Graduate Degree Requirements

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Master of Science Chemical Engineering Requirements

Required Core (15 credits)

  • ChE 505 Applied Mathematics for Chemical Engineers (3 credits)
  • ChE 527 Fluid Flow (3 credits)
  • ChE 528 Chemical Reactor Engineering (3 credits)
  • ChE 538 Statistical and Irreversible Thermodynamics (3 credits)
  • ChE 542 Intermediate Transport Phenomena (3 credits)

Technical Electives (12 credits)
At least 6 credits must be ChE. ChE 990 does not count towards your elective credits. You may use 6 credits in ChE 695. 

Cognate (3 credits)
Cognate courses are those in a discipline or area different from a student’s field of study but that are related or connected with some aspect of this field.  Typically, they are in other departments of engineering or in math and sciences.

Total program: 30 credits

Time to completion: 1-2 years

Master’s First Year Schedule (sample)

Fall Term

  • ChE 505 (Math)
  • ChE 538 (Thermo)
  • ChE 527 (Fluids)
  • Elective
  • Cognate

Winter Term

  • ChE 528 (Reaction Eng.)
  • ChE 542 (Transport)
  • Elective
  • Elective
  • Elective

Grade point average required: 3.00 (B or better)

All Chemical Engineering course descriptions can be found in the Michigan Engineering Course Guide and Bulletin.

Notes for Master’s Program:

  • There is no thesis option for the master’s degree; however, students can earn ChE 695 credit toward the degree through research projects with ChE faculty.
  • Students with non-ChE degrees may have to take remedial undergraduate courses.
  • The transition from the master’s program to the PhD program requires a new Rackham application (and is a rare occurrence).
  • Dual degree options are available, however at least 21 credits must be in ChE.

PhD Chemical Engineering Requirements 

Required Core* (21 credits) 

  • ChE 505 Applied Mathematics for Chemical Engineers (3 credits)
  • ChE 527 Fluid Flow (3 credits)
  • ChE 528 Chemical Reactor Engineering (3 credits)
  • ChE 538 Statistical and Irreversible Thermodynamics (3 credits)
  • ChE 542 Intermediate Transport Phenomena (3 credits)
  • ChE 595 Chemical Engineering Research Survey (2 credits)
  • ChE 601 Chemical Engineering Seminar (1 credit) – taken twice (fall and winter)
  • ChE 696 Peer Mentor Seminar (1 credit) – taken twice (fall and winter)

*PhD students may request a course waiver if they took these courses during their master’s degree.

Technical Electives (12 credits)
At least 3 credits must be ChE. ChE 990 does not count towards your elective credits. You may use 6 credits in ChE 695. 

Cognate (3 credits)
Cognate courses are those in a discipline or area different from a student’s field of study but are related or connected with some aspect of this field. You may use a 1 credit seminar in another discipline; however, the other 2 credits must be in a non-seminar course. These courses are typically a 500 or higher level. Some 400 courses may be approved, but please email che-gradquestions@umich.edu to verify. 

Research (32+ credits)
After candidacy, each fall and winter term you will register for 8 credits of CHE 995 research under your faculty advisor. Some students continue their research over the summer, therefore may end up enrolling in 80+ research credits throughout 5 years. Pre-candidates may register for research under CHE 990.

Academic course credits: 36

Research credits: 32+

Total program: 70 minimum credits

Time to completion: 4-5 years*

*Students with non-ChE degrees may have to take remedial undergraduate courses.

PhD First Year Schedule (sample)

Fall Term

  • ChE 505 (Math)
  • ChE 538 (Thermo)
  • ChE 527 (Fluids)
  • Cognate
  • ChE 595 (Research Orientation)
  • ChE 601 (ChE Seminar)
  • ChE 696 (Mentor Seminar)

Winter Term

  • ChE 528 (Reaction Eng.)
  • ChE 542 (Transport)
  • Elective or Cognate (if not taken in first semester)
  • ChE 695 (Research, 6 credits)
  • ChE 601 (ChE Seminar)
  • ChE 696 (Mentor Seminar)

Grade point average required: 3.00 (B or better)

All Chemical Engineering course descriptions can be found in the Michigan Engineering Course Guide and Bulletin.

Course Waiver
ChE core, required courses (ChE 505, ChE 527, ChE 528, ChE 538, ChE 542) taken previously at another institution can be waived pending application and approval of the course exemption request. If you hold a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering you will not need to make up these credits, however you will still need at least 18 grad credits for Rackham requirements.  We recommend retaking a core course if your grade was below an A-. Please discuss your plan with Colette Sherfey csherfey@umich.edu.

Additional Requirements/Milestones

In addition to the courses, PhD students must complete the following:

  • Successful completion of the College of Engineering Responsible Conduct of Research & Scholarship (RCRS) prior to candidacy. 
  • Doctoral Candidacy Exam (DCE) after 18 credits with a B- or higher in all core classes and an average GPA of at least 3.0.
  • Passage of the Thesis Proposal Examination.
  • Serve one term as a Graduate Student Instructor, or two semesters as a course grader.*
  • Make an oral presentation at a national or international meeting.
  • Publish at least one first-author, peer-reviewed research article prior to your dissertation defense.
  • Writing and defending your PhD Dissertation.  

* Extensive instruction through other mediums (e.g., teaching a multi-month summer school) may count toward GSI/grader requirement pending approval. Talk to Colette Sherfey csherfey@umich.edu

PhD Candidacy Requirements (Rackham)

  • Complete at least 18 hours of graded graduate coursework on the Ann Arbor campus.
  • Complete at least 3 credit hours of cognate coursework with grade of B- or better.
  • Pass the Doctoral Candidacy Exam.
  • Complete training in responsible conduct of research and scholarship (4 CoE workshops).

Notes for the PhD Program

  • Candidacy registration must always include 8 hours of ChE 995. Students whose advisors are not ChE or ChE-affiliated faculty should register in the department where their advisor is based.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to apply for the master’s degree before the deadline. An embedded master’s degree is optional and typically earned after the PhD student’s 4th term in the program. If you have a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from another institution, you are not eligible for the embedded master’s at the University of Michigan. 
  • Dual degree options are available, however at least 21 credits must be in CHE
  • If you hold your master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from another institution, you will not need to take the full 36 course credits. Please email che-gradquestions@umich.edu with help to form your plan. 

Questions?
Please contact Colette Sherfey csherfey@umich.edu