Chemical Engineering (M.S.) Program Details

Degree Requirements   

    ❱   Required coursework
    ❱   Qualifying or comprehensive examination
    ❱   Graduate School writing proficiency requirement
    ❱   Graduate School Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement
    ❱   Thesis
    ❱   Final oral examination/thesis defense

Modern Research Labs

Our graduate faculty have a variety of research interests supported by state-of-the-art lab facilities. Read more about our research labs and initiatives. A sampling of these research labs is featured below. 

Research Areas & Interests

Faculty Research Interests

 
A sampling of research interests

  • Hazardous waste remediation
  • Bio- and nano-materials and multiscale simulations
  • Reactor analysis and modeling 
  • Biotechniques (biosensors, drug delivery, bioremediation, and bioenergy)
  • Polymer-nanoparticle composite materials for water treatment
  • Mass transfer and kinetics in environmental systems 
  • Functional materials design
  • Technologies for water treatment and conservation
  • Solvent-free tribo-electrostatic bioseparation for the production of plant protein concentrates 
  • Surfactant and cosolvent assisted bioavailability enhancement
  • Hazardous waste treatment in aqueous and soil systems
  • Surfactant and cosolvent assisted bioavailability enhancement

Faculty Research Labs

Biomolecular Assemblies and Nanomechanics (BAN) Laboratory 


Focuses on the engineering design behind self-assembled nanoscale structures of semiflexible biopolymers (DNA, aggrecan, and collagen), and use of these nanostructures as physical containers for drug delivery and tissue regeneration.

Physical/Chemical Environmental Processes Laboratory


Focuses on remediation of environmental contaminants. Recent remediation efforts have targeted Hexavalent Chromium, Cr(VI), and Trichloroethylene, TCE, which the USEPA has classified as known carcinogens. 

Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory


Laboratory research activities advance the development of environmentally clean bio-separation technologies for concurrent recovery of high-quality food and biofuel from plant-based materials to address major issues in sustainable energy, human nutrition, and the environment.

Bioenvironmental Engineering Laboratory


Focuses on the use of biological technologies for the remediation of contaminated environmental media, waste management and resource recovery. Students have conducted research on water sanitation, and energy technology implementation in developing communities in Senegal, Kenya, and El Salvador.

Program of Study*

CORE COURSES (12 CR)


CHEG 501  Advanced Transport Phenomena

CHEG 502  Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics

CHEG 504  Advanced Mathematics for Chemical Engineers

CHEG 505  Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering

ELECTIVE COURSES (12 CR)

 

3 elective courses and 1 course in the core research area (elective courses may be taken within the Consortium). 

Nanoscience Electives (Sampling of electives)  

CHEG 610  Advanced Topics: Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology

CHEG 606  Introduction to Polymer Engineering

CHEG 611  Fundamentals of Membrane Science and Technology

CHEG 622  Polymer Processing

Biomolecular Engineering Electives (Sampling of electives)  

CHEG 525  Fundamental of Biomedical Engineering

CHEG 624  Advanced Bioprocess Engineering

CHEG 627  Principles, Practices, and Policies in Biotechnology 

CIEG 514  Finite Element Analysis

Environmental Engineering Electives (Sampling of electives)  

CHEG 529  Air Pollution Control Engineering

CHEG 616 Advanced Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering

CIEG 505 Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering

BIOL 464  Biomonitoring

SEMINAR SERIES (6 CR)


Seminar Series (6 CR)

THESIS (6 CR)


Thesis (6 CR)

*Courses included in the sample program of study are subject to change. Students should consult with their programs regarding their required program of study. 

Admission to Candidacy 

Students are admitted to formal candidacy by the Graduate School when they have completed the required coursework, passed the qualifying or comprehensive examination, submitted an approved topic for research, and been recommended by the Department. Candidates must also have satisfied the Graduate School writing proficiency requirement and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement.

Graduate Funding 

Graduate research or teaching assistantships may be available at the department level that provide tuition remission and/or a stipend during the academic year. Research assistants and teaching assistants work no more than 20 hours a week under the program's direction, usually in support of faculty research (research assistants) or in support of assigned courses (teaching assistants).