Chemical Engineering

MS Degree Program Requirements

• A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework, including at least 20 credit hours of course and seminar work.  The balance of coursework must be consistent with the research or professional experience component.
• Satisfactory completion of one of the research or professional experience components listed below.
  • A written thesis based on independent research
  • A comprehensive examination
  • An appropriate, professionally oriented special project

The path for those pursuing the thesis option includes the below requirements.

1. The following required courses:

• Chemical Reactor Analysis II
• Transport Phenomena
• Chemical Engineering Analysis
• Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics

2. Two additional 3-credit hour technical graduate courses selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. School of Business courses cannot be taken to satisfy this requirement.

• Two credit hours of Seminar. While in residence, all students are required to attend seminars.
• Ten credit hours of Thesis. All students are expected to start their thesis research at the beginning of their first semester in residence.
• The MS thesis must be orally presented and defended before a committee of three or more faculty members, at least two of whom are from the department.

The 1-credit course, Fundamentals of Research and Graduate Study, is highly recommended. This course may be used as a substitute for 1 credit of Thesis.

A typical schedule is as follows. Individuals with an undergraduate degree in chemistry can have a different schedule.

• First Semester:
  • Three 3-credit courses (typically CH560, CH561 and an elective)
  • Five credits of thesis
  • One credit of seminar
• Second Semester:
  • Three 3-credit courses (typically CH546, CH571 and an elective)
  • Five credits of thesis
  • One credit of seminar
• Third Semester:
  • One credit of thesis
• Fourth Semester:
  • One credit of thesis

Required Courses

A program is available for qualified BS chemists and physicists that will permit them to earn an MS in Chemical Engineering in 4 semesters. During the course of study, the student will take almost all the required courses in the chemical engineering undergraduate curriculum, as well as the chemical engineering graduate level courses required for the MS program. A typical program, which may be altered depending on the background of the student, is given below. 

• First Semester:
  • Directed Study in Chemical Engineering Principles I (CH501)
  • Chemical Engineering Analysis (CH561)
  • Graduate Elective
  • Seminar (CH610)
• Second Semester:
  • Directed Study in Chemical Engineering Principles II (CH502)
  • Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (CH571)
  • Graduate Elective
  • Seminar (CH610)
• Third Semester:
  • Transport Phenomena (CH560)
  • Thesis (CH611)
• Fourth Semester:
  • Chemical Reactor Analysis II (CH546)
  • Thesis (CH611)

For those interested in an academic or industrial research career, Clarkson’s PhD programs in engineering provide an opportunity to pursue leading-edge research and a high degree of specialization

Degree Requirements

In the Coulter School of Engineering, the minimum requirements for a PhD degree are as follows:

• 90 credit hours minimum (beyond BS):
  • Minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate course work
    • Minimum of 15 credit hours in the major field
    • Minimum of 9 credit hours in the minor field
    • Minimum of 6 credit hours from a department other than the one in which the student is housed
  • Minimum of 9 of the course work credit hours taken in residence (may include distance learning classes taken through Clarkson)
  • Minimum of 6 credit hours of Seminar
  • Maximum of 30 credit hours transferred from a master's degree towards PhD requirements (B grade or better; forms for obtaining transfer credit are available from the department office)
  • Cumulative GPA of ≥ 3.0 in course work contributing to degree requirements
  • Minimum of three academic years of full-time graduate study or the equivalent in part-time study. Two years of study must be in residence at Clarkson University. Students in the external PhD program are exempt from this residency requirement.
  • Satisfactory completion of the PhD candidacy procedure within two years after matriculation into the PhD program for full-time students or before completing 66 credits for part-time students
  • A written dissertation must be submitted by each candidate and defended orally as part of the final examination.
  • All work must be completed within seven years after the student is identified as a PhD candidate.
  • All accepted international students, for whom English is a second language, are required to take an English-as-a-second-language placement exam (LA005) upon their arrival on campus and complete any recommended requirements.

Courses

• Transport Phenomena (Fall)
• Chemical Engineering Analysis (Fall)
• Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (Spring)
• Chemical Reactor Analysis II (Spring)