Engineering I |
06-300 Undergraduate Research | To be arranged with ICSTM faculty |
09-347 Advanced Physical Chemistry | ChE 106.3 Properties of Matter |
09-217 Organic Chemistry I | ChE1-06-1 Chemistry (get CMU/CHE waiver) |
03-232 Biochemistry I | Biochemistry |
*In addition, students would take one elective, and two humanities courses.
RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Carnegie Mellon started an exchange program with RWTH Aachen University (Germany) in September of 1995. This program is designed for Chemical Engineering students and involves an exchange with the Lehrstuhl für Prozesstechnik at Aachen. Each year around three students are admitted to the program.
The RWTH exchange program offers very exciting opportunities to students interested in spending their junior year abroad. RWTH is one of the leading schools in Europe in engineering and manufacturing. Students applying to this program can apply for a summer internship at Bayer Corporation before going to Aachen. Bayer is interested in U.S. students who get some training in Germany. Students have an option to do research at RWTH or work with a company in Germany during the summer leading up to the program.

Source: RWTH Aachen University
Aachen is a lovely, historic and pleasant city located on the border in the western part of Germany, right next to the Netherlands and Belgium.
The RWTH exchange program has similar arrangements as those with Imperial College, in which students pay regular fees to Carnegie Mellon and a $400 fee per semester in Aachen. Housing costs are around 300-350 Euros per month, with food costs estimated at 400-450 Euros per month. In addition, a six-week German course will be available before the semester starts in early October.
The courses that Chemical Engineering students take at RWTH are nearly equivalent to those in your junior year here at Carnegie Mellon:
06-321 Chemical Eng. Thermodynamics | Thermodynamik der Gemische |
06-323 Heat and Mass Transfer | *Wärme- und Stoffübertragung |
06-361 Unit Operations | Grundlagen der Verfahrenstechnik |
06-363 Transport Processes Laboratory | To be arranged with RWTH ChemE faculty |
06-364 Chemical Reaction Engineering | *Reaktionstechnik |
06-300 Undergraduate Research | To be arranged with RWTH ChemE faculty |
09-217 Organic Chemistry | Organische Chemie I |
09-347 Advanced Physical Chemistry | Physikalische Chemie A |
03-232 Biochemistry | Biotechnology I |
06-463 Chemical Product Design | *Chemical Product Design |
06-464 Chemical Eng Process Control | *Control Engineering |
*Courses taught in English |
Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
Carnegie Mellon began its exchange program with Technische Universität Dortmund (Germany) in 2002. This summer program is designed for chemical engineers. One or two students are admitted each year.
The Dortmund International Program takes place from early June to late July and focuses on five different subjects:

Source: Technische Universität Dortmund
- Biochemical and Chemical Engineering
- Applied Mathematics
- Automation and Robotics
- Business & Economics
- German and European Culture
View specific course offerings
All courses are taught in English; however, students are advised to use this opportunity to acquire some basic German language skills. Please note that most of the Automation and Robotics lectures are also suitable for Chemical Engineering and Biomedical/Chemical Engineering students.
Apply here. After submitting your application, please forward the following to Nora Siewiorek:
- Resumé
- One-page essay providing detailing who you are as a person and potential employee. Include your career goals and explain how participating in this program will help you achieve those goals.
- A recent photograph
- Three letters of recommendation from Carnegie Mellon faculty members. (The letters can either be sent to Nora Siewiorek’s attention in DH1106 or emailed to her by the faculty members.)
- Any other documents that may support your application.
If you wish to do a scientific project during the Summer Program, please provide an extra letter entitled “Application for a project,” directed to the professor of your choice. Additionally, please emphasize your prerequisites for the specific project. For more details, refer to the course catalog.
Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

Source: Yonsei University
In 2013, Carnegie Mellon began a new study abroad program with Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. Two students chemical engineering students are admitted each year.
In addition to gaining academic excellence, exchange students also experience a beautiful and culturally rich environment. Yonsei University is situated in a spacious, quiet, and well-wooded environment near a mountainside, located in Seoul's metropolitan area. One of Asia's most highly regarded institutions, this program offers an exciting opportunity for Juniors in CMU's Chemical Engineering Department. Like our Imperial College and Aachen programs, students will pay regular tuition to Carnegie Mellon, with housing costs estimated between $350-$500 per month and food around $350 per month. Semesters run from September to mid-December and March to mid-June. It may also be possible to acquire an internship during the winter break.
The program includes the following courses:
06-323 Heat and Mass Transfer | DAA3660 Heat Transfer (Fall, English/Korean) and DAA433 Mass Transfer (Spring, English/Korean) |
06-361 Unit Operations | DAA3750 Separation & Purification Process (Fall,Korean) |
06-321 Chem. Eng. Thermodynamics | DAA4320 ChemE Thermodynamics II (Fall, English/Korean) |
06-363 Transport Process Lab | DAA2220 ChemEng & Lab(2) (Fall, Korean) |
06-364 Chemical Reaction Engineering | DAA4310 Reaction Engineering (Spring, English/Korean) |
06-300 Undergraduate Research | To be arranged with faculty. |
06-464 ChemE Process Control | DAA3720 ChemE Process Control (Fall, English) |
09-347 Advanced Physical Chemistry | CHE2105 Physical Chemistry 1 (Spring, English) |
09-217 Organic Chemistry I | CHE2103 Organic Chemistry 1 (Spring, English) |
03-232 Biochemistry I | DAA3700 Biochemical Engineering (Spring, Korean) |
In addition, students will take one elective and two humanities courses.
Notify Nora Siewiorek of your interest in the program by the first Friday after returning from winter break.
Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina

Source: Universidad Nacional del Litoral
Carnegie Mellon's program with Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) is tailored for chemical engineering students. Each year two students are admitted to the program.
The UNL exchange program offers very exciting opportunities to students interested in spending one semester of their junior year in Argentina. The university was founded in 1919 and is strategically located in the province of Santa Fe.
The UNL exchange program has similar arrangements like those with Imperial College and Aachenin, in which students pay regular tuition to Carnegie Mellon. Housing costs are estimated at around US$250-$300 per month, and food is estimated at about US$300 per month. Semesters run from mid-August to the end of November and early March to mid-June.
The courses that Chemical Engineering students will take at UNL and that are nearly equivalent to the ones in your junior year here at Carnegie Mellon are the following:
Fall Semester | |
06-321 Chem. Eng. Thermodynamics | Physical Chemistry |
06-323 Heat and Mass Transfer | Mass Transfer-Operations and Heat Transfer-Operations |
09-217 Organic Chemistry I | Organic Chemistry |
09-347 Advanced Physical Chemistry | Physical Chemistry II |
Spring Semester | |
06-361 Unit Operations 06-363 and Transport Lab | Mass Transfer and Operations |
06-364 Chemical Reaction Engineering | Chemical Reaction Engineering I and Chemical Reaction Engineering II |
03-232 Biochemistry I | Principles of Biotechnology |
Please notify Nora Siewiorek of your interest in the program by the first Friday after returning from winter break.