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).