Program Overview

Overview of the Chemical Engineering - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) at the University of Colorado Boulder offers an innovative graduate program with a strong emphasis on the doctoral degree. The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in chemical engineering, as well as the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research.

Research Areas

The department's research areas include:

• Biomaterials
• Biopharmaceutical engineering
• Catalysis
• Surface science and reaction engineering
• Complex fluids and microfluidic devices
• Computational science
• Energy and environmental applications
• Membranes and separations
• Metabolic engineering and directed evolution
• Nanostructured films and devices
• Polymer chemistry and engineering
• Tissue engineering

Program Requirements

The PhD program in Chemical Engineering requires a total of at least 30 course credit hours of 5000-level or above courses and at least 30 semester hours of Doctoral Thesis credits. Students must also complete three core courses:

• CHEN 5370 Intermediate Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
• CHEN 5390 Chemical Reactor Engineering
• CHEN 5210 Transport Phenomena

Preliminary Examination

A preliminary examination is required of all PhD candidates, consisting of an oral and written component to be completed in the third semester. Additionally, students entering the program without a degree closely related to chemical engineering must either take the FE exam or complete four chemical engineering core undergraduate courses with a grade of B or better.

Comprehensive Examination

Students must complete and pass an oral examination before their doctoral committee, based primarily on a written report provided to committee members two weeks in advance.

PhD Dissertation

Students must write a dissertation based on original research conducted under the supervision of a graduate faculty member, fulfilling all Graduate School requirements. An oral final examination on the dissertation and related topics is conducted by the student's doctoral committee.

Time Limit

All degree requirements must be completed within six years of commencing coursework.

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of chemical engineering principles and their application to original research. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in research, academia, and industry, with a strong emphasis on innovation and leadership.