Overview

Biochemical engineers are needed to transfer the plethora of biochemical discoveries including new drug products and biomaterials into manufacturing processes. The Biochemical Engineering MS degree provides students with an advanced engineering education; students learn to integrate diverse knowledge in engineering, chemical and biological sciences and gain skills in problem definition as well as use of advanced techniques of data analysis and presentation of original research results. The degree requires twenty-four credit hours of coursework, comprising advanced engineering courses and one hour of seminar and six hours of thesis research. Contact the graduate coordinator for additional details.

College of Engineering Admission Requirements

Program of Study:

The M.S. in Biochemical Engineering degree requires a minimum of 33 credit hours, which consist of the following on the student’s Program of Study:

  • A minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework:
    • ENGR 8910: Foundations for Engineering Research (3 credit hours)
    • BCHE 8970: Bioengineering Seminar (2 semesters, 2 credit hours, 1 credit hour on Program of Study*)
    • ENGR 8103: Computational Engineering (3 credit hours)
    • Choose 2 from the following (6 credit hours):
      • BCHE 8150: Heterogeneous Reactor Design and Bio/Catalysis (3)
      • CVLE (MCHE) 8160: Advanced Fluid Mechanics (3)
      • CVLE (MCHE) 8170: Advanced Heat Transfer (3)
      • ENGR 8180: Advanced Mass Transport (3)
    • Electives (11 credit hours)
      • Minimum of 11 additional credit hours of graduate-level coursework selected with the approval of the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee. At least 3 credits must be from courses open to graduate students only.
  • A minimum of 6 hours of Master’s Research (BCHE 7000) or Project-based Research (BCHE 7010). A typical student’s research hours will exceed this minimum; however, at most 6 hours of BCHE 7000/7010 may be listed on the program of study.
  • 3 hours of thesis (BCHE 7300)

Degree Checklist

 

General Requirements

MS students should form their graduate advisory committee within 12 months of starting the MS program. The committee should be comprised of 3 faculty; at least two committee members, including the committee chair or co-chair, must have a faculty appointment in the College of Engineering.

Students conduct research that is expected to generate significant scholarship, such as peer-reviewed journal papers, patents or conference proceedings. At the conclusion of the research, students write, defend and submit a thesis.

A complete list of MS program milestones is available here.

* Only 1 hour of the Bioengineering Seminar may apply on the Program of Study, although the School of CMB requires completion of at least 2 hours.