MEng Chemical Engineering

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

Cornell University

Program Overview

The M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University’s R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is a one-year, 30-credit professional degree designed for students who want to develop advanced technical, leadership, and practical skills for industry careers. The program combines chemical engineering with data science and AI, energy economics and engineering, or medical and industrial biotechnology, while giving students the opportunity to solve real-world challenges through an immersive design project.

Curriculum Structure:

Semester 1:
Students begin by developing professional, leadership, computational, and analytical skills through CHEME 5020 – Immersive Professional Development for Chemical Engineering M.Eng. and CHEME 5800 – Principles of Computational Thinking for Engineers. The curriculum also introduces students to data science, AI, process modelling, innovation, entrepreneurship, project management, and professional communication, creating a strong foundation for their chosen focus area.

Semester 2:
The second semester moves toward advanced application and collaborative problem-solving through CHEME 5820 – Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Methods for Engineers, CHEME 5651 – M.Eng. Design Project Studio, and CHEME 5650 – Design Project. Students work on a team-based immersive project addressing real-world challenges, with projects connected to areas such as data/AI/process engineering, energy, and biotechnology, while also completing business-practice and societal/environmental-impact coursework.

Focus Areas:

Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS/AI), Energy Economics and Engineering (EEE), Medical and Industrial Biotechnology (MIB), process modelling, machine learning, AI, energy systems, biotechnology, business practice, sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation and engineering leadership.

Learning Outcomes:

Graduates learn to analyze, model, and optimize chemical and biomolecular systems; construct computational models and data-analysis pipelines; apply machine learning and statistical methods to engineering problems; assess the technical and economic feasibility of energy systems; design bioprocesses; perform techno-economic and sustainability assessments; and develop implementable engineering solutions through professional team projects.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The Cornell M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering is a professional, terminal graduate degree designed for industry rather than a research thesis pathway. Cornell describes the program as an industry-focused degree with real-world projects, and the M.Eng. itself is not presented as a separately ABET-accredited program; Cornell's ABET accreditation applies to its undergraduate Chemical Engineering B.S. program.

Reputation & Employability:

Cornell's R.F. Smith School highlights employers associated with its M.Eng. program including Air Products and Chemicals, Amazon, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Genentech, Merck, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Tesla, Samsung, and Veolia, alongside job outcomes such as Chemical Process Engineer, Process Engineer, Battery Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Energy Analyst, and Materials Development Engineer.

Cornell also reports that, over the past several years, CBE M.Eng. starting salaries have averaged $5,000–$10,000 higher than starting salaries for Cornell Chemical Engineering undergraduates. Cornell provides a Graduate Student Outcomes dashboard with employment and starting-salary data that can be filtered by degree and program.

In addition, Cornell reported in 2025 that its Chemical Engineering M.Eng. Data Science and Artificial Intelligence focus was ranked the best on-campus M.Eng. program in Data Science for AI or Machine Learning by Artificial Intelligence Education Guide.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Cornell’s M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering is strongly built around applied, industry-oriented learning rather than a traditional research thesis. Every student completes an immersive, team-based design project under Cornell faculty mentorship, with projects sponsored by CBE partner companies, faculty, startups, or other organizations; students use technical analysis alongside financial, feasibility, project-management, teamwork, and communication skills to address real engineering challenges.

The program also develops computational and AI capabilities through CHEME 5800 – Principles of Computational Thinking for Engineers and CHEME 5820 – Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Methods for Engineers. Students can connect these skills with Cornell's research and engineering infrastructure in Olin Hall and across campus, giving the program a practical bridge between classroom learning, engineering design, and industry applications.

Students gain practical experience through the following program-specific opportunities and resources:

Immersive M.Eng. capstone project: Students complete a team-based, industry-inspired design project under the mentorship of a Cornell faculty member. Projects incorporate financial analysis and feasibility studies and develop teamwork, leadership, communication, project management, and industrial process/product design skills.
Industry-sponsored projects: Cornell CBE works with corporations, startups, and other external organizations on M.Eng. projects. Recent projects have included EV battery-pack safety and durability, battery storage for renewable integration, monoclonal-antibody process technology transfer, and thermal management for photovoltaic systems.
Direct industry collaboration: Industry project teams can work with company representatives, conduct project assessments, and, where feasible, participate in company site visits. Final project outcomes are presented through an oral presentation and a written report with supporting documentation.
Computational and AI tools: The required CHEME 5800 and CHEME 5820 courses provide structured training in computational thinking, machine learning, and artificial intelligence methods for engineering applications.
Olin Hall Unit Operations Laboratory: Cornell's CBE facilities include an approximately 1,100-square-foot Unit Operations Lab containing shell-and-tube heat exchangers, a gas membrane separator, a fluidized bed, process-control equipment with a commercial Rockwell controller, fermenters, and an eight-tray continuous distillation apparatus.
Energy Lab: The CBE Energy Lab provides access to specialized equipment including an argon glovebox, MACCOR and Solatron battery-testing systems, Anton Paar rheometer, plasma etch equipment, Tecan Spark plate reader, vacuum oven, Nano ITC, and Beckman Coulter ultracentrifuge. Access requires registration and appropriate training.
Olin Hall Machine Shop: The CBE machine shop supports students, faculty, and researchers in creating devices and systems for experiments, preparing samples, repairing equipment, and moving engineering concepts toward physical prototypes and testing.
Research laboratories and institutes: Students can be part of an environment containing research groups working in areas such as soft materials, precision medicine, biologic therapeutics, energy-efficient separations, biomolecular engineering, materials, and energy.
Campus research facilities: Cornell's wider research infrastructure includes the Cornell Center for Materials Research, Cornell Energy Systems Institute, Biotechnology Resource Center, Center for Advanced Computing, Catalyst Development and Discovery Laboratory, Mass Spectrometry Facility, NMR Facility, Polymer Characterization Facility, and X-Ray Diffraction Facility.
Project-based professional development: CHEME 5020 – Immersive Professional Development for Chemical Engineering M.Eng. develops practical skills in leadership, career management, teaming, technical communication, project management, finance tools, and innovative thinking, with the design project beginning as part of the course.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Cornell’s M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering is designed to prepare students for professional careers by combining advanced technical knowledge with industry-focused projects, leadership development, and practical problem-solving. Graduates can pursue opportunities across chemical processing, energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials, manufacturing, data and AI, and consulting.

Typical career roles: Chemical Process Engineer, Process Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Energy Analyst

Students can strengthen their transition into industry through Cornell’s dedicated career resources and employer connections:

Dedicated M.Eng. career support: Duffield Engineering provides M.Eng.-specific career services, including one-on-one career advising, alumni-network strategies, group events, career fairs, employer information sessions, professional-development workshops, resume and interview guidance, and job-search support.
Job and internship resources: Students can use Cornell Handshake to search and apply for positions, while CU INTL Career provides career information and job opportunities for Cornell international students. Cornell also provides access to employer and alumni events through its career network.
Employment and salary data: Cornell's official Outcomes Dashboard provides M.Eng. employment information that can be filtered by degree, including employer, job title, location, and salary statistics. Cornell CBE also reports that, over the past several years, CBE M.Eng. starting salaries have averaged $5,000–$10,000 higher than starting salaries for Cornell Chemical Engineering undergraduates.
University–industry connections: The M.Eng. capstone can be completed with industry partners, corporations, startups, or Cornell faculty. Cornell's CBE lists employers associated with its M.Eng. graduates including Air Products and Chemicals, Amazon, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Exxon Mobil, Genentech, Merck, Tesla, Samsung, and Veolia.
Industry-focused graduation experience: Students complete an immersive capstone designed around real-world engineering challenges, using financial analysis and feasibility-driven management skills to develop practical solutions. This gives graduates a portfolio of applied project experience alongside their M.Eng. qualification.
Documented career destinations: Cornell's CBE lists job titles secured by M.Eng. graduates including Applications Engineer, Battery Engineer, Chemical Process Engineer, Data and AI Technical Specialist, Energy Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Materials Development Engineer, Process Automation Engineer, Process Engineer, Renewable Development Analyst, Software Engineer, and Strategy and Management Consultant.
Professional value of the degree: Cornell positions the M.Eng. as a one-year professional degree designed for industry, with 30 credits and an applied capstone rather than a research thesis. The degree is intended to help students move into professional engineering careers after graduation.

Further Academic Progression:

The Cornell Chemical Engineering M.Eng. is explicitly described as a terminal degree and does not progress toward a doctoral degree at Cornell. Students whose primary goal is research or a Ph.D. should therefore consider a research-focused graduate pathway rather than treating this M.Eng. as a direct Ph.D. route.

Students interested in continuing their education can pursue doctoral study at another institution or seek a related graduate qualification aligned with their developing specialization. Cornell separately offers an M.S. in Chemical Engineering, which is research-oriented and has documented graduates progressing to Ph.D. programs at institutions including Cornell, Columbia, Penn State, UC Riverside, the University of Washington, and Ohio State.