The MS Chemical Engineering program, offered by the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering , provides advanced study of chemical engineering topics with an emphasis on both the fundamental and applied aspects. Elective courses are also available in science, other engineering fields, and business. This broad-based, multi-disciplinary educational program has proven to be an important factor for a student’s future success including leading Silicon Valley companies and in Ph.D. programs. 

Faculty are involved in research areas including biochemical engineering, semiconductor processing, green and alternative energy, microfluidics, polymers and nanocomposites, nanotechnology, and environmental health and safety engineering, remediation, sustainability, and computational methods. Research activity is sponsored by local industries as well as by government funding agencies.

The MS Chemical Engineering program welcomes students with undergraduate BS degrees in closely related science (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics) and engineering
disciplines (e.g. biochemical, biomedical, civil, materials, and mechanical).

Class schedules are designed for the convenience of employed engineers who wish to pursue graduate work on a part-time basis as the majority of classes are scheduled during the evening hours.

Department Website: www.sjsu.edu/cme.

Requirements for Admission

University Admission

Candidates must apply through the CSU admissions portal, Cal State Apply, and meet all university admissions requirements. Applicants should note that some department admission requirements are higher than university admissions requirements.

Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage. The program does not currently require the GRE for admission.

Admission to the Program

Candidates must meet all the university admissions requirements . Students can be admitted in either classified or conditionally classified standing. To be admitted to classified standing, a student must possess a U.S. baccalaureate degree with a major in chemical engineering and a grade point average of 3.0 or better in the last 60 units, from an ABET-accredited chemical engineering program.

Students can be admitted with conditionally classified standing if they have a CHE degree from a U.S. accredited university in which they obtained a 2.7-2.99 GPA in the last 60 units; a U.S. equivalent CHE degree from a non-U.S. institution; or a BS degree in chemistry, biology, physics or closely related engineering discipline from an accredited or equivalent institution. Students admitted with conditionally classified standing will take a series of transition courses. The program admissions letter will explain terms and requirements. Once these conditions are completed satisfactorily, students can petition for classified standing. For more information on transition courses, see the department website.

Requirements for Candidacy

Students must meet the university requirements for candidacy which include successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) . The University requires that all graduate students complete the GWAR as a condition for advancement to candidacy. For graduate courses that meet the GWAR, please refer to the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations website at www.sjsu.edu/gape.

Course Requirements

To meet the requirements for the MS - Chemical Engineering degree, a student must complete 30 units of approved courses. Students must achieve a minimum of a “C” in each course and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. In addition to the 30 approved course units, students must complete a written thesis or project report and an oral defense of their thesis or project. Either Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Project) may be chosen in consultation with the student’s SJSU research advisor.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .

Culminating Experience

Students in the MS, Chemical Engineering program may complete the program 1-unit Culminating Experience CHE 298  / CHE 298I  or CHE 299  / CHE 299I  through their choice of a graduate project or master’s thesis, respectively.

Plan A (Thesis)

Students opting to complete a master’s thesis will take CHE 281 , CHE 280 , and CHE 299  for a total of 6 units. An additional 6 units of CHE 280  may be taken for elective credit. The student is responsible for securing the commitment of a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who agrees to serve as the thesis committee chair. The student must also secure the commitments of two additional committee members, one of whom must be a full or part-time SJSU faculty member, to serve as the student’s thesis committee. If the student is completing their thesis research off-site, then one person of their thesis committee must be at least a supervisor-level employee from that off-site facility. The student must write a thesis proposal and have it approved by the thesis committee in order to pass CHE 281 . CHE 299  is taken in the semester the student expects to complete their final oral and written defense which will serve as their culminating experience. The MS candidate must successfully pass an oral defense and complete an approved thesis report in order to receive credit for CHE 299 . Students must be enrolled in courses every semester with the exception of an approved leave of absence for one semester. Students who have finished all their 30 units with the exception of an RP grade in CHE 299  are eligible for enrollment in CHE 1290R  for a reduced tuition fee. The thesis must meet university requirements as stipulated in this catalog and in the SJSU Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Guidelines. It will be written under the guidance of the candidate’s thesis committee chair with the assistance of the thesis committee.

Plan B (Project)

Students opting to complete a graduate project will take CHE 281 , CHE 280 , and CHE 298  for a total of 4 units. An additional 2-8 units of CHE 280  may be taken for elective credit. The student is responsible for securing the commitment of a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who agrees to serve as the project committee chair. The student must also secure the commitments of an additional committee member to serve as the student’s project committee. If the student is completing their thesis project research off-site, then one person of their project committee must be at least a supervisor-level employee from that off-site facility. The student must write a project proposal and have it approved by the project committee in order to pass CHE 281 . CHE 298  is taken in the semester the student expects to complete their final oral defense and written project report, which will serve as their culminating experience. The MS candidate must successfully pass an oral and defense and complete an approved written project report in order to receive credit for CHE 298 . Students must be enrolled in courses every semester with the exception of an approved leave of absence for one semester. Students who have finished all their 30 units with the exception of an RP grade in CHE 298  are eligible for enrollment in CHE 1290R  for a reduced tuition fee.