Master's Of Science In Chemical Engineering

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Florida State University

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering offers a 30-credit graduate education with both thesis and non-thesis options, allowing students to choose between research-intensive study and advanced coursework. Students develop expertise in areas such as thermodynamics, transport phenomena, chemical engineering mathematics and computation, while electives provide opportunities to specialize in reactor design, electrochemical engineering, polymers, petroleum, and advanced materials.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students build a strong advanced foundation through core courses including ECH 5052 – Research Methods in Chemical Engineering, ECH 5126 – Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I, and ECH 5261 – Advanced Transport Phenomena I. They also develop quantitative and computational skills through ECH 5840 – Advanced Chemical Engineering Mathematics I and ECH 5852 – Advanced Chemical Engineering Computations.

Year 2:

Students deepen their specialization through approved electives such as ECH 5526 – Advanced Reactor Design, ECH 5706 – Electrochemical Engineering Science, ECH 5834 – Chemical Engineering Materials, or ECH 5806 – Petroleum Science and Technology. Thesis students complete ECH 5971 – Thesis Research and an oral ECH 8976 – Thesis Defense, while non-thesis students complete additional approved electives.

Focus Areas:

Advanced transport phenomena, reactor design, electrochemical engineering, petroleum science and technology, polymer science and engineering, chemical engineering materials, materials characterization, chemical engineering computation, thermodynamics, and advanced mathematical methods.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced skills in chemical engineering analysis, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, mathematical modeling, computational methods, research methodology, and specialized chemical engineering applications, with thesis students additionally developing independent research and technical defense skills.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The program provides graduate-level preparation in chemical engineering through advanced technical coursework, research, seminars, and specialized electives. The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering's accreditation is provided through ABET, although the university's program information does not identify this M.S. as separately ABET-accredited.

Reputation (Employability/Rankings):

In the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering's Chemical Engineering graduate program ranked No. 52 among public institutions, after moving up six positions. The College of Engineering itself ranked No. 60 nationally among public institutions.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering gives students a strong research-driven learning experience, combining advanced chemical engineering coursework with modern experimental, mathematical, and computational tools. The department’s graduate research spans advanced materials, energy and sustainability, life and health, and theory, computation and artificial intelligence, allowing students to work on problems relevant to industry, research, and emerging technologies. Thesis students can develop hands-on research experience through faculty-led projects, while the department also collaborates with major research organizations and centers across FAMU and FSU.

Students can further build practical and research skills through:

Research and thesis work: The thesis M.S. includes ECH 5971 – Thesis Research and an oral thesis defense, giving students the opportunity to conduct independent research under faculty guidance.
Advanced computational tools: The program specifically emphasizes the application of computer analysis, while the department uses modern mathematical and computational tools in chemical engineering research.
Research areas: Students can engage with projects involving advanced materials; energy, environment and sustainability; life and health; and theory, computation and artificial intelligence, including process simulation and optimization.
Research facilities and laboratories: CBE provides access to state-of-the-art laboratories supporting research in chemical engineering, materials science and biomedical engineering. The department has recently expanded research infrastructure supporting areas such as sustainable materials, battery technology, biomedical applications, soft matter, gels, complex fluids and biomaterials.
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL): Students can benefit from collaboration with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, where researchers investigate materials, energy, health and environmental applications using advanced magnetic-field capabilities.
Interdisciplinary research: CBE actively collaborates with the FSU Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Scientific Computing, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Biomedical Research Facility, FAMU College of Pharmacy and departments of Chemistry, Physics and Biological Sciences.
Research centers: The wider FAMU-FSU College of Engineering provides access to 20 research centers, giving graduate students opportunities to work with faculty on advanced engineering research.
Engineering computing facilities: Engineering computer labs provide access to engineering software through the MyFSUVLab system, with the primary A205 computer lab generally available 24/7 during academic terms.
Engineering Library: The FAMU-FSU Engineering Library supports coursework and research, with access to engineering journals, databases, e-books and research assistance. A librarian specifically serves Chemical & Biomedical Engineering.
Research communication: The department holds CBE Research Day, where students present research through presentations and posters, providing experience in communicating technical work.
Graduate research assistantships: Graduate students may receive support through research or teaching assistantships, with research assistantships generally connected to the research requirements of the degree.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering prepares graduates for technical careers across chemical processing, research and development, industrial production, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, energy, and related engineering fields. The department specifically notes that graduate chemical engineers can work in industry, government, education, research and development, process/plant operations, technical services, plant design, safety, technical sales and management.

Typical career roles: Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, Research & Development Engineer, Process Design Engineer.

Students can build their professional pathway through the following university-supported opportunities:

Career and internship support: The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering provides career and internship opportunities, résumé critiques, mock interviews, professional-development activities, career fairs, networking events and workshops through its engineering career services.
University–industry connections: FAMU-FSU reports partnerships with companies including PepsiCo, Chevron, Humana, Shell Oil Company, Siemens and Caterpillar, with partner companies participating in career fairs, conducting on-site interviews for internships and jobs, and hosting workshops on campus.
Employer network: The College reports engineering graduates working with organizations such as Chevron, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, Shell, Tesla, Toyota, Honda and Lockheed Martin, demonstrating the breadth of sectors available to its engineering graduates. These are college-wide outcomes rather than M.S. Chemical Engineering-specific placements.
Employment and salary data: FAMU-FSU does not currently publish a program-specific employment rate or graduate salary figure for the M.S. in Chemical Engineering on its official program pages. The university instead provides broader engineering career and employer information, so a specific M.S. salary should not be inferred from the available data.
Professional accreditation value: The M.S. itself is not EAC/ABET-accredited; FAMU-FSU explicitly states that its engineering master's degrees are not EAC/ABET-accredited. However, the College's B.S. in Chemical Engineering is EAC/ABET-accredited, and the College notes that some states may accept engineering master's degrees toward the education component of professional-engineer licensure, subject to individual state-board requirements.
Professional examination outcomes: For context, the College reports a 100% first-time Chemical FE exam pass rate in both 2024 and 2025 for its FAMU-FSU Chemical Engineering cohort, compared with national averages of 72% and 68%, respectively. This is an undergraduate Chemical Engineering outcome, not an M.S.-specific graduate outcome.
Research-to-career pathway: The program's graduate research emphasis can support careers in areas such as advanced materials, energy and sustainability, life and health, and computational/AI-based engineering, while the department also identifies research and development laboratories, pilot-scale operations and industrial production as career environments for graduate chemical engineers.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students interested in advanced research can continue into the Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at FAMU-FSU. The doctoral program requires 57 semester hours, including advanced chemical engineering coursework, approved electives, 27 hours of dissertation research, a preliminary examination and an oral and written dissertation defense, providing a direct route toward research-intensive careers and academic or advanced R&D positions.