Frequently Asked Questions

To be admitted to our MS program, students must demonstrate B-average or better performance in a science or engineering undergraduate curriculum. In addition to 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)
• 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.

The 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 (S2E) program. This special program saves the MS student both the time and expense of the undergraduate chemical engineering program.

Unfortunately, we cannot evaluate your candidacy prior to submission of a complete application. There is no specific cutoff for standardized test scores or GPA. If you are interested in admission we encourage you to submit a complete application. Columbia Engineering’s Office of Graduate Student Affairs (GSA) handles all graduate applications. 

Be sure to review Chemical Engineering MS program requirements before you apply.

Questions about the MS Express application requirements? Visit the GSA site.

For those eligible, the MS Express track allows for ease of application, sometimes making it faster to apply this way. MS Express only accepts students enrolled in certain schools. Find out if your school is one of them.

Questions about the MS Express application requirements should be directed to Columbia Engineering's Office of Graduate Student Affairs (GSA). You will also find an application on their site.

All MS applicants are expected to have completed General Chemistry I and II. Physical Chemistry is a recommended course, but not required.

Most applicants for the MS program have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and are expected to have completed:

• General Chemistry I and II
• Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III (multi-variable calculus)
• An Ordinary Differential Equations Course

Students admitted without a chemical engineering undergraduate degree are normally required to participate in the Scientist to Engineer (S2E) program. S2E students must complete the following courses in their first semester:

• CHEN E4001, Essentials of Chemical Engineering A, and
• CHEN E4002, Essentials of Chemical Engineering B

These courses cover essentials from the undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum in an intensive, accelerated way in 6 credits.

To be admitted to our Master of Science program, students must demonstrate B-average or better performance in a science or engineering undergraduate curriculum.

While not required for MS applicants, we do recommend that prospective students have some professional experience, either in the form of a full time position or an internship.

Funding is a concern for nearly all prospective students. For students pursuing MS degrees the options for funding are all external since the university, like the majority of IVYs, does not provide funding for the MS degree. There are various organizations and federal or private loans for which MS students may be eligible. Those require separate applications and some work on the part of the student to find opportunities, check eligibility, and complete the necessary forms, etc.

Columbia University's Office of Financial Aid & Educational Financing, provides comprehensive information on financial aid for Columbia Engineering Graduate Students. Anyone seeking assistance with tuition and fees, room & board, etc. is urged to visit.

A few other things to know:

• Teaching assistant (TA) positions are filled by PhD candidates;
• There are limited funding opportunities for MS students;
• The GEM fellowship is another possible funding opportunity for eligible students; and
• Most MS degree students take out loans while enrolled; visit The Federal Student Aid website (an office of the US Department of Education)

There are also external funding opportunities for graduate students at the master's degree level:

• National Science Foundation's (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP);
• Columbia College's Fellowship Search Tool:
• Society of Women Engineers

Other aid search sites:

• FastWeb!
• FinAid!
• Scholarships.com

Paid research positions are occupied by PhD and Post Doctoral students. Students may explore an option with a specific professor, but there are not specific paid research positions for MS students.

Master's research is conducted as a course, CHEN E9400, for which you can get course credit toward your degree. Some, but not all MS students take a research course. You can take up to 6 points of research credit. First, you are required to have written approval by the specific professor with whom you are taking the course in order to enroll in CHEN E9400. There is no stipend that goes with taking the course. After the first semester, students will have the opportunity to request to joining a research group as part of their program. 

Paid research positions are occupied by PhD and Post Doctoral students.

Yes, MS program students may elect to take CHEN E9400, for which they can get course credit toward the MS degree. There is no stipend that goes with taking the course. Paid research positions are reserved for PhD and Post Doctoral students. Students may explore an option with a specific professor, but there are no specific paid research positions for MS students.

Graduate student must register during the designated registration period or risk loss of student status. Registration for classes is done through student services online. Graduate student course registration dates are dictated by the Columbia University Registrar Office and posted at the Columbia Academic Calendar site. MS advising forms may be downloaded on the MS Advising page.

Advising MS students is currently the responsibility of the Masters Committee. Each incoming MS student will be assigned an advisor who will approve courses.

MS student advising takes place close to the registration period, typically the week prior to classes starting for entering students, and the week prior to the academic calendar registration dates for each subsequent Spring or Fall semester. Students will be informed of advising dates via Columbia email. Students are required to meet with their academic advisor during that time. Students are informed at orientation of core and suggested elective courses. All course selections must be approved by an academic advisor. Student will be informed of course options via email or other means for subsequent semesters.

Prior to meeting with an academic advisor, an MS student must record all current and requested courses and grades on the academic advising sheet in order to inform the advisor of the current program structure. This is done to save the student time as evaluation of student progress in the program is needed prior to making changes.

If you find that the course you have chosen is full when you try to register, you may enter your name on the wait list for that course and see if a slot opens up. It is suggested that you attend the first few lessons of the course so that if you do come off of the wait list, you will not be behind on the material. You may also choose to contact the professor about availability in the course. 

You must have a backup plan; if the course is full you may not be able to take it at that semester, and thus you must take another course. Your academic plan must be agreed upon between you and your academic advisor. Any changes made to your academic plan must be approved in writing by your academic advisor. Any alternate-choice courses need to be approved by your academic advisor so that you meet all graduation requirements. You must manage this request for change carefully.