Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering

The Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering emphasizes a balance of teaching and research in forefront areas of modern chemical and biomedical engineering.
Chemical engineering (ChE) encompasses the development, application, and operation of the processes in which chemical and/or physical changes of material are involved. The work of a chemical engineer is to analyze, develop, design, control, construct, and/or supervise chemical processes in research and development, pilot-scale operations, and industrial production. Emphasis is placed on the application of computer analysis to problems encountered in the above areas. Chemical engineers are employed in the manufacture of inorganic chemicals (i.e., acids, alkalis, pigments, and fertilizers), organic chemicals (i.e., petrochemicals, polymers, fuels, propellants, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals), biological products (i.e., enzymes, vaccines, biochemicals, biofuels, etc.), foods, semiconductors, and paper. Graduate-level chemical engineers with graduate degrees work in a wide range of organizations for which their technical skills are needed. These organizations may include: local, state, and federal governments, private and public corporations, and education. Chemical engineers are involved in process and plant operation, technical services groups, research and development laboratories, plant design groups, occupational and safety programs, technical sales, technical training, and technical management. Graduate education can lead to careers in the medical sciences, chemical engineering, and other engineering and scientific disciplines as well as business and law.

A baccalaureate degree in chemical engineering or an allied field from an accredited college or university;

Fulfillment of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. Students may be required to satisfy deficiencies by taking undergraduate courses or they can enroll in a Summer Transition Program if they do not have a degree from an accredited chemical engineering degree program;

An undergraduate or graduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale);

International students: For students whose native language is not English and who did not graduate from an accredited US institution with either a BS or MS degree, minimum scores on the TOEFL are 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 80 (Internet-based).