Chemical Engineering MS

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Michigan Technological University

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University is designed for students who want to deepen their expertise through advanced coursework and research in areas ranging from process safety and energy systems to sustainable engineering, biochemical engineering, polymers, and new materials. Students can choose a thesis, report, or coursework option, allowing the degree to suit students targeting research careers, advanced industry roles, or future PhD study.

Curriculum Structure:

Graduate Study:
Unlike a traditional undergraduate degree, the MS does not follow a fixed year-by-year curriculum; students select one of three degree pathways. The thesis option requires at least 30 credits, including 20 credits of coursework and 6–10 credits of thesis research, while the report option requires at least 24 coursework credits plus 2–6 credits for an independent-study report.

For students choosing the coursework route, the degree requires at least 30 coursework credits, with a minimum of 18 credits at the 5000–6000 level. Graduate study can include courses such as CM 5200 – Advanced Thermodynamics, CM 5300 – Advanced Transport Phenomena, and CM 5400 – Advanced Reactive Systems Analysis, building advanced skills in thermodynamics, transport processes, and chemical reaction systems.

Focus Areas:

Process safety, process systems engineering, energy production and storage, sustainable engineering, applied thermodynamics, polymer processing, new materials synthesis, minerals processing, iron and steel making, biochemical engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

Advanced chemical engineering analysis, research and independent study, process safety, systems engineering, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, reactive systems analysis, sustainable engineering, materials processing, biochemical engineering, and application of chemical engineering principles to industry-relevant problems.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

Michigan Tech's Chemical Engineering BS is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the Chemical, Biochemical, and Biomolecular Engineering program criteria. The university's accreditation statement applies to the undergraduate Chemical Engineering program, so the MS itself should not be described as separately ABET-accredited.

Reputation (Employability & University Recognition):

Michigan Tech describes its Chemical Engineering graduate program as having strong industry collaboration, with chemical and materials industries funding approximately 25% of the department's research programs. The university also reports that its Chemical Engineering research receives support from organizations including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, and other federal and state agencies, while graduate research is conducted across areas with direct industrial relevance.

Michigan Tech has also reported national recognition for its graduate Chemical Engineering program in U.S. News & World Report rankings, including a No. 69 ranking in Chemical Engineering in 2017 and No. 83 in 2018. These are historical rankings rather than current rankings, so they should not be presented as the program's current ranking.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MS in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University gives graduate students direct access to hands-on research through fully equipped laboratories and analytical equipment that support work from the nanoscale to pilot-plant scale. Students work alongside faculty on interdisciplinary projects connected to sustainability, biotechnology, alternative energy, process safety, energy storage, polymers, materials synthesis, biochemical engineering, and process systems, with strong industry collaboration built into the department's research environment.

The program's research facilities and technical resources provide opportunities to develop experimental, analytical, computational, and research skills through:

Chemical Engineering Research Labs: The department has dedicated laboratories including the Laboratory for Separation Technologies (LAST), Alternative Energy Engineering Lab, Bioprocessing Lab, Biofuels and Bio-Based Products Lab, Chemical Sensing and Biosensing Lab, Medical microDevice Engineering Research Laboratory, and Bioseparations Lab.
Unit Operations Laboratory: Michigan Tech's 6,500-square-foot, multistory Unit Operations Lab includes a three-story distillation column and two-story batch reactor, along with equipment for heat exchange, drying, filtration, separations, fluid flow, reaction kinetics, biochemical processes, membranes, and polymer processing.
Advanced Research Equipment: Graduate research facilities include analytical and processing equipment supporting chemical, biochemical, materials, and energy research, allowing projects to move beyond small-scale laboratory demonstrations toward pilot-scale applications.
Bioprocessing & Biofuels Research: The Ong Research Laboratory contains HPLC, ion chromatography, gas chromatography, fermenters, incubators, centrifuges, rotary evaporators, freeze dryers, custom pretreatment reactors, and filtration equipment for biomass, waste-plastic, bioprocessing, and separation research.
Materials Characterization & Fabrication Core Facility: Graduate researchers can use Michigan Tech's central Materials Characterization and Fabrication Core Facility, which supports research users and provides specialized characterization and fabrication capabilities.
Computational Tools: Michigan Tech's Chemical Engineering department has historically used tools including UniSim, MATLAB, Mathcad, COMSOL, Polymath, Excel, LabVIEW, Minitab, and SimaPro across its chemical engineering coursework and laboratory activities.
Research Safety Training: Graduate students must complete laboratory safety training and pass an exam with a minimum 80% score before receiving access to research laboratories, ensuring students are trained to work safely with specialized equipment.
Industry-Supported Research: More than 25% of the department's research programs are funded by chemical and materials industries, giving graduate research a strong connection to industrial problems and applications.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MS in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University prepares graduates for advanced roles across chemical production, energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, sustainable engineering, materials, process safety, and environmental applications. Students gain research and industry-facing experience through interdisciplinary projects and strong collaborations with chemical and materials industries, creating a foundation for both advanced professional careers and doctoral research.

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

These opportunities are supported by Michigan Tech's career resources, industry network, and graduate outcomes:

Career Services: Students receive access to career advisors and peer career coaches through Handshake, résumé and interview support, workshops, career events, co-op/CPT guidance, and employer networking. Michigan Tech's Career Fair attracts more than 400 companies and 2,000 recruiters each year.
Employment outcomes: Michigan Tech reports 92.5% career outcomes for undergraduate and graduate students in its 2024–25 First Destination Survey cycle. The university also reports a $70,720 five-year median starting salary across undergraduate and graduate students for the 2020–25 cycles; these figures are university-wide and are not specific to the Chemical Engineering MS.
Chemical Engineering outcomes: Michigan Tech reports a 98% placement rate within six months of graduation for its Chemical Engineering graduates. The department also notes that its graduates enter areas including chemical production and manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, sustainable engineering, alternative energy, process safety, environmental cleanup, design engineering, and consulting.
University–industry partnerships: Chemical and materials industries fund approximately one-quarter of Michigan Tech Chemical Engineering's research programs, while research also receives support from government agencies. The department specifically highlights strong industry collaboration in its graduate research environment.
Employer connections: Michigan Tech Career Services currently works with 50+ corporate partners, and its 2024 Fall Career Fair brought 1,200+ recruiters, alongside more than 3,700 on-campus interviews on Interview Day. Corporate partners include organizations such as Dow Chemical, DTE Energy, Ford, and Nucor.
Accreditation value: Michigan Tech's Chemical Engineering bachelor's program is ABET-accredited, providing an internationally recognized undergraduate engineering foundation. The MS itself should not be described as separately ABET-accredited. Michigan Tech as a university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Professional and research progression: The department's graduate students work alongside faculty on interdisciplinary research addressing areas such as sustainability, biotechnology, alternative energy, process safety, energy storage, materials, and biochemical engineering, giving graduates experience applicable to research-intensive industry positions.

Further Academic Progression: Students completing the MS can continue into the PhD in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech. The doctoral pathway involves advanced coursework and research, followed by milestones including a qualifying examination, research proposal examination, dissertation, and final oral defense, making it suitable for students who want to pursue advanced research, academic, or highly specialized industry careers.