Program Overview

Accelerated B.S./M.S. Program

The goal of the accelerated B.S./M.S. Program in Chemical Engineering is to enable a student to earn a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in approximately 5 years. This is accomplished by taking up to 9 credits of graduate coursework during the junior/senior year that count toward both the B.S. degree and the M.S. degree.

Guidelines for the ChE Accelerated B.S./M.S. Program

Admission to the Program

To be admitted to the program, a student must:

• Be enrolled at Mississippi State University in one of the eight Bagley College of Engineering programs;
• Have at least 60 hours earned toward their respective B.S. degree (junior standing); and
• Have an overall cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.50. An application package consists of:
  • One page résumé
  • One page statement of professional/career goals The ChE Graduate Committee will review applications to assess whether the student possesses those qualifications and interests that are indicative of successful completion of the Chemical Engineering M.S. program.

Advising During the Junior/Senior Year

The ChE Graduate Coordinator is the student's initial temporary advisor for graduate courses taken in the senior year, unless that student has indicated they will pursue a thesis. In this instance, the student's identified research advisor will serve as the advisor for graduate courses taken in the senior year. During the senior year, a student takes graduate courses under the following conditions:

• A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit during the senior year. The Dean can approve exceptions, such as lab courses (4 credits), which may cause the total to exceed this limit.
• In a term with graduate course enrollment, total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is limited to 16 credits in a Fall or Spring semester, and 6 hours total in the summer.
• Courses at the 6000-level count toward the B.S. degree similar to the corresponding 4000-level courses. Courses at the 7000-level and above count as technical electives toward the B.S. degree.
• The department follows the Registrar's procedures for dual counting.
• The student graduates with a B.S. in the normal manner.

Admission to the M.S. Program

Upon satisfactory progress in the senior year and submission of a formal application to the M.S. program in Chemical Engineering, a student formally becomes a graduate student in the M.S. program. The procedure for admission to the M.S. program is as follows:

1. Early in the student's last term in the B.S. program, the student submits an admission application package to the MSU Graduate Admissions Office consisting of:
   • On-line application
   • On-line Statement of Purpose, which may be a copy of the one used for admission to the accelerated B.S./M.S. program.
   • GRE scores
   • Transcripts from all institutions attended.
   • Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be the graduate coordinator or identified research advisor.
   • Application fee
2. The ChE Graduate Coordinator will perform the departmental review of the application. Satisfactory progress during the senior year will warrant recommending admission to the M.S. program.
3. The student is admitted to the M.S. program.
4. The student enrolls as a graduate student after completing the B.S. degree.

Advising during the M.S. Program

The ChE Graduate Coordinator is the initial temporary advisor to all new M.S. students, unless a research advisor has been identified previously. The Graduate Coordinator will assign students to ChE faculty based on concentration area pursued no later than the second semester. The student completes the M.S. degree in the normal manner.