Prospective Graduate Students

Chemical Engineering graduate studies at Penn State is based on a very flexible program designed to meet the divergent needs of students involved in a variety of research projects in the department. The requirements are kept to a minimum and the students are given a wide choice in developing their own programs of study. To facilitate this process, you will be provided with a handbook containing a description of all the existing departmental requirements. Additional regulations to meet the requirements of Penn State's Graduate School are described in the Graduate Bulletin and the Thesis Guide.

Advising for all entering students is initially provided by the Chair of the Graduate Program Committee. All students entering the graduate program will meet with the Chair of the Graduate Program Committee to decide on their courses for the first semester. Students entering the department with Master's Degrees obtained at other institutions will also have their courses evaluated as to their equivalence to Penn State courses. Once the thesis topics are chosen by the students, all advising will be done by the thesis advisors.

In designing their programs of study, students should pay particular attention to the general requirements listed below,

• Teaching
• Participation in the departmental seminars
• Graduate student colloquium
• English language tests for international students

Students should plan ahead for their,

• Oral Defense of Master's Thesis
• Candidacy Examination
• English Competency Test
• Comprehensive Examination for the Doctoral Degree
• Oral Doctoral Dissertation Defense

All of these examinations will have to be officially scheduled by the department.

The set of policies described in The Chemical Engineering Graduate Handbook are those currently in force. They are subject to changes as the chemical engineering discipline and hence our graduate program continue to evolve. The student has to make sure that he/she satisfies all the requirements that are in force at the time of his/her admission to the graduate program at Penn State.

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