Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
The University of Akron - the College of Engineering and Polymer Science
Key Information
Campus location
Akron, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
USD 442 / per credit *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* $442.10 - Ohio resident tuition/credit hour | $305.88 - Non-resident surcharge/credit hour
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Whether you want to become more valuable to your employer, pursue a career in academia, or satisfy your own professional development goals, consider graduate programs offered by the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering at The University of Akron.
Area of specialization for graduate students includes corrosion science and engineering, (bio)engineered and nanoscale systems, environmental engineering, interfacial engineering, chemical reaction engineering, catalysis, and molecular simulations. Faculty engineer the molecules, materials, devices, and systems for solving chemical engineering problems and beyond in energy, health, and sustainability industries.
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Chemical Engineering degree focuses on deepening your fundamental knowledge of chemical engineering and gaining professional skills and hands-on experiences useful for careers in industry, government, or academia.
Why UA?
Our program
- Is flexible, with options for evening classes
- Accommodates varied educational backgrounds
- Provides options for research-based and coursework-based degrees
Our faculty
- Consists of 25 nationally and internationally renowned experts who actively conduct research in their respective areas
- Have strong research programs
- Are active in industry collaborations locally
Research
Faculty research is centered around engineering the molecules, materials, devices, and systems for solving chemical engineering problems and beyond in energy, health, and sustainability industries. Faculty and students are working on exciting projects, from being able to detect corrosion in natural gas transmission pipelines to detecting salt ions in perspiration and using them as indicators for cystic fibrosis.
Current research areas for graduate students are highly interdisciplinary and include:
- Design, synthesis, and processing of intelligent and nanostructured materials for chemical/bio-sensors, nano-enabled functional fibers, tissue engineering, drug/gene delivery
- Development of photovoltaics, catalysts, and nanocomposites for renewable fuels, novel energy conversion and storage, high-quality water and air, novel chemical/biochemical processes, and multifunctional materials
- Understanding of the nervous and biological systems for the development of new treatments for neurological disorders and cancers
- Development and applications of multi-scale modeling, simulations, and big data mining at different to predict, optimize, and design a wide range of materials and processes
Program Outcome
- Access to the latest equipment and software that is used in companies and academia
- Participate in entrepreneurship programs
- Graduate-level classes are small enough to ensure personal attention by the professors while large enough to facilitate group projects and interactions
- Access to the extensive library and computer facilities at the university
- Access to external supercomputer facilities
- State-of-the-art equipment includes: Gas chromatographs, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry, BET, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, FT-IR, HPLC, XRF, and heat release equipment, laser and light scattering equipment, pilot-scale bubble cap and packed towers, extruders, biochemical reactors, sterilizers, high-pressure phase equilibrium analyzers, and supercritical extraction equipment
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Admissions
Curriculum
The program offers a thesis and non-thesis option. The thesis option requires 24 semester hours of graduate course work and 6 semester hours of thesis research. An oral defense of the thesis is also required.
The non-thesis option requires 30 hours of coursework. For applicants without prior engineering degrees, a Bridge Program is required. This program enables bridge students to complete their M.S. degree in roughly 6 months more than a student entering with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Typically, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering degree requires two years beyond a bachelor's degree.
Degree Requirements
Thesis Option
- Transport Phenomena 3 credits
- Chemical Reaction Engineering 3 credits
- Classical Thermodynamics 3 credits
- Chemical Engineering Electives 6 credits
- Approved Electives 6 credits
- Chemical Engineering Analysis* 3 credits
- Master's Thesis 6 credits
Total 30 credits
Non-Thesis Option
- Transport Phenomena 3 credits
- Chemical Reaction Engineering 3 credits
- Classical Thermodynamics 3 credits
- Chemical Engineering Electives 6 credits
- Approved Electives 9 credits
- Chemical Engineering Analysis* 3 credits
- Chemical Engineering Report** 3 credits
Total 30 credits
*Chemical Engineering Analysis is a 3-credit Approved Mathematics course.
**Non-thesis M.S. students are required to give an oral research presentation for their Chemical Engineering Report.
Notes: Chemical engineering students in both degree options are expected to attend and participate in the department's seminars.
Core courses
- 4200:610 Classical Thermodynamics
- 4200:605 Chemical Reaction Engineering
- 4200:600 Transport Phenomena
- 4200:631 Chemical Engineering Analysis
Career Opportunities
Graduates are more likely to secure managerial or high-level chemical engineering positions in a wide range of sectors including gas and oil extraction, nuclear and alternative energy, mining and minerals, food and drink, consumer goods, environment, including waste management and fertilizers, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
Employment
Our graduates have obtained employment from companies such as HDR Inc., ARCADIS, Babcock & Wilcox, AECOM/URS, G. Stephens, Inc., Kajima International, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.