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CHEPHD - Chemical Engineering

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Chemical & Environmental EngrGraduate Degree SeekingPHD - Doctor of Philosophy

Overview

Program Requirements

Completion requirement

63

Completion requirement

Please find detailed information and updates in our CHEE Graduate Student Handbook:

CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK: https://chee.engineering.arizona.edu/sites/chee.engineering.arizona.edu/files/2023-24-CHEE-Grad-Student-Handbook-final.pdf

Minumum credits: 63-66 (depending on requirements of the student's minor department)
Core coursework: 12 units of required courses:

  • CHEE 502—Advanced Engineering Analysis (3 units)

  • CHEE 505—Advanced Chemical Engineering Transport Phenomena (3 units)

  • CHEE 506—Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3 units)

  • CHEE 530—Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering (3 units)

A minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 is required for all CHEE graduate courses.

Additionally, Chemical Engineering PhD students must complete:

  • 6 units of elective courses in chemical engineering or related fields (excluding Minor)

  • 9-12 units of minor courses (depending upon the requirements of the Minor department)

  • 6+ units of CHEE Graduate Seminar (CHEE 696A) - all students must enroll in the Graduate Seminar each semester they are in the program

  • 12 units of Research (CHEE 900)

  • 18 units of Dissertation (CHEE 920)

  • Oral Comprehensive Examination

  • Dissertation defense

Other requirements: Qualifying exam must be taken the first time it is offered after the student has completed CHEE 502, 505, 506 and 530, usually in August at the end of the first year of study. Students who maintain a GPA of 3.75 or above in their required core courses are exempt from the Qualifying Exam.

Completion requirement

Six (6) units of electives are required to complete the program. Elective courses are determined at the discretion of the individual student and the student's faculty advisor, usually relevant to the student's research. Specific CHEE courses from which a student may choose include:

  • CHEE 500R—Water Chemistry for Engineers (3 units)

  • CHEE 512—Electrochemical Engineering (4 units)

  • CHEE 514—Sustainable Water Supplies for Remote Communities (4 units)

  • CHEE 520—Chemical Reaction Engineering (3 units)

  • CHEE 525—Emerging Issues in Water Quality (3 units)

  • CHEE 537—Surface Science (3 units)

  • CHEE 542—Bioremediation on Inorganic Contaminants (2 units)

  • CHEE/ATMO 569A—Air Pollution I: Gases (3 units)

  • CHEE/ATMO 569B—Air Pollution II: Aerosols (3 units)

  • CHEE 572—Interfacial Chemistry of Biomolecules in Environmental Systems (3 units)

  • CHEE 574—Fate and Transport Processes in Environmental Engineering (3 units)

  • CHEE 575—Water Treatment System Design (3 units)

  • CHEE 576—Wastewater Treatment System Design (3 units)

  • CHEE 577R—Microbiology for Engineers (3 units)

  • CHEE 578—Introduction to Hazardous Waste Management (3 units)

  • CHEE 581A—Engineering of Biological Processes (3 units)

  • CHEE 581B—Cell and Tissue Engineering (3 units)

  • CHEE 582—Analysis of Emerging Environmental Contaminants (3 units)

  • CHEE 583—Intro to Polymeric Materials (3 units)

  • CHEE 587—Topics in Transport Phenomena (3 units)

  • CHEE 589—Trends in Nanomedicine Engineering: Fundamentals of Therapeutics and Drug Delivery Systems (3 units)

Completion requirement

CHEE 900—Research (12 units) — During the first and second year of the student's progress toward their PhD degree, the student will take CHEE 900 Research as they develop individual research that may lead to their dissertation thesis. Students may also opt to take additional CHEE 900 units for their required elective units for an additional 6 units. Students who enter the PhD program after completing a Master's in Chemical Engineering at the University of Arizona may need fewer CHEE 900 units at the discretion of their faculty advisor. Nonetheless, students must take CHEE 900 until they complete their oral Comprehensive Exam and should take CHEE 920 after that.

CHEE 696A—CHEE Department Seminar—All CHEE graduate students are required to register and attend CHEE 696A, the CHEE Department Seminar (1 unit), each semester that they are in the program.

Completion requirement

All PhD students must fulfill the requirements for a minor in a program approved by the candidate and their dissertation advisor. Minor requirements are administered and approved by the minor department. They typically consist of 9 to 12 units of course work.

Completion requirement