Chemical Engineering MS

Major: Chemical Engineering
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Co-op Option: Available for full-time, on-campus, master's-level students
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 14.0701
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 17-2041

About the Program

The graduate program in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department integrates current chemical engineering science with the growing fields of engineering applications and processes, emphasizing engineering design and scientific analysis. The department intends to develop broadly educated individuals who are knowledgeable in modern theories, cognizant of the behavior of engineering systems, and aware of current mathematical and engineering tools that are useful for the solution of problems in complex processes and systems, especially those in the fields of chemical, environmental, biochemical, and materials process engineering. Areas of particular strength include polymer science and engineering, energy and the environment, multiscale modeling and process systems engineering, and biological engineering.

Programs are arranged to meet the needs and interests of individual students. The plan of study is initially formulated in consultation with the departmental graduate advisor and subsequently guided by the thesis advisor. Students are eligible to participate in graduate co-op the Master of Science program. For more information, visit the Drexel Engineering graduate co-op and Steinbright Career Development Center's website.

Graduates have pursued a variety of careers ranging from faculty positions in academia to research and development in industry in the U.S. and overseas.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, visit the MS in Chemical Engineering and Drexel University's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering webpages.

Admission Requirements

Students should fulfill Drexel University's general requirements for admission to graduate studies. The subjects normally included in an undergraduate program in chemical engineering provide a satisfactory background. Decisions regarding prerequisite qualifications for students who may be deficient in some areas are made after consultation with the departmental graduate advisor.

The core courses are designed for students with undergraduate training in chemical engineering; however, students with a background in other disciplines can also enroll in the core courses after completing the necessary basic engineering courses and disciplinary chemical engineering courses. Programs for such students are determined on an individual basis after consultation with the departmental graduate advisor.

Graduate study in Chemical Engineering is offered on a regular full-time basis and on a part-time basis. Details not covered in the following information may be obtained by contacting the departmental graduate advisor. The General (Aptitude) Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for applicants pursuing full-time study.

Financial Assistance

MS positions are not fully funded. Partial support in the form of fellowship grants may be offered with admission. Partial support in the form of teaching assistantships may be available to current students.

Additional Information

For more information on how to apply, visit Drexel's Admissions page for Chemical Engineering.

Degree Requirements

In general, each program leading to the Master of Science in Chemical Engineering must meet the following requirements: total, 45.0 credits; core chemical engineering, 15.0 credits; technical electives, at least 15.0 credits; free electives, at most 6.0 credits; thesis or additional technical electives, 9.0 credits. Core courses in the chemical engineering master's program are listed below. A master's thesis is optional.

Thesis option: The thesis may be based on either a theoretical or an experimental investigation or both of limited scope but involving a significant degree of originality. The nature of the research may involve multidisciplinary areas such as biological engineering, materials processing and engineering, energy and the environment, and other topics. The scope and content of the thesis is guided by the thesis advisor. All students pursuing a master's with thesis must complete 9.0 credits of thesis research (CHE 898). At the discretion of the research advisor, up to 12.0 credits of independent study (CHE I799) can be used to fulfill the free and technical elective requirements.

Coursework-only (non-thesis) option: Students not pursuing master's with thesis must complete 24.0 credits of technical electives, 6.0 credits of free electives, and 15.0 credits of core chemical engineering. Students may take up to 21.0 credits of independent study (CHE I799) to fulfill the free and technical elective requirements although independent study is not required for a non-thesis master's. Non-thesis students may also take additional concentration electives beyond the required 15.0 credit series. Non-thesis students may not register for thesis research.

Concentration: All master's students must complete a 15.0 credit series of technical electives. Technical electives may be chosen from course offerings in chemical engineering, mathematics, science, and other engineering disciplines, and are subject to approval by the departmental graduate advisor. Free (non-concentration) electives need only be graduate level.

Co-op: Students have the option to pursue a co-op as part of their master's program. In conjunction with the Steinbright Career Development Center, students will be provided an overview of professionalism, resume writing, and the job search process. Co-op will be for a six-month position running in the summer/fall terms. Students will not earn academic credit for the co-op but will earn 9.0 non-academic co-op units per term.

Full-time students usually take the core courses in the first year. Other courses may be substituted for the core courses if equivalent courses are available and if the substitution is approved by the graduate advisor. Full-time students normally require a minimum of one calendar year to complete their study and research.

Program Requirements

*

Choose from:

• Any graduate course in the College of Engineering >=500 level
• Any graduate course in STEM disciplines >=500 level
• Graduate courses in these disciplines, subject to advisor approval:  AE, BIO, BMES, CAE, CHE (including CHE I799) CHEM, CIVE, CMGT, CS, DSCI, ECE, ECEC, ECET, ECEE, ECES, EET, EGMT, ENTP, ENVP, ENVS, FDSC, GEO, MATE, MEM, PROJ, REAL, SYSE, PENG, MATH, PHYS, SE 

**

Co-op is an option for this degree for full-time on-campus students. To prepare for the 6-month co-op experience, students will complete: COOP 500. The total credits required for this degree with the co-op experience is 46.0

Students not participating in the co-op experience will need 45.0 credits to graduate.

Sample Plan of Study

No co-op, no thesis option

Thesis, no co-op option

With co-op, no thesis option: 

With co-op and thesis option:

Facilities

Abrams Laboratory (Abrams)

Software:

• The Abrams group Github repository (https://github.com/cameronabrams)

Computational resources:

• Proteus, Drexel’s high-performance cluster
• NSF XSEDE (www.xsede.org)
• DoD HPCMP (www.hpc.mil)

Alvarez Research Group (Alvarez)

• Rheo Filament- VADER1000 - Filament Extensional Rheometer with forced convection oven
• TA DHR3 – Controlled Stress Rheometer with Electronic Heated Platesx
• TA ARES G2 – Controlled Strain Rheometer with Forced Convection Oven
• Controlled Film Coater
• Gel Spinning Apparatus for continuous filament and fiber formation
• Microtensiometer for measurement of dynamic transport of surfactant to fluid-fluid interfaces, including dilatational rheology of equilibrated surfaces.
• Supercritical Microtensiometer for measurement of surfactant transport to fluid-fluid interfaces at elevated pressures
• Nikon TE microscope with 3MP camera and various objectives.
• Fluigent - 4 port continuous pressure fluid pump    

Nanomaterials for Energy Applications and Technology Laboratory (Baxter)

• Amplified Ti:Sapphire laser with time-resolved teraherterz spectroscopy and femtosecond UV/vis/NIR transient absorption spectroscopy (Bossone 106)
• Solar simulator with monochromator and photovoltaic/photoelectrochemical test station
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
• Layer-by-layer deposition robot
• Dip coater
• Spin coater
• Electrodeposition station
• Continuous flow microreactors

Chemical Immunomodulation Laboratory (Deak)

• Thermo Attune 2 Laser/7 color flow cytometer with 96 well adapter 
• Agilent 1260 HPLC with semi-prep and analytical columns and fractional collector 
• BSL-II Hood, Incubator for cell culture 
• Nanodrop Photo-spectrophotometer 
• Lyopholizer 
• -80 C Freezer 
• Qubit Fluorometer 
• PCR Thermocycler
• Rotoevaporator
• Autoclave
• Probe Sonicator
• LEICA DMiL Light Microscope
• QuantStudio 7 Flex qPCR
• 
  Promega Glo Max Plate Reader

• 
  Allegra 64R Centrifuge

Nanocrystal Solar Laboratory (Fafarman)

• Two chamber fabrication glove box with separate air-purification for wet-chemical synthesis and dry-process fabrication steps, featuring HEPA filtered laminar flow air handling for class-1 cleanroom conditions in an inert atmosphere. In the wet-chemical fabrication chamber there are a spincoater, centrifuge, hot-plates and solid and liquid reagents. On the dry chamber side, there is an integrated thermal evaporator for depositing metal, and a UV-ozone cleaner.
• Custom built Schlenk vacuum/gas manifold, all necessary glassware, J-Kem precision temperature controllers and heating mantles
• Perkin Elmer Lambda 35 UV-vis spectrometer
• ThermoFisher Nicolet iS50R Fourier-transform vis-NIR-MIR absorption spectrometer covering spectral ranges 13000 – 600 and 25000 – 8000 1/cm
• Keithley dual-channel precision source-meter
• Crystalaser Q-switch laser, 300 mW at 532 nm
• Home-built 4-point probe station for thin film electrical conductivity
• 80 MHz digital oscilloscope
• Stanford Research Systems lock-in amplifier

McDonald Research Laboratory (McDonald)

• Agilent HPLC 1260 series with Quadrupole Mass Spec
• Mettler Toledo EasyViewer 100 in situ process microscope
• Integrated reactor system (100 mL to 5 L)

Electrochemical Interfaces and Catalysis Laboratory (Snyder)

• Millipore DI water system
• 302N Autolab Potentiostats (x2)
• Mettler Toledo Micro-Balance
• Ultracentrifuge
• 4 port Schlenk line
• 4 kW Ambrell Radio Frequency Induction Furnace

Process Systems Engineering Laboratory (Soroush)

• Shimadzu GPC
• Mini-Reactors
• Agilent GC/MS
• Fluidized Sand Bath
• IKA-RCT Stirred Hotplate Reactors
• Olympus Microscope
• Shimadzu UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (UV-1700)

Tang Laboratory (Tang)

• Six-channel Bio-Logic SP-300 potentiostat with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
• LC Technology dual-user glovebox with argon atmosphere. Includes oxygen and water analyzers, electronic feedthroughs, and integrated vacuum oven
• Coin cell crimper /decrimper for battery fabrication (TOB Battery)
• Automatic electrode film coater (TOB Battery)
• Tube furnace
• Vacuum oven
• Karl-Fischer titration apparatus (Mettler Toledo)
• Two rotating disk electrode test station (Pine Instruments) with rotating ring-disk accessories
• 32-channel battery cycler (Arbin)

Program Level Outcomes

Chemical Engineering Faculty

Emeritus Faculty