Chemical Engineering Master Program Guidelines

Introduction

The graduate program in chemical engineering provides advanced training in core areas and allows the student to take courses on an advanced level in specific areas of interest.

The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MSChE) program is designed to meet the needs of both part-time and full-time students. It provides an opportunity for students to hold full-time employment and further their education on a part-time basis. Full-time students can complete the program in 1 1/2 - 2 years. The program meets the needs of students planning to continue their studies at the doctoral level, as well as students terminating their formal studies at the MS level.

Faculty Research and Publications

Excellent facilities are available in support of student and faculty research. Descriptions of current research activities are found here. Information about the faculty is found here.

Financial Assistance

Graduate teaching and research assistantships are available to qualified students. Students receiving assistantships are required to complete a master’s thesis. International students who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships are encouraged to take the Internet-based TOEFL or the Test of Spoken English (TSE). Interested students should check the appropriate box on the Graduate Application form.

Career Information

The Chemical Engineering program prepares students for careers in design, operation, research, or management. While graduates of this program traditionally find employment in the chemical industry, more chemical engineering graduates are becoming employed in the areas of general manufacturing, polymer and composite processing, materials engineering, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Many companies seek graduate-level chemical engineers to work in the areas of bioengineering, energy management, and environmental engineering.

Admission Information

Admission to the graduate program in chemical engineering is open to qualified students with a baccalaureate degree in engineering or science, who present satisfactory evidence of the ability to pursue graduate studies. A minimum baccalaureate grade-point average of 2.75 usually is required. Programs of study may be developed for students with non-chemical engineering backgrounds. Such students are required to take prerequisite courses in chemical engineering, as described under the Preparatory Program section below.

Applicants should make arrangements to have official transcripts sent directly from their undergraduate institutions to the Graduate Admissions Office. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the student’s undergraduate or graduate work also are required.

If applicable, the applicant also should request that official test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) be sent directly to the Graduate Admissions office by the testing agencies. The applicant must achieve satisfactory scores in these examinations.

The GRE General section is required if one or more of the following conditions is true:

• The undergraduate degree was awarded by a college or university outside of the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.
• An unaccredited college or university awarded the undergraduate degree.
• The student’s undergraduate cumulative grade-point average is below 2.75.
• The year of the baccalaureate degree precedes the date of application to the College of Graduate Studies by more than six years; however, in this case, the examination requirement may be waived, with program approval, if the applicant’s undergraduate grade-point average is 3.0 or above.

If the GRE is required, a minimum score at the 80th percentile on the Quantitative section, and a score of 3.5 or higher in the Analytical Writing Qualitative section, are typically required.

For applicants whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based exam, 78 on the internet exam (with at least 20 in reading, 21 in listening, 17 in writing, and 20 in speaking), 6.0 on the IELTS exam, 5.0 on the iTEP exam, or 213 on the computer-based exam, is required.  Students who do not satisfy these requirements, but who do satisfy the University’s TOEFL requirements, will be tested upon arrival at CSU by the English as a Second Language Program. Depending on test results, students may be required to take a writing (ESL 502) and/or speaking (ESL 503) course.

The Masters in Chemical Engineering is intended for students aiming for a professional career in the Chemical Processing Industry (CPI) or interested in the application of chemical engineering principles to many other fields. Those students seeking a terminal degree followed by employment in the biomedical industry, as well as those planning to continue doctoral studies in biomedical engineering, should consult the Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering section in this catalog.

There is a preparatory program designed for students without a sufficient background in chemical engineering. The program provides them with a common background in engineering science and mathematics.

The Preparatory Program

Graduate students who have an undergraduate background in a field other than chemical engineering are required to enroll in the Preparatory Program. This program is intended to prepare students for graduate courses in chemical engineering.

The Program Consists of Course Work in the Following Areas:

• CHE 300 Chemical Engineering Principles (4 credits) (Offered Spring semester only)
• CHE 302 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (4 credits) (Offered fall semester only) Prerequisite: CHE 300
• CHE 306 Transport Phenomena (4 credits) (Offered fall semester only) Prerequisite: CHE 300
• CHE 404 Chemical Reactor Design (4 credits) Prerequisites: CHE 302 and CHE 306, or equivalents (Offered spring semester only)
• CHE 408 Separation Processes (4 credits) Prerequisites: CHE 302 and CHE 306 (Offered spring semester only)

Note(s)

Depending on the student’s background, additional courses in engineering, mathematics, chemistry and physics may be required.  Students should contact the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering to set up an appointment with the Graduate Program Coordinator prior to registering for classes.

Prior to satisfactory completion of the entire Preparatory Program, no course may be taken toward the fulfillment of the graduate degree program unless authorized by the academic/research advisor.

Degree Requirements

The MS Chemical Engineering program offers three options within the program: the thesis option (30 credits total), the project option (30 credits total), and the course option (33 credits total). All three options require the same 12 credits of core courses, as described below.

1. Core courses (12 credits):

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• CHE 502 - Advanced Thermodynamics (4 credits)
• CHE 506 - Advanced Transport Phenomena (4 credits)
• CHE 504 - Advanced Reactor Design (4 credits) or CHE 508 - Advanced Separation Processes (4 credits) 

2. A minimum of nine credits of graduate elective courses, subject to advisor approval

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A minimum of nine credits of graduate elective courses from the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, subject to advisor approval. One of these courses may be in a technical discipline outside of chemical (CHE XXX) or biomedical (BME XXX) engineering. No courses required in the undergraduate chemical engineering program may be applied toward the graduate degree, except for students enrolled in the Accelerated BChE/MSChE program.

3. Thesis, project, and course-only option descriptions.

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The requirements for each option, in addition to those described above, are as follows:

a. Thesis option (9 credits)

The student plans and completes a research project, which may lead to publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, under the direction of a faculty advisor. This option is designed for the student who wants extensive research experience and a focus within a particular field. The student must complete a minimum of nine credits of CHE 699 Master’s Thesis. Three credits of ESC 720 Research Communications may be taken in lieu of 3 credits of CHE 699. Three credits of CHE 698 Master’s Project may also be taken in lieu of 3 credits of CHE 699. Prior to the student’s thesis defense (usually one semester in advance), the student is required to give a public presentation on their research, either in a department seminar, or at a regional, national, or international symposium. Students are required to take CHE 650 - Chemical Engineering Seminar (for 0 credits) each semester while enrolled in CHE 699.

b. Project option (9 credits)

The student completes a research project under the direction of a faculty advisor. The student must complete a three-credit project (CHE 698) and six (6) additional credits of chemical (CHE XXX) and/or biomedical (BME XXX) engineering graduate electives. This option is designed to provide the student with a broader education in chemical engineering, as well as to expose the student to modern research techniques in the discipline. A public presentation of the student’s research is required upon completion of the project.

c. Course-Only option (12 credits)

The student must complete twelve (12) additional credits of chemical (CHE XXX) and/or biomedical (BME XXX) engineering graduate electives. This option is designed to provide the student with a broader education in chemical engineering, as well as other interdisciplinary areas for chemical engineering professionals.

Exit Requirements

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Students must achieve at least a 3.0 grade-point average to graduate. Thesis students must submit a thesis to their graduate committee that follows the Thesis and Dissertation Format Guidelines, available on the College of Graduate Studies web page: http://www.csuohio.edu/gradcollege/students/thesis/

In order to graduate, students’ theses must be accepted by the graduate committee, and students must pass an oral defense of the thesis.

Students following the Project option must prepare and present a formal report of their research project and present their results in a public seminar.