Department Chair
Shikha Nangia
329F Link Hall
315-443-1931; fax: 443-9175
Faculty
Christian Aponte-Rivera, Jesse Q. Bond, Michal Blatchley, Katie D. Cadwell, Ruth Chen, Julie M. Hasenwinkel, James H. Henderson, Era Jain, Andrea Joseph, Zhen Ma, Shikha Nangia, Chae Jeong-Potter, Pranav Soman, Radhakrishna Sureshkumar, Theodore Walker, Yaoying Wu, Pun To Yung, Jialiu Zeng, Yi Zheng
Adjunct/Research Faculty
Eric Finkelstein, Kent Ogden, David Quinn, Katherine Tsokas, Lin Lin, Dacheng Ren
Affiliate Faculty
Samuel Herberg, Juntao Luo, Liviu Movileanu, Davoud Mozhdehi, Alison Patteson
Emeritus Faculty
Gustav Engbretson, John Heydweiller, George Martin, Philip Rice, Robert L. Smith, Lawrence L. Tavalrides
Graduate Chemical Engineering Program Director
Zhen Ma
CST 2-171
315-443-4057; zma112@syr.edu
The Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering offers a comprehensive set of graduate programs in bioengineering and chemical engineering, including Master’s of Science (MS) degrees and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Graduates of these programs work in the medical profession, the biomechanics and bioinstrumentation industries, the pharmaceutical industry, the chemical engineering industry, the government, and in education.
Chemical engineering programs feature core chemical engineering courses, electives, and a concentrated research or independent study experience with the student’s faculty advisor. Electives may be focused on many special subjects, including: Biomedical and Biomolecular Engineering; Environmental engineering and Sustainability; Computer Science and Data Analytics; Materials Science; and Manufacturing Engineering. Chemical engineering program emphasizes immersive research through close faculty mentorship and integration with Syracuse University’s major research ecosystems, including the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, the Syracuse University Infrastructure Institute, and NSF-supported energy and materials initiatives. These connections provide students with access to advanced facilities and interdisciplinary teams working on challenges in sustainable energy, resilient infrastructure, and next-generation materials, enabling hands-on research experiences that translate fundamental science into real-world engineering solutions.
M.S. in Chemical Engineering
The Master’s of Science degree in Chemical Engineering is a flexible and individually structured program, determined by the student and his/her advisor. The MS can be a terminal degree or an introduction to research before pursuing the Ph.D.
There are two degree plans a student can choose:
Plan 1(Thesis track): minimum 30 credit hours of graduate study, including 24 credits of coursework and 6 credits of thesis. At least 12 credits of coursework must consist of the chemical engineering graduate core. A master’s thesis must be completed and defended in an oral examination.
Plan 2 (Non-thesis track): minimum requirement of 30 credit hours of graduate study, including the 12 credits chemical engineering graduate core and a 3 credit MS project course. A comprehensive examination must be completed as part of the MS Project course.
Residence Time
The MS degree typically requires three to four semesters to complete.
General Requirements
Bridging Coursework
Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering may be required to complete a number of additional undergraduate engineering courses as corequisites for graduate coursework.
The need for such bridging coursework will be considered on a case by case basis, and applicants will be notified of any such requirements at the time of admission into the program.
Bridging courses if assigned, are usually completed in the first year of study. All assigned bridging coursework must be completed prior to graduation.
Graduate Seminar
Attendance at the BMCE Graduate Seminars is expected of students in all graduate programs.
Limit of 500-Level Credits
Graduate students may not count more than 15 credits of 500-level coursework toward the completion of their program of study.
Minimum GPA
- Minimum GPA of 3.000 for all credits counted toward the completion of coursework requirements
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.800 for all credits earned
Coursework Requirements
30 credits total
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| |
| CEN 651 | Molecular and Statistical Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CEN 671 | Chemical Engineering Methods I | 3 |
| CEN 786 | Kinetics | 3 |
| CEN 741 | Transport Phenomena I | 3 |
| or CEN 643 | Fluid Dynamics |
| 12 |
| 6 |
| Masters Thesis | |
| Introduction to MS Research | |
| |
| Advanced Chemical Engineering Design | |
| Masters Project | |
| |
| Total Credits | 30 |
Exit Requirement Overview
Thesis Requirement (Plan 1)
Successful completion of the MS degree with thesis requires a written MS thesis and an oral defense.
Proposal
Students interested in pursuing a thesis must first register for CEN 991 Introduction to MS Research and perform their initial thesis research under the supervision of their thesis advisor. At the conclusion of this course, the proposal research will be graded, and the student and advisor will determine whether to continue with the proposed thesis.
If continuing, the student will register for CEN997 Master’s Thesis, complete remaining work, and defend their thesis. If not, CEN 991 Introduction to MS Research may be counted toward degree completion.
Deadlines
Students must submit a Request for Examination Form to the Graduate School at least three full weeks prior to the oral defense.
The thesis document must be delivered to the MS Thesis defense committee at least two weeks prior to the date of the oral defense.
Defense Committee
The MS Thesis defense committee consists of four members:
- The thesis advisor;
- No fewer than two tenure-track members of the BMCE faculty; and
- The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee.
The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure-track faculty member outside the department and program.
All proposed committee members must be full-time or adjunct faculty members at Syracuse University. Outside committee members (e.g. from SUNY-ESF, Upstate Medical University, etc.) may be allowed by petition.
Additional Requirements
Defenses must comply with Graduate School policy and requirements, including proper formatting.
Comprehensive Exam Overview (Plan 2)
Successful completion of the MS Project course and the accompanying Oral Comprehensive Examination.
Timing
The MS Project course, CEN 687 Advanced Chemical Engineering Design, and the Comprehensive Exam (CEN 996 Masters Project), are only offered during the fall semester.
Oral Comprehensive Examination
The Oral Comprehensive Examination will be the culminating event of the M.S. Project course. Students will prepare and present the products/outcomes of their project to the departmental faculty and respond to questions from the faculty.
The examination committee will be composed of at least three department faculty, but all faculty are invited, and the examination will be scheduled to maximize faculty participation.
The examination committee will meet separately to determine if the student has passed the examination, and the student will be informed of the decision.
Students are required to submit an electronic copy of presentation materials to the Department prior to the presentation.
