Chemical engineering has and will continue to play a prominent role in all realistic solutions to national and international problems of energy, the environment, health, and food. Progress toward solutions in these areas rests with judicious application of science. Such is the domain of the chemical engineer.
The graduate plans of study in chemical engineering are heavily oriented toward synthesis as well as the usual emphasis upon analysis. There is a strong thread of physics, chemistry, mathematics, biochemistry, and microbiology in much of the research in the department. Active research areas include polymer chemistry, polymer science and engineering, colloid and surface chemistry, solid state chemistry and physics, nanotechnology, applied thermodynamics, molecular modeling, biochemical and tissue engineering, biomaterials, nanomedicine, catalysis and surface science, design for sustainability, green engineering, computer-aided design, and supercritical fluid science and technology. This representative list of topics gives an indication of the breadth and diversity of research areas in the department.

MS (thesis) - Total of 30 credit hours.

• minimum of 20 graded credit hours
• may include a maximum of 6 credits of 4000-level undergraduate course work
• all other graded course work must be 5000-level or higher and may include: 3 credits of seminar and a maximum of 6 credits total in 5974, 5984 and 6984
• minimum of 6 credit hours of Research & Thesis (5994)