PhD

The ChBE doctoral degree programs build on the foundation of an undergraduate engineering education and prepare students for careers as world-class researchers through the completion of advanced coursework, thesis research, and professional service (e.g., teaching assistance). Specific programmatic and policy details beyond those presented in this summary may be reviewed in the ChBE Graduate Student Handbook.

The department offers three doctoral degree programs: Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering, and a Joint-PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. All of our programs can be taken on a part-time basis.

Guidance for Applicants to the Graduate Programs:

Admission requirements for graduate programs in the School of Engineering can be found here. All students are required to submit academic records, a personal statement, and three letters of reference. Applicants who are not native English speakers are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test, except under circumstances listed at the website above. A minimum TOEFL score of 90, IELTS score of 6.5, or Duolingo score of 110 is required for graduate admission.

Applicants to the PhD in Chemical Engineering programs are generally expected to have earned a prior degree in Chemical Engineering. Applicants with degrees in closely related engineering disciplines (such as Materials Science and Engineering or Polymer Engineering) who already have a working knowledge of the core course content of this program (i.e., partial differential equations describing heat, mass, and momentum transfer processes, chemical kinetics/reactors and catalysis, chemical thermodynamics) are also encouraged to apply. Please note that applicants with degrees in Chemistry or Biochemistry are expected to have already completed coursework in ordinary/partial differential equations (at a minimum), and ideally heat/mass/momentum transport, as well. These courses should be clearly shown on the transcript(s) and must also be described in the applicant's personal statement.

Applicants to the PhD in Biotechnology Engineering program are generally expected to hold a BS or MS degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or Biology. Competitive applicants are expected to already have working knowledge of the core course content of this program (i.e., enzyme and cell growth kinetics, biochemistry and cell metabolism, molecular biology).

Applicants to the Joint-PhD in Materials Science and Engineering are expected to have a degree at the level of bachelor's or master's in engineering or basic/applied/health sciences.