The Department of Chemical Engineering offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Chemical Engineering (MCHE) degree and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemical Engineering. The purpose of the department’s graduate programs is to provide the guidance and opportunity for students to develop the quantitative skills of engineering and science, and the acumen to apply these skills for the welfare of modern society. Students in the program naturally have a broad range of interests and career objectives, and it is the philosophy of the department to expose them to a variety of fundamental and applied research problems that will hone those engineering skills necessary in any career, whether in industry, academia or government.
This involves a combination of graduate core courses in chemical engineering and applied mathematics, advanced science and engineering electives, and independent (thesis) research conducted with the guidance and mentorship of a chemical engineering faculty member. (A non-thesis option is also available for the MCHE degree).
The Chemical Engineering Department is housed in Allan P. Colburn Laboratory, a memorial to one of the pioneers in chemical engineering who established the department. The laboratory houses the Center for Catalytic Science and Technology, which is equipped with the modern tools of catalysis and surface science, and the Center for Molecular and Engineering Thermodynamics, whose personnel study a range of thermodynamic problems. Other laboratory facilities are for research in alternative energy, polymer engineering, rheology, process control, fluid mechanics, biochemical and biomedical engineering, materials science, photovoltaic systems, mass transfer, and separation processes. The department’s growing emphasis on Bioengineering is enhanced by the participation of a number of faculty and students in the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. The department also benefits from close contacts with industrial colleagues in the Delaware Valley-New Jersey heartland of the chemical process industries. An extensive program of visiting scholars brings distinguished engineering scientists from around the world to the campus for periods ranging from a few days to a year.
A dual degree in the MBA & Master of Chemical Engineering programs is available to graduate students.