Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Tag: Masters

How much does it cost to go to grad school in chemical engineering?

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That depends on what degree you’ll be pursuing.

PhD study in chemical engineering

A PhD is often paid for by research funds obtained by your grad-school faculty advisor. In addition to a tuition award, you will also typically receive a stipend for your living expenses. If you obtain this support then it won’t cost you anything. 

When you apply to graduate school, you will automatically be considered for support, either in the form of a research assistantship, a teaching assistantship, or a fellowship.  These assistantships usually include full tuition and fees.  It’s a great deal for which good students will often qualify, and it is usually based on merit, not need. 

There are also very prestigious graduate research fellowships offered by the National Science Foundation for the best students in the country.  If you are able to obtain an NSF graduate research fellowship, you will be highly courted by all the top graduate schools.  You must apply directly to NSF for these fellowships.

MS study in chemical engineering

A masters degree can be done either in coursework mode (never supported; you are charged tuition and fees) or thesis mode (may be supported; may include a living stipend).  The coursework masters has the advantage of being straightforward to complete. You take the necessary courses to get your degree.  There is no research project.  The thesis path requires a research project in place of some of the elective courses and this must be completed before the degree is awarded.  There are sometimes funded research projects for thesis Masters students.

You can reduce the cost of a Masters degree at Michigan Tech by taking advantage of two programs that allow you to start your graduate studies while completing your undergraduate degree.

  • Accelerated BS/MS degree. This program allows you to double count up to six credits towards both your BS and MS degree.
  • Senior Rule. This program allows you to take up to six credits towards your graduate degree in the last year of your BS degree.

If you have the space in your schedule to do both then you can earn up to 12 credits towards your graduate degree while still an undergraduate. Graduate tuition is charged on a per credit basis.

For more on graduate school, visit the Department’s website on graduate studies.

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What is graduate school?

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After your Bachelors degree you can continue going to school to get an advanced degree. In engineering this would be a Masters or PhD.

In our program you can get a coursework Masters, thesis Masters, or PhD. The coursework Masters is just like it sounds. It’s where you take additional advanced engineering classes. You can complete a coursework Masters in a year.

The thesis Masters and PhD are both research degrees. There is a coursework component to them, but you will also work on a research project with a faculty member. A thesis Masters usually takes 1.5-2 years to complete. A PhD takes several years to complete.

If you’d like to work at a university, national lab, or in research and development for a company then you will likely need a PhD.

You can change disciplines. Your graduate degree can be in a different or more specialized discipline than your undergraduate degree.

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What can I do to prepare myself for graduate school in engineering?

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There are things you can do now to prepare for graduate school.

Participate in undergraduate research

This is important. A PhD or thesis masters is a research degree, and doing research as an undergraduate can open many doors. This is true even if you eventually decide to do a coursework masters. We recommend looking for opportunities at Michigan Tech, and off-campus at another university, business, or research lab.

Take additional math classes

Graduate engineering classes are very math intensive and so additional math courses work can help prepare you. Statistics is useful in almost all areas. Dr. Morrison also has some recommendations.

Practice your writing and presenting skills

You need these skills to be successful in graduate school and your career. If you participate in undergraduate research there are opportunities to present a poster of your research during department events, campus events, and professional conferences.

Keep your books

Your books and notes will be useful for reviewing core engineering topics when you’re taking the more advanced graduate courses.

Attend research seminars and graduate defenses

These events happen on campus throughout the year and are open to the public. Look for posters and emails announcing them. Seek out presentations in areas that interest you, even if they are in other departments. Research is interdisciplinary and the things you learn and people you meet could help you in the future.

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Dow Chemical and MIT ACCESS program: Encouraging graduate study

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This looks like a cool program; and we have an alum of this program in the Michigan Tech Chem Eng graduate program!  Spread the word.

Overview of program

The mission of the ACCESS program is to increase the diversity of qualified applicants to PHD programs in chemistry, chemical engineering and materials science throughout the United States. ACCESS is a weekend of educational and informative events that will introduce talented sophomores, juniors and seniors to the benefits of a graduate education in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science. The goal of ACCESS is not to prepare students for graduate school at MIT specifically, but rather to introduce them to the advantages of choosing a graduate career path at an institution that best meets each participant’s individual needs.

The weekend-long program offers students an overview of graduate education through seminars, faculty talks, and interactive sessions, all designed to give a greater understanding of the application process and an insight into the doors a graduate career can open.

ACCESS will give participants:

A broad exposure to the opportunities that can be gained from a graduate education in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science;

  • An introduction to the various career paths that can result from a graduate education in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science;
  • An opportunity to hear directly from faculty and students their reasons for choosing a graduate career;
  • An explanation of the funding structure for graduate education and information on graduate fellowships;
  • A chance to meet and socialize with fellow undergraduates from around the nation who are pursuing similar goals;
  • And a fun Cambridge/Boston experience!

Contact Info:

For more information about the ACCESS program, email mit-access@mit.edu.

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Which linear algebra and differential equations classes should I take?

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You have three options for linear algebra:  MA 2320, MA 2321, and MA 2330.

You have four options for differential equations:  MA 3520, MA 3521, MA 3530, and MA 3560.

If you plan to take linear algebra and differential equations in the same semester, then you must take the accelerated (7 week) versions of these classes:  MA 2321 (2 cr) and MA 3521 (2 cr).  MA 2321 is offered track A and MA 3521 is offered track B during the fall and spring semesters.  The advantage with the accelerated classes is that they allow you to complete both classes in one semester.  This is important if you plan to start junior CM classes in the next semester, as you must be done with all of your math to start taking junior CM classes.  The disadvantage with the accelerated classes is that the course material comes very quickly, and for this reason we do not recommend the accelerated classes to students who have struggled with math classes in the past or who feel they need more time to grasp math concepts.

If you plan to take linear algebra and differential equations in different semesters, then you can take either MA 2320 (2 cr) or MA 2330 (3 cr) in the first semester and then either MA 3520 (2 cr) or MA 3530 (3 cr, fall semester) or MA 3560 (3 cr, spring semester) in the second semester. There is additional course material in the three credit versions.  You may read the course descriptions by clicking on the CRN when doing a class search in Banweb or searching for course descriptions on the Registrar’s Office webpage.

If you have struggled in your previous math classes then we recommend the semester long, two credit classes (MA 2320 and MA 3520).

If you are interested in a math minor and/or pursuing an engineering graduate degree then we recommend the semester long, three credit classes (MA 2330 and MA 3530/3560).  The extra credits from the three credit math classes can be used towards your technical electives or free electives.  See the ChE advisor for more information on applying these additional credit towards either of these areas of your degree audit.

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How do I apply for the new BS/MS in ChemE?

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To apply for the BS/MS program you follow this procedure:

1.  Go to the Grad School website and go to the Admissions section and follow all instructions.
2.  In your “areas of interest” on the form, put “accelerated masters”.  This will signal that you’re applying for the BS/MS

All other application requirements for the BS/MS program are the same as for the MS program in general.  For more on the BS/MS in Chemical Engineering, go to the Advising website FAQ page.

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