An interdisciplinary, project-based course examining how chemistry and business decisions shape chemical products from raw materials to market. Topics include product composition, industrial reactions, manufacturing, quality control, supplier selection, packaging, transportation, regulation, economics, safety, and sustainability. Students use scientific literature, patents, government data, and industry sources to analyze a chemical product’s supply chain across New Jersey, the United States, and global markets, justify key decisions, and evaluate possible improvements.
Students will examine how chemical products move from raw materials to customers through New Jersey, U.S., and global supply chains. They will explain how chemistry influences manufacturing and product quality; evaluate sourcing, packaging, storage, and transportation decisions; and assess how commodity prices, financial markets, safety requirements, and regulations shape these decisions. Using credible evidence, students will recommend improvements in cost, reliability, or sustainability. Team projects and guest speaker discussions will connect course concepts to professional practice and career opportunities. Students will also learn to use AI responsibly, verify its output, and communicate well-supported recommendations.
Technical Skills
Students will learn to search and evaluate scientific literature, patents, government data, and industry documents; interpret chemical reactions, manufacturing processes, quality specifications, and Safety Data Sheets; and create supply-chain maps and process-flow diagrams. They will use spreadsheets to compare production, trade, pricing, and transportation data, calculate unit costs, and develop supplier decision matrices. Additional skills include assessing regulatory requirements, supply risks, and sustainability trade-offs; verifying AI-assisted research; and preparing technical reports and presentations.
Transferable Skills
Students strengthen critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making by evaluating evidence and comparing practical solutions. Team projects develop collaboration, individual accountability, and project management skills. Reports and presentations build the ability to explain complex ideas to scientific, business, and general audiences. Engagement with guest speakers helps students ask informed questions and connect course learning to professional practice and career interests.
Experiential Learning
Students apply course concepts through case studies, project workshops, and a semester-long team investigation of a real chemical product. Beginning with a New Jersey customer or market, they trace the product’s supply chain, analyze chemical and business decisions, and recommend practical improvements supported by evidence. Guest speaker discussions connect their work to industry challenges and professional perspectives. The project concludes with a written report and presentation in which students explain and defend their recommendations.