Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering

• Graduate Chemical Engineering Core Courses – 12 Credits
• Graduate Level Writing Course – 3 Credits
• Graduate Level Mathematics Course – 3 Credits
• Graduate Technical Electives – 12 Credits
• Doctoral Research – 42 Credits
• Total Required Credits – 72 Credits

For a student who possesses a master’s degree in a related field, a minimum of 42 semester hours (credits) of graduate-level coursework beyond the master’s degree will be required. 

Student Learning Goals:

Candidates will obtain a level of technical proficiency in advanced mathematics, core chemical engineering principles, and a breadth of technical subjects that prepare them to face complex challenges in real-world chemical engineering applications.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to apply advanced mathematical principles to solve engineering problems. The student will get direct education in this area in their required graduate level mathematics class and will have it reinforced in all chemical engineering core courses and most graduate electives.
• Students will have an in-depth understanding of the terminology and processes that are core to the field of chemical engineering. The student will be required to take four core chemical engineering courses and pass each with a B- or higher.
• Students will have the ability to read, understand, analyze, and critique research papers with advanced Chemical Engineering content. This topic will be developed throughout the research experiences of the student, including preparation for the proposal defense, and will culminate with an appropriate and detailed literature review in the dissertation.
• Students will develop a level of technical writing proficiency sufficient for them to produce quality manuscripts, grant proposals, and a meaningful dissertation.
• Students will demonstrate their ability to explain complex topics in written formats. Students will have this skill developed in their required technical writing course and reinforced throughout their education including the writing of literature reviews, experimental methods, technical reports, and, ultimately, a dissertation.
• Students will be able to write effective external documents including manuscripts for journal submissions and grant proposals. Graduate students will be expected to produce manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals as they progress through their research, and to provide data and assistance in subsequent external funding requests.
• Students will learn to identify and approach unsolved problems in chemical engineering, formulate a hypothesis on how to solve such a problem, design and execute experimental or analytical methodologies to test the hypothesis, analyze results, and draw meaningful conclusions.
• Students will demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research. Students will be required to propose, execute, and defend a dissertation that addresses a novel problem with meaningful real-world implications. Their skills will be developed through group meetings, meetings with their advisors and dissertation committees, and participation in the departmental seminar program. Student progress will be assessed at the dissertation proposal and, ultimately, the dissertation defense. For more information, please visit: Dissertation Requirement for PhD in Chemical Engineering.

The following courses make up the Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering program. 

• 72 Semester Hours
  • Required Courses: 18 Semester Hours
  • Graduate Elective Courses: 12 Semester Hours
  • Research Courses: 42 Semester Hours
• Foundation Courses: No
• Graduation / Exit / Thesis Requirements: Yes
  • Complete a minimum of 72 credits of graduate-level work beyond a bachelor's degree OR a minimum of 42 credits of graduate-level work beyond a master's degree
  • Completion of all the University's standard Ethical & Responsible Conduct of Research training (including human/animal subject training when applicable)
  • Regular attendance and participation in (0-credit) graduate seminars
  • Successful completion of a Ph.D. Qualifier examination^
  • Successful completion of a Ph.D. Candidacy (proposal) examination^
  • Successful completion of the Career Preparation & Readiness Experience that consists of teaching, grant writing, publishing publishing, and service^
  • Successful completion of a Ph.D. dissertation defense^
  • Successful completion of a Ph.D. dissertation^

^ The specific details, nature, and scope of these examinations (e.g., format of the exam) and requirements (e.g. number of journal publications, conference publications, patents, number of teaching assignments) will be determined by the student's Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering committee and/or department policies for student's home department as aligned with the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering policies.

*Students must register for this course multiple times at 3 S.H., 6 S.H., or 9 S.H. until the total 42 S.H. are completed. After that, the 1-credit ENGR-01798 Doctoral Dissertation Continuation course should be taken, until the thesis defense is successfully completed. Total number of Doctoral Research and Dissertation semester hours may vary.

**All 30 credits of coursework must be completed with grades of B- or higher with a minimum GPA of 3.0 at all times. A graduate course may be retaken once, but a second retake must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee and the Chemical Engineering Graduate Coordinator.

Transfer Credit Evaluation Policy

These are subject to evaluation and approval by the Graduate Program Coordinator and Department Head.