MS in Chemical Engineering

2 Years Online Masters Program

North Carolina State University Raleigh

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University is a 30-credit, fully online program designed for professionals and graduates from engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, and physics backgrounds who want to advance their expertise in areas such as polymers, biotechnology, environmental science, and electronic materials. With no thesis or on-campus residency requirement, the program combines advanced chemical engineering fundamentals with flexible graduate-level coursework that can be completed remotely.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students begin by developing advanced foundations in chemical engineering through core courses such as CHE 711 Chemical Engineering Process Modeling, CHE 713 Thermodynamics I, and CHE 715 Transport Phenomena. These courses build the analytical and engineering knowledge needed to model chemical processes, understand thermodynamic systems, and analyze the movement of momentum, heat, and mass in engineering applications.

Year 2:

Students continue with CHE 717 Chemical Reaction Engineering and a selection of graduate-level electives, allowing them to build expertise around their professional interests. Elective options include CHE 543 Polymer Science and Technology, CHE 551 Biochemical Engineering, CHE 560 Chemical Processing of Electronic Materials, CHE 568 Conventional and Emerging Nanomanufacturing Techniques and Their Applications in Nanosystems, and CHE 577 Advanced Biomanufacturing and Biocatalysis, providing opportunities to connect core chemical engineering knowledge with advanced materials, biotechnology, nanomanufacturing, and bioprocessing.

Focus Areas:

Chemical engineering process modeling, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, reaction engineering, polymers, biotechnology, biochemical engineering, electronic materials, bio-nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing, biomanufacturing, biocatalysis, green chemical engineering, molecular cell engineering, chemical process engineering, polymer processing, drug delivery, advanced materials.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced skills in chemical engineering process modeling, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, chemical reaction engineering, quantitative analysis, graduate-level problem solving, and the application of chemical engineering principles to emerging areas including biotechnology, polymers, nanotechnology, electronic materials, and sustainable chemical processes.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

NC State's Chemical Engineering bachelor's program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The university's ABET listing specifically identifies the Chemical Engineering program as an accredited undergraduate engineering program; the online M.S. itself is a graduate degree and is not separately identified as an ABET-accredited program on NC State's accreditation page.

Reputation (Employability/Rankings):

NC State's Chemical Engineering program is ranked No. 17 nationally in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report undergraduate specialty rankings and No. 10 among public universities. While these rankings are for the undergraduate Chemical Engineering program rather than specifically for the online M.S., they provide an official indicator of the strength of NC State's Chemical Engineering discipline.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

NC State’s online M.S. is particularly strong for practical, industry-relevant learning through advanced online coursework and engineering software, although it is important not to overstate campus laboratory access: the online M.S. is a non-thesis, 100% distance program with no residency requirement. Students work through the same academic content and rigor as the on-campus courses, with lectures delivered online and assignments/exams completed remotely.

The program also provides access to specialized chemical engineering coursework and online technical tools. For example, NC State’s Engineering Online course offerings explicitly use MATLAB, Aspen Plus, and UniSim Design, with Aspen Plus and UniSim available through NC State’s Virtual Computing Lab via remote desktop.

Key experiential and practical elements include:

Process Modeling: CHE 711 Chemical Engineering Process Modeling develops the ability to formulate and solve problems involving transport phenomena, process dynamics, and chemical reaction engineering.
Advanced Technical Analysis: CHE 713 Thermodynamics I and CHE 715 Transport Phenomena provide advanced work in thermodynamics and the transport of momentum, energy, and matter.
Reaction Engineering: CHE 717 Chemical Reaction Engineering covers the rates and mechanisms of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions, including the design, analysis, and scale-up of batch and continuous reactors.
Industry Software: NC State's online chemical engineering coursework uses MATLAB, Aspen Plus, and UniSim Design, giving students experience with computational and process-simulation tools used in chemical engineering.
Remote Computing: Aspen Plus and UniSim Design can be accessed through NC State’s Virtual Computing Lab using Remote Desktop, allowing online students to work with these tools remotely.
Specialized Electives: Students can move beyond the core curriculum into subjects such as Polymer Science and Technology, Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Processing of Electronic Materials, Fundamentals of Bio-Nanotechnology, Nanomanufacturing, and Advanced Biomanufacturing and Biocatalysis.
Electrochemical Applications: CHE 719 Electrochemical Systems Analysis covers electrochemical thermodynamics, kinetics, catalysis, charge and material transport, and the design and analysis of electrochemical reactors.
Flexible Online Delivery: Lectures from on-campus courses are captured and digitized for distance students, while course assignments, lecture notes, and handouts are provided through the course website. Exams are proctored remotely.
Industry-Relevant Research Environment: NC State's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering conducts research across microfluidics, nanoengineering, biotechnology, polymer science, and green energy, with faculty and students working with government and industry partners. These departmental research facilities and groups are primarily relevant to the broader CBE department; the online M.S. itself does not require thesis research or on-campus laboratory work.
Professional Flexibility: The online M.S. is specifically designed for working professionals and is normally completed part-time, with students typically taking up to two online courses per semester while working full-time.

Progression & Future Opportunities

NC State’s online M.S. in Chemical Engineering, graduates can build on advanced chemical engineering knowledge for professional roles across process engineering, manufacturing, energy, materials, biotechnology, and related industries. Because the program is designed as a flexible, non-thesis degree for working professionals, it can also serve as a pathway for students who want to strengthen their technical credentials while remaining employed.

Typical Career Roles: Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, Process Development Engineer, R&D Engineer.

Here are the key progression and career resources associated with NC State:

Career support: NC State Engineering Online students have access to university career resources, while the NC State Engineering Career Center provides career advising, résumé and cover-letter assistance, interview preparation, career fairs, employer events, and job-search resources for engineering students and graduates.
Industry connections: NC State’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering maintains research and industry connections across areas including biotechnology, energy, polymers, nanotechnology, and advanced materials. The department highlights collaborations involving government and industry partners as part of its research environment.
Employment and salary: NC State does not publish a specific employment rate or average salary for graduates of this particular online M.S. in Chemical Engineering. For context, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a $121,860 median annual wage for chemical engineers in May 2024; this is an occupation-wide figure and is not an NC State M.S.-specific salary statistic.
Professional relevance: The curriculum covers advanced areas such as process modeling, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, reaction engineering, polymers, biochemical engineering, electronic materials, nanomanufacturing, and biomanufacturing, giving graduates knowledge applicable to multiple chemical-engineering industries.
Accreditation value: NC State's undergraduate Chemical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The M.S. itself is a graduate program and is not separately listed as ABET-accredited; therefore, the ABET accreditation should not be presented as accreditation of the online M.S.
Graduation outcomes: Students complete 30 graduate credits through the distance program, with no thesis or on-campus residency requirement. This structure allows working professionals to complete an advanced degree while continuing their careers.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students interested in advanced research can consider doctoral study in Chemical Engineering or related engineering disciplines. NC State's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering offers a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, providing opportunities for deeper research in areas such as advanced materials, biotechnology, energy, polymers, nanotechnology, and related chemical engineering fields.