Master's Program

The Chemical Engineering Master of Science (M.S.) program is especially designed to provide excellent preparation for students who will be seeking employment in industry. This program offers the chance to study the newest and most important chemical engineering topics in depth. Students may also broaden out with classes outside of chemical engineering, creating a program that meets their needs.

The Chemical Engineering Master of Science program is also excellent preparation for admission to a US chemical engineering doctoral program, especially for students who currently hold a B.A. or B.S. degree in chemistry, physics or mathematics.

Students in the M.S. program who later decide they would like to obtain a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Columbia would need to formally to apply to Columbia’s Ph.D. program after completion of their first term at Columbia. Acceptance into the Ph.D. program would not be assured, as such students would be in competition with all other applicants to the Ph.D. program.

Applicants holding a B.S. in chemical engineering who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Columbia should apply directly to the M.S. leading to Ph.D. program rather than the M.S. (only) program. While it is against school policy to allow application to more than one program/department per term, applicants to the M.S. leading to Ph.D. program may choose to indicate on their application that they would consider admission to the M.S. only program.

Admissions Requirements

To be admitted to our MS program, students must demonstrate B-average or better performance in a science or engineering undergraduate curriculum. Besides undergraduate GPA, the MS admissions committee also considers GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. All MS applicants are expected to have completed General Chemistry I and II, Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III (multi-variable calculus), and an Ordinary Differential Equations Course. While most applicants for the MS program have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, this is not necessarily a requirement. The field of chemical engineering is broad in scope, so we encourage applicants who hold undergraduate degrees in chemistry, polymer science, physics, materials science, or any engineering discipline to apply. While the exact program for each student is adapted to his or her previous training, students admitted without a chemical engineering undergraduate degree are normally required to participate in the Scientist to Engineer program. This special program saves the MS student both the time and expense of the undergraduate chemical engineering program.