Master of Chemical Engineering Degree

A Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE) degree is offered as a non-thesis program for the working professional. The program has been designed for those persons who plan careers in plant operations, design and management. It is not intended to be competitive with the Master of Science degree, which is specifically research oriented, nor with the MBA degree. Rather, the goal of this program is not only to permit earlier productive use of the young engineer's technical skills, but also to introduce the engineer to the broad concepts of systems, analysis, advanced process economics, and technical management. The program is aimed at improving opportunities for chemical engineers in the chemical process industry and related industries.

Constituting the program is a core of five (5) required courses plus five elective courses, selected to meet the student's interests in the areas of process control, management and business economics, biochemical and environmental engineering, and petroleum engineering.

The courses are available in the late afternoon and evenings, and the degree can be completed in 2-3 years of part-time study.

Professionals working in the chemical process industry and related industries with degrees other than but related to chemical engineering (such as mechanical engineering or chemistry) are encouraged to apply. If admitted to the MChE program, such students are required to take a number of undergraduate chemical engineering courses that will prepare them to take the graduate-level MChE courses. A list of preparatory courses is composed by the MChE Director on an individual basis, depending on the student’s background. Typical lists from which selection is made for students with undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering or chemistry are shown below in this page. For a full list of chemical engineering courses click here. To accommodate working professionals admitted to the MChE Program who might have time conflicts attending preparatory courses, a number of these courses are now offered by UH online.  Additional information can be provided by the MChE Program Director each semester.

Selection list of preparatory courses for MChE students with undergraduate degree in chemistry

Selection list of preparatory courses for MChE students with undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering

Entrance Requirements

Admission:

Minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (based on 4.00), and a typically total GRE score (Verbal + Quantitative) over 300.

Be advised that there is no financial assistance in this program and not intended for F-1 students.

The deadline dates for the Part-Time MChE program:

• Spring — November 1
• Fall — May 1

The required admission procedures and materials are the same as MS/PhD and can be found here. For international or permanent resident applicants, the TOEFL exam is required unless you have a degree from a US institution.

Additional Information:

Non-chemical engineering BS degree holders working in the chemical industry should contact the Program Director for additional course requirements, nikolaou [at] uh.edu (Prof. Michael Nikolaou.)

Required Courses

MChE Degree: Elective Courses

Other engineering graduate courses can also be taken with the approval of the MChE Program Director.