Graduate Program > MSE Degree Program

MSE Degree Program

At the University of Pennsylvania, the MSE degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is primarily a degree for students who wish to prepare themselves for research and development activities by obtaining a more solid foundation in the principles of chemical and biomolecular engineering. At the same time, limited specialization in one of several fields, such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, control, design, bioengineering, polymer engineering, heat transfer, or computer applications is possible.

• All academic standards relative to admission, performance, and requirements for degrees are the same whether the student is on a full-time or a part-time basis. Part-time students must satisfy all course requirements for the degree within eight years of the date of admission.
• Full-time students whose undergraduate degrees are in a field other than chemical engineering are required to take at least the following undergraduate core chemical and biomolecular engineering courses during their first year:

  CBE 231 Thermodynamics of Fluids
  CBE 350 Fluid Mechanics
  CBE 351 Heat and Mass Transport
  CBE 371 Separation Processes
  CBE 451 Chemical Reactor Design

II. Requirements for the MSE degree

The basic requirement for the degree is:

• Completion of ten (10) course units (with approval, up to 2 courses can be transferred from a prior graduate program). A thesis, may be offered as a substitute for one or two course units if approved by the Graduate Group Committee.
• Meeting the course distribution requirements of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Maintaining a 2.7 cumulative average.
• If required, completion of a master's thesis
  
  Unless alternatives are approved by the Graduate Group Chair, all MSE candidates must complete the six core graduate courses:

1		ENM 510	Applied Engineering Mathematics I (offered Fall)
2   or		ENM 511 ENM 502	Applied Engineering Mathematics II (offered Spring) Numerical Methods and Modeling (offered Spring)
3		CBE 618	Advanced Thermodynamics (offered Fall)
4		CBE 621	Kinetics and Reactor Design (offered Fall)
5		CBE 640	ChE 640 Transport Processes (offered Fall)
6		CBE 641	Transport Processes II (offered Spring)
			Transport Processes II (offered Spring)

• Other courses may be chosen from the chemical and biomolecular engineering curriculum, other engineering courses, or the physical and biological sciences. In certain cases, one of the more quantitative Wharton School courses may also be taken. Students should consult with their advisors before taking non-engineering courses, and then obtain approval of the Chair of the Graduate Group Committee.
  
  

• Petition for transfer of up to two course units of graduate credit from other schools or from an undergraduate record (provided the credits were not used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements) may be made to the Chair of the Graduate Group Committee after one term's attendance.

• Grades given in graduate engineering courses are A, B, C, D, F, and I. The I (Incomplete) is a temporary grade which is changed to a letter grade when the course requirements have been completed. A grade average of at least B must be kept to remain in good standing. Students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than chemical engineering receiving a grade of C or below in any required undergraduate course will be asked to withdraw. It should be emphasized that merely passing all graduate courses does not obligate the University to grant a degree. Successful candidates for the MSE degree must be recommended as such by the Graduate Group Committee.