Florida Institute of Technology
High Tech with a Human Touch
Chemical Engineering
Graduate Degree Programs
Printable Program Information:
Catalog Information
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
The objective of the master of science program is to study the basic principles of chemical engineering in greater depth, including transport phenomena, thermodynamics, reactor design and process control. Electives in other areas to broaden the students’ exposure are also required. The program’s emphasis is research and the writing of a thesis on a current problem. The results of the thesis must be publishable in a technical journal. Students are advised to see members of the faculty to determine compatibility of interests before selecting a research area. Program policies are available in the program office.
Admission Requirements
The applicant must have a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering or its equivalent. Applicants with degrees in other fields of engineering, or in science or mathematics, are ordinarily required to take preparatory undergraduate courses before starting the master of science program. These courses are established by the faculty adviser and the department head when the student obtains admission to the program.
General Admission requirements and the application process are detailed in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering requires satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours, including six credit hours of thesis, as shown below. Required courses include the zero-credit Chemical Engineering Seminar (CHE 5100) that all graduate students are required to register for and attend every semester. The 12 elective credits may be satisfied by taking chemical engineering graduate courses, or other courses approved by the graduate adviser. The degree also requires completion of an independent research project, the writing of a thesis and its successful defense.
Curriculum
Prior to the completion of nine credit hours of graduate study each student establishes an appropriate program of study with the guidance of a graduate committee, subject to final approval by the department head.
| CREDITS | ||
| CHE 5100 | Chemical Engineering Seminar | 0 |
| CHE 5101 | Transport Phenomena 1 | 3 |
| CHE 5110 | Equilibrium Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CHE 5120 | Process Control | 3 |
| CHE 5150 | Chemical Reactor Design | 3 |
| CHE 5999 | M.S. Thesis in Chemical Engineering | 6 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED | 30 | |
Areas of Specialization
The student may select electives and the thesis topic to provide an emphasis in any of the following areas:
- Environmental Engineering
- Materials Synthesis, Processing and Characterization
- Transport and Separation Processes
- Computer-aided Modeling, Processing and Control
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
The doctoral program is primarily for students who wish to develop independent research or problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. Research areas must be related to the faculty’s interests.
Admission Requirements
General admission requirements and the application process are covered in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Admission to the doctoral program normally requires the completion of a master’s degree in chemical engineering. However, students enrolled in the Florida Tech master’s program may apply to be admitted directly to the doctoral program after completing 18 credit hours with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or more, if there is evidence of the ability to pursue problems independently.
Doctoral applicants must demonstrate outstanding scholastic achievements and aptitude, provide letters of recommendation from previous professors, including the M.S. thesis adviser and provide results of a recent GRE test including both the General Test and Subject Test in Engineering.
Degree Requirements
The doctor of philosophy degree is recognition of one’s independent creative ability to research, delineate and solve novel, significant scientific and/or engineering problems. Results of such work must be publishable in refereed journals. Course work is also included in support of these objectives.
Each student is expected to complete an approved program of study, pass both oral and written examinations, propose and complete an original research project, and write and defend a dissertation on the research work.
The Ph.D. in chemical engineering requires a minimum of 72 credit hours (42 credit hours after the completion of a master’s degree), including at least 18 credit hours of formal course work in chemical engineering (six after the master’s degree) and six credit hours in mathematics, and satisfaction of the general doctoral degree requirements presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog. The written examination covers chemical engineering and related mathematical, physical and chemical sciences. The oral examination includes the presentation of a research proposition developed independently by the student to demonstrate ability to create and develop a research idea. The written and oral examinations are normally taken before the end of the fourth academic semester, counted from the semester of admission to the doctoral program. The dissertation may be theoretical, computational, experimental or a combination of the three in any of the areas of specialization shown for the master’s degree.