Masters in Chemical Engineering

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

Rice University

Program Overview

The Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE) at Rice University is a non-thesis professional degree designed for engineers who want to deepen their technical expertise while developing business, management, communication, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills for careers in chemical, energy, biotechnology, and materials industries. The program combines advanced chemical engineering coursework with flexible electives and practical industry experiences, making it particularly suitable for students seeking leadership-oriented professional careers.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students build their advanced Chemical Engineering foundation through four core courses selected from CHBE 501: Fluid Mechanics and Transport Processes, CHBE 590: Kinetics, Catalysis, and Reaction Engineering, CHBE 602: Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics, CHBE 611: Advanced Topics—Thermodynamics, and CHBE 692: Applied Mathematics for Chemical Engineering. These courses develop expertise in transport, reaction engineering, thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, and mathematical/computational approaches while students begin tailoring the degree through graduate-level electives.

Year 2:

Students who follow the longer 3–4 semester pathway can use additional semesters for advanced electives, research, or professional experience, depending on their chosen pathway. Opportunities include ENGI 530: Engineering Practicum, a for-credit summer internship, and CHBE 695: Independent Study, which can involve an off-campus industry project; students can also specialize through coursework related to energy transition and sustainability, industrial chemical processes, polymers and materials, or electrochemical processes and energy storage.

Focus Areas:

Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering, Energy and Sustainability, Bioengineering, Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Energy Transition, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), Industrial Chemical Processes, Polymer Processing, Electrochemical Processes and Energy Storage.

Learning Outcomes:

Advanced chemical engineering problem-solving, advanced science and mathematics knowledge, depth in a chemical engineering sub-discipline, business and management knowledge, independent-study experience, effective written and oral communication, and the ability to address complex engineering challenges.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

Rice's B.S. in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Program Criteria. Rice's official accreditation listing identifies the B.S. program as ABET-accredited; it does not list the MChE as a separately ABET-accredited program.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

Rice's Chemical Engineering graduate program is ranked No. 21 nationally in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. Rice's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department also reports that its MChE graduates have a 95% employment rate within six months of graduation, with graduates primarily entering the Houston energy and technology hub

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MChE at Rice University connects advanced Chemical Engineering study with practical, industry-oriented experience. Students can gain hands-on exposure through ENGI 530: Engineering Practicum, which provides a for-credit summer internship opportunity, and through CHBE 695: Independent Study, which can involve an off-campus industry project. Rice’s Houston location also places the program close to major energy, healthcare, and technology organizations, while ChBE research groups use experimental, computational, and high-throughput approaches across energy, sustainability, biomolecular engineering, materials, and nanotechnology.

Students can build practical and research skills through:

Engineering Practicum: ENGI 530: Engineering Practicum provides an opportunity to undertake a summer internship for academic credit, giving MChE students direct exposure to professional engineering environments.
Industry projects: CHBE 695: Independent Study can be used for an off-campus industry project, allowing students to apply advanced Chemical Engineering knowledge to an industry problem.
Advanced research laboratories: ChBE research labs are located in the Ralph S. O'Connor Building, George R. Brown Hall, Keck Hall, and the Bioscience Research Collaborative.
High-throughput flow reactors: The Adams Lab constructs high-throughput flow reactors to study reaction kinetics and combines them with operando spectroscopy and modeling for catalyst development.
Computational tools and modeling: Research groups use molecular simulations, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, statistical-mechanics-based modeling, computational modeling, and machine-learning approaches to investigate chemical processes, materials, catalysts, and complex fluids.
Spectroscopy and analytical techniques: Research at Rice includes NMR, operando spectroscopy, spectroscopy-based characterization, rheology, and experimental measurements, depending on the research group.
Microfluidics and micromechanical systems: The Biswal Lab uses microfluidic devices and micromechanical structures to study and engineer soft materials such as colloids, polymers, lipids, and foams.
Biomolecular engineering: Rice researchers combine molecular biology, protein engineering, high-throughput technologies, systems modeling, and computational methods to study biological systems and develop applications in therapeutics, materials, and sustainable technologies.
Materials and nanotechnology: Students can engage with research involving nanomaterials, polymers, complex fluids, catalysis, energy materials, and chemical processing for commercial applications.
Interdisciplinary institutes and centers: Relevant opportunities include the Carbon Hub, Smalley-Curl Institute, Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Energy and Environment Initiative, and Ken Kennedy Institute.
Industry and medical collaboration: Rice ChBE highlights collaboration with industry and researchers in the Texas Medical Center, giving students access to Houston's broader energy and healthcare ecosystem.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE) at Rice University is designed to prepare graduates for professional careers where advanced chemical engineering knowledge is combined with leadership, management, and industry-focused skills. Rice reports strong graduate employment outcomes for the MChE, with graduates moving into opportunities across energy, technology, chemical, biotechnology, materials, and related industries, particularly within the Houston business ecosystem.

Potential career roles: Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, Process Development Engineer, R&D Engineer.

Students can strengthen their career prospects through:

Career services: Rice's Center for Career Development provides graduate students with career advising, employer connections, career fairs, interview preparation, résumé support, and job-search resources.
Employment outcomes: Rice reports that 95% of MChE graduates are employed within six months of graduation. The university's published MChE information does not provide a program-specific average salary figure, so a salary should not be presented as an MChE-specific statistic.
Industry experience: The MChE curriculum includes ENGI 530: Engineering Practicum, providing students with an opportunity to complete a summer internship for academic credit.
Industry projects: CHBE 695: Independent Study can involve an off-campus industry project, allowing students to apply their Chemical Engineering expertise to real industry problems.
Houston industry ecosystem: Rice's location in Houston provides proximity to major energy, chemical, healthcare, and technology industries, while the department maintains connections with industry through research collaborations and professional activities.
Industry-focused education: The MChE combines advanced Chemical Engineering coursework with business, management, communication, leadership, and entrepreneurship, helping students prepare for professional and managerial responsibilities.
Accreditation value: Rice's B.S. in Chemical Engineering is ABET-accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission. However, Rice does not list the MChE as separately ABET-accredited, so the MChE should not be described as an ABET-accredited graduate degree.
Graduate outcomes: Rice reports that MChE graduates primarily enter the Houston energy and technology sector, while the program's professional structure is designed for students pursuing industry rather than a research thesis pathway.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MChE, students interested in research and advanced academic study can pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering/scientific discipline. At Rice, the Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering offers research opportunities across areas such as energy, sustainability, biomolecular engineering, materials, catalysis, and transport phenomena, providing a route toward research, university teaching, and advanced technical careers.