Chemical Engineering, MS

Our Master’s program offers a streamlined educational experience that bolsters knowledge and professional skills in chemical engineering. The program covers basic subjects important to all chemical engineers, including thermodynamics, transport phenomena, kinetics and applied mathematics, along with coursework tailored to student interest.

All students in the thesis-based track (Plan I) conduct innovative, original research in faculty-run labs. All students in the non-thesis track (Plan II) complete specialized coursework in chemical engineering and a capstone experience.

The Master's degree typically requires one to two years to complete, depending on the intensity of study and whether a thesis is produced.

We welcome students with undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering, as well as in other related STEM fields such as chemistry, biology, and materials science and engineering. Students entering with a degree other than a BS ChemE, however, may require additional coursework, thereby adding time to the degree.

Admissions

Admission is contingent upon recommendation by the graduate faculty of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Special opportunities are available for students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than chemical engineering.

See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.

Curricular Requirements

Master of Science-Thesis Option (Plan I): 30 Credit hours

Candidates for the master’s degree under Plan I must earn a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit in coursework and write a thesis (a minimum of six semester hours of thesis research required).

A minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework is required.
A minimum of six hours of thesis research is required.
A student’s curriculum and thesis must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The student must pass a final comprehensive examination, which is typically a presentation and defense of the thesis. In addition, the student must satisfy all University requirements defined in the current edition of The University of Alabama Graduate Catalog.

All graduate students in chemical engineering are required to pass the following core graduate courses:

Code and Title		Hours
Required Core Course
CHE 551	Adv Thermodynamics I	3
CHE 552	Transport Phenomena	3
CHE 553	Computation In Chem Engr	3
CHE 554	Chemical Reaction Engr	3
Elective Courses Options		12
CHE 512	Polymer Materials Engineering
CHE 514	Computer Methods in ChemE
CHE 516	Stem Cell Bioengineering
CHE 518	Tissue Engineering
CHE 540	Health Safety Chem Process Ind
CHE 545	Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
CHE 591	Special Problems
CHE 592	Special Problems
Additional elective course options available upon approval of Advisor
Thesis Research
CHE 599	Thesis Research	6
Total Hours		30

Master of Science-Non-Thesis Option (Plan II): 30 Credit hours

Candidates for the master’s degree under Plan II must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit and complete a culminating or “Capstone experience” as described below.

A minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework is required.
A student’s curriculum must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The graduate advisory committee must also approve the submission of a manuscript, a conference proceeding or a graduate seminar presentation. This activity shall constitute The University of Alabama Graduate School culminating experience requirement for a MS Plan II degree in chemical engineering.
The “Capstone Experience” consists of two required components:
1. First, a research presentation must be delivered to the faculty. The research presentation can be based on a literature review of a chemical engineering topic or a presentation of hands-on research results. The student must register for 1 hour of CHE 595 Seminar during the semester of the presentation (this 1 hour counts towards the total of 30 credit hours of coursework).
2. The second component is a mentored grading experience, CHE 591 Special Problems (1 to 4 hr.), and this will count towards the 30 credit hours of coursework. The student will gain first-hand experience with several aspects of the chemical engineering educational process (homework design, grading, test preparation, etc.).

Code and Title		Hours
Required Core Courses
CHE 551	Adv Thermodynamics I	3
CHE 552	Transport Phenomena	3
CHE 553	Computation In Chem Engr	3
CHE 554	Chemical Reaction Engr	3
Elective Courses Options		14
CHE 514	Computer Methods in ChemE	0
CHE 516	Stem Cell Bioengineering	0
CHE 512	Polymer Materials Engineering
CHE 518	Tissue Engineering
CHE 540	Health Safety Chem Process Ind
CHE 545	Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
CHE 592	Special Problems
Additional elective course options available upon approval of Advisor
Capstone Experience Courses
CHE 595	Seminar	1
CHE 591	Special Problems	3
Total Hours		30

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit information.

Accelerated Master's Program

Information on the Accelerated Master's Program.

Comprehensive Exam/Capstone

The “Capstone Experience” consists of two required components:
1. First, a research presentation must be delivered to the faculty. The research presentation can be based on a literature review of a chemical engineering topic or a presentation of hands-on research results. The student must register for 1 hour of CHE 595 Seminar during the semester of the presentation (this 1 hour counts towards the total of 30 credit hours of coursework).
2. The second component is a mentored grading experience, CHE 591 Special Problems (1 to 4 hr.), and this will count towards the 30 credit hours of coursework. The student will gain first-hand experience with several aspects of the chemical engineering educational process (homework design, grading, test preparation, etc.).

Plan I – Thesis Process Requirements

Candidates for the master’s degree under Plan I must earn a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit in coursework and write a thesis (a minimum of six semester hours of thesis research required).

A minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework is required.
A minimum of six hours of thesis research is required.
A student’s curriculum and thesis must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The student must pass a final comprehensive examination, which is typically a presentation and defense of the thesis. In addition, the student must satisfy all University requirements defined in the current edition of The University of Alabama Graduate Catalog.

Plan II – Non-Thesis Process Requirements

Candidates for the master’s degree under Plan II must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit and complete a culminating or “Capstone experience” as described below.

A minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework is required.
A student’s curriculum must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The graduate advisory committee must also approve the submission of a manuscript, a conference proceeding or a graduate seminar presentation. This activity shall constitute The University of Alabama Graduate School culminating experience requirement for a MS Plan II degree in chemical engineering.