Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemical Engineering

Study for the Ph.D. degree usually requires four years. Students whose ultimate goal is to obtain that degree are advised to apply directly to the Ph.D. program.

The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 45 semester hours, beyond the B.S. level, comprising four seminars and at least eight graduate courses (24 credits) in addition to a research thesis. Ph.D. candidates are also required to pass a qualifying examination on chemical engineering fundamentals and to propose and successfully defend a thesis proposal.

Students who enter the program with a recognized Master’s degree may be allowed up to 30 course credits towards the Ph.D., subject to approval by the Graduate Committee of the Department.

Required core courses for the Ph.D. degree are CHE 510, CHE 540, CHE 561, and CHE 580.


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