Skip to main content

DEGREE Chemical Engineering, PhD

Apply Today

Doctoral degree in chemical engineering

As a PhD student in our outstanding, collaborative department, you’ll engage in original problem-solving. You’ll be able to specialize in either traditional or emerging areas of research in chemical and biological engineering, including energy-related science and technology, soft and hard materials science and engineering, systems engineering and optimization, catalysis, process control and design, nanotechnology, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, complex fluids, colloid and interfacial phenomena, atomic, molecular, and multiscale modeling, polymers (synthesis and processing), micro- and nano-electronics, environmental engineering and sustainability, reactor design, and atomic-scale design of surface reactivity.

At a glance

Facts & stats
6
undergraduate ranking among public universities in chemical engineering
5
graduate ranking among public universities in chemical engineering
75
Faculty who have received early career/young investigator awards

Learn more about what information you need to apply.

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Fall Deadline December 1
Spring Deadline September 1
Summer Deadline The program does not admit in the summer.
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required.
English Proficiency Test Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241.
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required 3

Applicants with a strong background in chemical engineering or related disciplines and a serious interest in research are encouraged to apply for admission. Applications are accepted for both Fall (September) and Spring (January) admission, although historically most students start in the Fall and admission is seldom offered for the Spring semester. The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering does not consider applications for a terminal MS degree; the department admits only to the PhD. An MS degree can be awarded post admission as an alternative to the PhD degree. The MS degree is not a prerequisite for the PhD degree.

Applications for Fall admission must be received by noon (CST) on the deadline. Admissions decisions are made by a committee of faculty with research expertise spanning the four research areas of the department. Individual faculty do not recommend admissions decisions and advisors are not determined at the time of application. Instead, students will match with advisors after meeting with all faculty during the fall semester. Additional information about the application process, detailed information on required application materials, advice for preparing a competitive application, information on application fee waivers, and frequently asked questions are available here.

Tuition

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Funding

Department Resources

Students admitted to the graduate program are provided financial support in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Support is dependent on availability of funds and students maintaining satisfactory progress towards their degree.

Graduate School Resources

The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Research in CBE is highly collaborative and often involves diverse teams from within the department, across campus, at other campuses, and in industry. CBE researchers address the most pressing challenges facing society by developing approaches to sustainably produce new fuels and chemicals, combat the plastic pollution crisis, create new therapeutic molecules and materials, optimize energy infrastructure, computationally design new materials and chemical processes, understand transport in complex environments, engineer bacteria to produce biofuels, and more.

View our research

Minimum graduate school requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Curricular Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement 51 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 32 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 26 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.00 GPA required.
Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203.
Other Grade Requirements At least two of the core Chemical and Biological Engineering graduate classes must be taken in the first semester of residence in the graduate program, and at least four core graduate classes must be completed with grades of B or better, preferably by the end of the second semester of residence. A student who receives one grade of BC or lower in a core graduate class but who wishes to remains in the PhD program must take the fifth core course or re-take the low graded core course, preferably in the third semester, and the student must receive a B or better.

A student who receives more than one grade of BC or lower in core graduate classes will be placed in the MS program. Upon successful completion of the MS program, the student may petition the full faculty for to return to the PhD program.

A student who receives an average of 3.0 or higher on their preliminary exam becomes a candidate for the PhD program. A student who does not receive an average score of 3.0 or higher in the qualifying process is placed in the MS program. Upon successful completion of the MS program, the student may petition the full faculty to return to the PhD program.
Assessments and Examinations A doctoral student who has met the grade requirements must complete a preliminary exam in the second semester of their second year. The preliminary exam consists of a written report and oral examination.

During the first semester of the fourth year of the program, PhD Candidates will participate in a mandatory research progress meeting with their thesis committee.
Language Requirements No language requirements.
Graduate School Breadth Requirement All doctoral students are required to complete a doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate. Refer to the Graduate School: Breadth Requirement in Doctoral Training policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1200.

Required Courses

Research Credits
Complete at least 30 research credits30
CBE 790
Master’s Research or Thesis
CBE 890
Pre-Dissertator’s Research
CBE 990
Thesis-Research
Coursework
Complete 4 out of 5 Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) Core Courses12
CBE 620
Intermediate Transport Phenomena
CBE 660
Intermediate Problems in Chemical Engineering
CBE 710
Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
CBE 735
Kinetics and Catalysis
CBE 781
Biological Engineering: Molecules, Cells & Systems
Breadth9
Total Credits51
  • Grades of B or better are required in all Chemical and Biological Engineering courses used towards degree requirements.
  • The requirement of four core Chemical and Biological Engineering graduate courses shall not be met by substitution of other courses.

Breadth Requirement

The breadth requirement is designed to represent a coherent body of work and should not be simply an after-the-fact ratification of a number of courses taken outside the major department. To ensure coherence, the student must consult with his or her advisor. The minor/certificate should be submitted for approval at an early date, before the student is halfway through the proposed course sequence.

Teaching Assistantship

Each student in the PhD program is required to serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for two semesters. Under normal circumstances, each student should serve as a teaching assistant one semester of the second year and one semester of the third year. Requests for alternate arrangements, partial or full waiver of the requirement, should be submitted in writing to the Graduate Program Committee.

Kate Fanis, Graduate Advisor
gradrecruit@che.wisc.edu

Sean Palecek, Director of Graduate Studies
gradrecruit@che.wisc.edu

View the Graduate Guide for program-specific information on admission, coursework, policies, rules and regulations.
More information
grad students with experiment

How to Apply to the Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD Program

If you are a student with a strong background in chemical engineering or a related discipline, and a serious interest in research, apply to our graduate program.

Read the article