Master of Chemical Engineering

1 Years On Campus Masters Program

Illinois Institute of Technology

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology gives students a strong foundation across multiple areas of chemical engineering while allowing them to develop deeper expertise through advanced coursework, research, or a thesis. It is well suited to students aiming for professional advancement or research careers, with opportunities to explore emerging fields such as nanotechnology and biotechnology and a pathway that can also prepare students for doctoral study.

Curriculum Structure:

Master’s Study:
The program requires 30 credit hours and gives students flexibility to build a course plan around their professional interests. Core study includes CHE 501 Transport Phenomena, CHE 503 Thermodynamics, CHE 525 Chemical Reaction Engineering, and CHE 530 Advanced Process Control, developing advanced knowledge of transport, thermodynamics, reaction systems, and process control. Students can also take CHE 506 Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property Management and choose interdisciplinary electives from areas such as chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.

Research/Thesis or Project Option:
Students interested in research can complete CHE 591 Research and Thesis for M.S. Degree, with 6–8 credits of thesis research, while those seeking applied project experience can undertake CHE 594 Special Projects for up to 6 credits. The flexible structure allows students to work with an adviser to align their studies with their career interests, and thesis students complete a comprehensive oral examination.

Focus Areas:

Transport phenomena, thermodynamics, chemical reaction engineering, advanced process control, nanotechnology, biotechnology, environmental and sustainable engineering, energy, chemical and biological engineering, research and process innovation.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced chemical engineering knowledge, apply engineering principles to complex processes, build research and analytical capabilities, explore emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and biotechnology, develop professional and entrepreneurial skills, and gain preparation for professional advancement or doctoral study.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering itself is not separately identified as ABET-accredited on Illinois Tech's accreditation page; the university specifically lists its B.S. in Chemical Engineering as accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The graduate program nevertheless builds advanced professional preparation through coursework, research, hands-on learning, and opportunities to develop specialized expertise.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings):

Illinois Tech is a technology-focused research university with a strong emphasis on career preparation. The university reports that its graduate class of 2025 had an 85.6% full-time employment rate six months after graduation, based on its First-Destination survey with a 90% response rate. Illinois Tech also reports that it was ranked among the top 100 U.S. universities by TIME/Statista in 2026 (#91 nationally) and that its graduate engineering programs, including chemical engineering, were ranked among the top 100 graduate engineering specialties in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report in 2025.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology gives students practical exposure through hands-on learning, advanced research, and the option to complete either a master’s project or 6–8 credits of thesis research. Students can work with faculty advisers on specialized areas while accessing dedicated chemical and biological engineering laboratories, computational facilities, and interdisciplinary research centers. The program also highlights real-world innovation through areas such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, energy, electrochemistry, polymers, process control, and sustainable engineering.

Students can build this practical experience through:

Research and thesis: The thesis option includes CHE 591 Research and Thesis for M.S. Degree, allowing students to undertake 6–8 credits of supervised research and complete a comprehensive oral examination.
Master’s project: Students choosing the project route can complete CHE 594 Special Projects for 1–6 credits, providing an opportunity to apply graduate chemical engineering knowledge to a defined project.
Chemical engineering laboratories: Department research facilities include the Biochemical Engineering Lab, Biointerfaces Lab, Biomaterials Lab, Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab, Fuel Cell Battery Lab, Fuel Cell Lab, Fluidization Lab, Gas Processing Lab, Hydrogen Storage Lab, Interfacial Phenomena Lab, Light Scattering Lab, Multiphase Flow and Fluidization Lab, Particle Technology Lab, Polymer Characterization Lab, Polymer Reaction Engineering Lab, Process Control & Optimization Lab, Process Modeling, Monitoring, and Control Lab, Rheology Lab, and Riser Lab.
Computational facilities: Students have access to the department's Advanced Computer Laboratory, research-group computing facilities, Linux and Windows servers, data visualization resources, and university computing/network services.
Academic software: Illinois Tech's Virtual Computing Lab (VCL) provides remote access to academic software, while university computer labs provide additional engineering applications. Available software includes Mathematica, Autodesk, and ANSYS Multiphysics.
Interdisciplinary research centers: Chemical and Biological Engineering students can engage with the Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering, Center of Excellence in Polymer Science and Engineering, Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Center for Complex Systems and Dynamics, and Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (WISER).
Energy and sustainability research: Through WISER, students can connect with research in electrochemical energy storage, bioenergy and water management, natural gas, sustainable energy systems, and carbon management. WISER also supports collaboration among Illinois Tech researchers and external universities, laboratories, and industry.
Team-based project opportunities: Illinois Tech's Chemical and Biological Engineering curriculum includes interdisciplinary project work, with the department's process-design courses using teams that can include chemical engineering students and students from other disciplines.
Industry exposure: The M.S. program's official page highlights a six-month Moderna Research Co-op undertaken by an Illinois Tech M.S. Chemical Engineering student, demonstrating an example of industry-based experiential training available within the department.
University Technology Park: Located on the Illinois Tech campus, University Technology Park provides a research and innovation environment with companies working in life sciences, biotechnology, engineering, materials, chemical research, and related technology fields.
Library and academic resources: Students have access to Galvin Library and Illinois Tech's broader computing and academic infrastructure alongside the department's specialized research facilities.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology is designed to prepare graduates for advanced professional and research-oriented careers, with the flexibility to specialize through advanced coursework, research, or a thesis. The university specifically identifies roles such as Senior Process Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, and Lead Chemical Engineer, while the program can also provide a foundation for doctoral study.

Typical career paths: Senior Process Engineer, Research & Development Engineer, Lead Chemical Engineer, Chemical Process Engineer.

Key career and progression opportunities include:

Career Services: Illinois Tech Career Services provides access to internships, research opportunities, competitions, career fairs, employer networking, resume support, and job opportunities through Handshake. Its Elevate program is designed to give students access to hands-on experiences and connections with employers recruiting for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions.
Chemical engineering employers: Illinois Tech's School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health lists chemical and biological engineering employers including Air Products and Chemicals, Amgen, BP, Dow, General Motors, L'Oréal, Novo Nordisk, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, SABIC, Unilever, and UL LLC, among others.
University–industry connections: Illinois Tech actively hosts employers through career fairs, on-campus recruiting, networking events, interviews, and internship/co-op recruitment. Its Career Services employer platform currently lists hundreds of organizations that have recruited Illinois Tech students.
Employment outcomes: Illinois Tech reports career outcomes through its First Destination survey, measuring graduates' status within six months of graduation. The university's published outcomes information includes employment, continuing education, starting salary, employers, and employment locations; however, the currently published figures are not specific to the M.S. in Chemical Engineering, so they should not be presented as an M.S.-specific employment or salary rate.
Accreditation value: The M.S. itself is not separately identified as an ABET-accredited program; Illinois Tech's ABET accreditation applies to its undergraduate engineering programs. For long-term professional development, the M.S. adds advanced graduate-level specialization and research experience, while students interested in research-intensive careers can progress into the university's Chemical Engineering Ph.D.
Graduation and career flexibility: The program's combination of advanced chemical engineering coursework, specialty-area research/thesis options, and access to Illinois Tech's career and employer network gives graduates pathways into professional engineering, R&D, process engineering, and further academic study.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students interested in advanced research can pursue the Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Illinois Tech. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 72 credit hours and includes advanced core coursework in Transport Phenomena, Thermodynamics, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Advanced Process Control or Computational Techniques in Engineering, and Applications of Mathematics to Chemical Engineering, followed by substantial doctoral research and a dissertation.