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Note: This page provides a general overview. For complete and accurate information, please consult with your advisor. For current course offerings and information, refer to the Cornell University Registrar: Courses of Study.
Degree Requirements
As a Ph.D. student, you’ll complete a select set of core courses, take two exams, and complete a thesis with oversight from your faculty Special Committee. You are also required to minor in two subjects. The Ph.D. program is very flexible and allows students to shape their studies with graduate-level electives.
Ph.D. candidates (post- A Exam) complete their research, deliver a yearly work-in-progress seminar, and defend their findings.
Advisor Selection Process
Students will not choose an advisor until they arrive at Cornell. All M.S. and Ph.D. students are required to attend a series of faculty presentations where they will learn about their individual research. Students are then encouraged to meet with faculty they are interested in and attend group meetings. In early October, once faculty have presented, students will submit a form with their top rankings. The director of graduate studies then begins the process of matching students and faculty members.
Required Courses
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CHEME 6920
Principles and Practices of Graduate Research
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CHEME 6130
Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
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CHEME 6240 or CHEME 6230
Advanced Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer / Transport Phenomena for Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
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CHEME 6110
Mathematical Methods of Chemical Engineering Analysis
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CHEME 6420 or CHEME 6430
Chemical Kinetics and Transport / Advanced Principles of Biomolecular Engineering
Concentrations by Subject
- Advanced Materials Processing
- Applied Math and Computational Methods
- Biochemical Engineering
- Chemical Reaction Engineering
- Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics
- Fluid Dynamics, Rheology, and Biorheology
- Heat and Mass Transfer
- Kinetics and Catalysis
- Polymers
- Surface Science
Special Committee
Each student’s progress towards the Ph.D. degree is supervised by a Special Committee composed of Cornell graduate field faculty members chosen by the student. The supervision of a student’s Ph.D. program by the Special Committee allows for individualized programs tailored to each student’s specific interests that can seamlessly merge traditional disciplines.
For Ph.D. degree candidates, the Special Committee is composed of at least three faculty members. One member, the chair of the committee (major advisor), represents the major field and concentration. One minor member must represent a minor outside of Chemical Engineering. The third minor member may either represent another minor outside of the field or an internal minor in a Chemical Engineering subspecialty.
The faculty member who represents a particular subject/concentration on the committee determines the specific requirements for that student (e.g., coursework needed). The committee evaluates the student at the time of the A-Exam and B-Exam and determines whether the student has met the appropriate standards for original research contributing to the knowledge base of the field (approving the dissertation). Students are encouraged to meet with their full committee at least once a year to ascertain that everyone agrees regarding the degree progress
Examinations
Research Progress Assessment — Typically after the first year, Ph.D. students complete this oral and written evaluation to assess their proficiency in chemical engineering fundamentals and research.
Examination for Admission to Candidacy (A Exam) — After the second year, Ph.D. students complete this exam to confirm their ability to undertake original research and present an appropriate plan for their thesis project. Before taking the A Exam, students must complete a mandatory CPR, a First Aid class and the four required core classes.