The Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department offers both a thesis and non-thesis option for obtaining a master’s degree.
For the thesis option, the student must complete 30 credits, 6 of which originating from independent study under the guidance of a faculty member. Typically, two years are required to finish the thesis option. Upon completion of the thesis option, the student must defend a thesis before a faculty committee.
For the non-thesis option, the student may choose to either complete 30 credits of course work, or alternatively, a minimum of 24 credits of course work plus independent study credits. The student may choose to pursue a concentration in either Bioengineering, Data Science or Materials and Energy. Typically, a minimum of 1 year is required to finish the non-thesis option.
For both degree options, three core graduate chemical engineering courses (3 credits each) are required. These courses must include:
1. Modern Thermodynamics (CENG 7110);
2. Advanced Transport Phenomena (CENG 7320);
3. Either Advanced Reactor Design (CENG 7150) or Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering (CENG 6870)
Frequently, students without an undergraduate chemical engineering degree will enroll in the M.S. graduate program. To ensure that all students are familiar with the fundamental principles required of chemical engineers, students entering the graduate program with a bachelor's degree in an area other than chemical engineering will be required to take remedial courses. On the recommendation of the Graduate Committee, these requirements can be modified based on each student's specific background. These undergraduate courses do not count toward the total graduate-level credit requirement for the advanced degree. Graduate students may take these courses out of sequence and/or concurrently in order to expedite completion of this requirement.
Tenure is five years, although completion of all requirements for the degree for full-time students in two years is strongly encouraged.
