Chemical Engineering M.S.

The M.S., which requires a thesis, may be used for professional entry, but is also well suited to students who wish to measure their ability to get a Ph.D. without commitment of extra time beyond that required for an M.S. A special optional master’s program is available for this purpose.

For the M.S., 30 credits of graduate-level studies, including 6 credits for the thesis, are normally required. However, the thesis requirement may vary from 3 to 9 hours at the discretion of the department. The 24 hours of approved course work must include at least 15 credits of 6000-level courses. A formal thesis defense is not required.

Students who wish to follow the optional master’s program should plan to take the Ph.D. comprehensive examination during their second semester of full-time graduate studies. The examination may be taken a maximum of two times. Passing students may register for an additional 3 credits of CHME 6990 Master’s Thesis, and formal course work requirements for the master’s degree are reduced to 21 hours. The student also has the option of proceeding directly toward a Ph.D. without completing the master’s thesis. This option will normally reduce the time required for a Ph.D. by about six months. Students who elect to proceed in this manner will receive an M.S. degree, with thesis requirements waived, after two years of satisfactory full-time study and acceptance of the dissertation proposal.

Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to demonstrate:

• advanced proficiency in the core program or area within CHBE.
• effective oral and written communication skills.
• preparedness for professional careers and/or further graduate studies.
• proficiency in research techniques (theoretical, computational and/or experimental).