University General Course Catalog 2019-2020

Nov 25, 2024

University General Course Catalog 2019-2020 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

Chemical Engineering, M.S.

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I. Contact Information

Sage Hiibel, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
(775)327-2260
shiibel@unr.edu

Department website

II. Brief Introduction

The Chemical Engineering graduate program currently offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Chemical Engineering. The program of courses and research for both the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are tailored to the background, needs and interests of the individual student.

Current areas of advanced study and research in chemical engineering at UNR include:

Process systems engineering
Energy conversion and storage
Modeling and simulation
Waste valorization
Water treatment and re-use

Additional information on current areas of research can be found on the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department’s website, https://www.unr.edu/cme/.

III. Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to engineering problems.
An ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data.
An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability constraints.

IV. Admission Requirements

The Chemical Engineering graduate program offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Chemical Engineering. The general university requirements for these advanced degrees are listed in the Graduate School section of this catalog.

Students must have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering; students without a chemical engineering degree may be admitted to the M.S. program by taking additional preparatory courses. Students must meet the following minimum requirements:

Hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 for four years of undergraduate work
The GRE is a required part of the application. Minimum scores for admission to the MS program are 143 (Verbal), 152 (Quantitative) and 3.5 (analytical writing).
Students whose native language is not English must earn an acceptable score on the TOEFL or IELTS unless they have completed BS/MS degrees at an English-speaking university. Minimum scores for admission to either the MS or PhD program are 80 for the internet-based TOEFL or 550 for the paper-based TOEFL. A minimum band score of 6.5 is required of the IELTS.
Submit letters of recommendation from former professors indicating the student’s capability for advanced course work and research

Prospective graduate students should contact the Graduate Program Director for further information. Formal application is completed through the Graduate School.

V. Program Requirements

The M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering is available through two paths: Plan A, which requires original research leading to a thesis, and Plan B, which focuses on additional coursework, and does not require a thesis. Students following both Plan A and Plan B may apply for the PhD program at any time if they meet the eligibility criteria. Graduate students in Plan A are eligible to apply for teaching assistantships. In addition to the requirements for an M.S. degree established by the Graduate School (for details see the Graduate School section in the catalog), Plan A and Plan B have the following requirements:

A. Plan A (Thesis)

Thermodynamics Core Course (3 units)

If the CHE courses are available within a calendar year, they should be taken instead of non-CHE courses from the list.

CHE 760 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3 units)
CHE 762 - Statistical Thermodynamics (3 units)
CHEM 755 - Statistical Thermodynamics (3 units)

Reactor Design Core Course (3 units)

If the CHE courses are available within a calendar year, they should be taken instead of non-CHE courses from the list.

CEE 756 - Environmental Chemical Kinetics (3 units)
CHE 741 - Advanced Kinetics and Reactor Design (3 units)
CHEM 752 - Chemical Kinetics (3 units)

Transport Core Course (3 units)

If the CHE courses are available within a calendar year, they should be taken instead of non-CHE courses from the list.

CHE 764 - Advanced Transport Phenomena I (3 units)
ME 764 - Two-Phase Heat Transfer and Flow (3 units)

Thesis (6 units)

CHE 797 - Thesis (1 to 6 units)

Seminar (3 units)

CHE 790 - Seminar (1 to 3 units) (one unit per term)

Electives (12 units)

12 units in graduate courses approved by the student’s thesis advisor.

B. Plan B (Non-Thesis)

Thermodynamics Core Course (3 units)

If the CHE courses are available within a calendar year, they should be taken instead of non-CHE courses from the list.

CHE 760 - Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3 units)
CHE 762 - Statistical Thermodynamics (3 units)
CHEM 755 - Statistical Thermodynamics (3 units)

Reactor Design Core Course (3 units)

If the CHE courses are available within a calendar year, they should be taken instead of non-CHE courses from the list.

CEE 756 - Environmental Chemical Kinetics (3 units)
CHE 741 - Advanced Kinetics and Reactor Design (3 units)
CHEM 752 - Chemical Kinetics (3 units)

Transport Core Course (3 units)

If the CHE courses are available within a calendar year, they should be taken instead of non-CHE courses from the list.

CHE 764 - Advanced Transport Phenomena I (3 units)
ME 764 - Two-Phase Heat Transfer and Flow (3 units)

Seminar (2 units)

CHE 790 - Seminar (1 to 3 units) (one unit per term)

Electives (21 units)

21 units in graduate courses approved by the Graduate Program Director (or designee).

C. Additional Requirements (Both Plan A and Plan B)

Students should develop an individualized program of study with the approval of their advisory committee (Plan A) or the Graduate Program Director or designee (Plan B). The plan should describe the specific courses, research, and related activities that students will take to meet their degree requirements. The graduate dean must approve all programs of study. Students are encouraged to develop a program of study as soon as possible after arriving at the university.
Once a plan of study has begun, subsequent changing from Plan A to Plan B (or the reverse) requires the approval of the student’s graduate advisor (if one is assigned) and the Graduate Program Director.

The student should maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 in courses to be used to satisfy the MS degree requirements, in order to maintain status as a graduate student in good standing. Failure to maintain this mark will result in dismissal from the MS degree program.

VI. Total Units

Plan A (Thesis): 30 units. At least 18 of the 30 total credits must be earned at the 700 level.

Plan B (Non-Thesis): 32 units. At least 15 of the 32 total credits must be earned at the 700 level.

VII. Note(s):

For additional requirements, please see the Graduate School section of this catalog and http://www.unr.edu/degrees/chemical-engineering/ms

Research and teaching assistantships are available to Ph.D. students. Current areas of research are: biomaterials, chemical process safety, polymer engineering, process control, biomedical engineering, fuel cells, renewable energy, process simulation, molecular simulation, surface and colloid engineering, applied surfactant research, fluidization, process design and optimization, separation processes, water treatment, phase equilibria, reaction engineering, environmental remediation, and risk analysis.

VIII. Undergraduate Prerequisites

An undergraduate degree in chemical engineering is recommended. Students without a chemical engineering undergraduate degree may be admitted to the M.S. program on a case-by-case basis but will be required to take additional preparatory courses.