Chemical Engineering - MS

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of California Santa Barbara

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is an advanced graduate program designed for students who want to deepen their chemical engineering expertise and develop the ability to conduct basic and applied research. Students can build specialized knowledge through advanced coursework, technical and general electives, and either a thesis or examination-based pathway, preparing them for sophisticated engineering, research, and technology-focused careers.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students establish a strong graduate-level foundation through the department's required core coursework, with graduate students expected to pass the core courses with a B or better and maintain a cumulative GPA above 3.25. The program also includes 9 units of approved Technical Electives and 6 units of General Electives, allowing students to build expertise around their particular chemical engineering interests.

Students can choose from advanced subjects connected to UCSB's chemical engineering strengths, including Mechatronics and Instrumentation for Chemical Engineers, where students work with transducers, sensors, actuators, LabVIEW and MATLAB programming, and computer-controlled instrumentation. The course also includes a substantial final design project connected to thesis research or a Chemical Engineering faculty research laboratory.

Year 2:

Students deepen their specialization through additional approved coursework while moving toward completion of either the Plan I Thesis or Plan II Examination pathway listed in the 2026–27 UCSB catalog. The research-oriented pathway is particularly suited to students who want to demonstrate competence in basic and applied research and potentially continue toward doctoral-level study.

Focus Areas:

Biomaterials and bioengineering, energy, catalysis and reaction engineering, sustainable production of chemicals/fuels/materials, complex fluids and polymers, electronic and optical materials, fluids and transport phenomena, molecular thermodynamics and simulation, process systems engineering, surfaces and interfacial phenomena.

Learning Outcomes:

Advanced chemical engineering knowledge, research competence, quantitative problem-solving, application of engineering and scientific principles, technical specialization, experimental and computational skills, independent research, technical communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparation for continued professional or academic development.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering is a graduate degree and is not separately identified as ABET-accredited. UCSB's B.S. in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the criteria for Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular, and similarly named engineering programs. The M.S. therefore builds graduate-level expertise on top of an engineering education rather than carrying a separate ABET accreditation designation itself.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings):

UCSB Chemical Engineering has a strong national research reputation. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report graduate engineering rankings, Chemical Engineering ranked No. 8 among public universities and No. 12 overall out of 136 programs, extending the department's top-ten streak among public universities to 25 years.

The College of Engineering also reports that UCSB ranked No. 1 among U.S. public universities for scientific impact in engineering and physical sciences in the 2025 Leiden Rankings, with the ranking based on citation impact from research publications.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara offers a strongly research-oriented learning environment where students can develop practical skills through thesis research, advanced laboratory work, computational modeling, and specialized chemical engineering research groups. Students have access to shared instrumentation and interdisciplinary facilities across the College of Engineering, while UCSB’s Chemical Engineering research spans materials and interfaces, polymers, complex fluids, bioengineering, energy, sustainability, and modeling and simulation. The program’s research environment also gives graduate students opportunities to work directly within faculty research groups on projects with academic and industrial relevance.

Students can gain hands-on and research experience through these specific UCSB resources:

Engineering II Building: This 84,000-square-foot facility houses Chemical Engineering laboratories and offices, including state-of-the-art instrumentation laboratories used across engineering research.
Chemical Engineering research groups: Graduate students can work in faculty laboratories covering areas such as molecular dynamics, catalysis, separations, polymers, energy storage, reaction engineering, process control, rheology, electrochemistry, and thin-film engineering. The Bates research group, for example, gives students experience with synthesis, scattering and diffraction, rheology, electrochemistry, and thin-film engineering.
Modeling and simulation: UCSB Chemical Engineering research includes process monitoring and control, model predictive control, molecular-level reaction engineering, molecular simulation, and computational approaches, giving students opportunities to develop computational research skills.
Materials Research Laboratory (MRL): Students can benefit from shared facilities including TEMPO analytical instrumentation, High Performance Computing, Polymer Characterization, Spectroscopy, X-ray, Microscopy & Microanalysis, Energy Research, and Terahertz facilities. These resources are particularly relevant to chemical engineering work involving polymers, materials, interfaces, energy, and characterization.
California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI): The institute provides access to a Microfluidics Lab, Nanostructures Cleanroom Facilities, Microscopy & Microanalysis Facility, Spectroscopy Facility, X-ray Diffraction Facility, and High Performance Computing, supporting chemical engineering research in nanomaterials, bioengineering, interfaces, and advanced materials.
UCSB Nanofabrication Facility: This 12,700-square-foot cleanroom provides tools for lithography, vacuum deposition, dry etching, wet processing, thermal processing, packaging, inspection, testing, and characterization—valuable for students working on nanoscale materials and devices.
BioPACIFIC MIP and interdisciplinary research: UCSB Engineering research centers include BioPACIFIC MIP, which brings together work in biopolymers, automated cellular infrastructure, flow, integrated chemistry, and materials innovation. This creates opportunities to connect chemical engineering with biotechnology, materials science, and sustainable manufacturing.
Software and computational tools: The UCSB Chemical Engineering course Mechatronics and Instrumentation for Chemical Engineers specifically uses LabVIEW and MATLAB alongside transducers, sensors, actuators, and computer-controlled instrumentation. The course also includes a substantial final design project connected to thesis research or a Chemical Engineering faculty laboratory.
Research collaboration: UCSB describes its engineering research culture as interdisciplinary, with students and researchers collaborating across departments, research centers, institutes, and industry partnerships. The College of Engineering also maintains shared instrumentation to make advanced research equipment accessible across campus.
Internships and research opportunities: UCSB Engineering provides opportunities to participate in faculty research and internships, and Chemical Engineering students can receive course credit for qualifying research or industry internships through ChE 196 and ChE 198.
Libraries and research resources: Graduate students can use UCSB’s campus research infrastructure alongside the College of Engineering’s specialized laboratories, shared instrumentation, research centers, and computing facilities to support literature research and technical projects.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara can prepare graduates for advanced roles across chemical manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials, semiconductor processing, research, and product development. UCSB Chemical Engineering emphasizes research and interdisciplinary work, while the department reports that its alumni work across industry and government as well as continue into further graduate study.

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

Students can strengthen their professional pathway through UCSB’s academic, career, and industry connections:

Career services: UCSB Career Services provides career fairs and recruiting events, including STEM-focused events, as well as résumé preparation and review. Its Handshake platform allows students to search job and internship postings, maintain application documents, see participating employers, and schedule interviews.
Employment and salary: UCSB does not publish a current M.S.-specific employment rate or median salary for Chemical Engineering in the official sources reviewed, so a program-specific salary figure should not be presented as an official outcome. The department does state that chemical engineers work in industries including chemical manufacturing, energy conversion, plastics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductor processing.
University–industry partnerships: UCSB Chemical Engineering actively develops research partnerships with companies. Its official industry-collaboration list includes Mitsubishi Chemical, Dow Chemical, DuPont, BASF, Roche Diagnostics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Procter & Gamble, 3M, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and Aramco. The department also highlights collaborative research with ASML in advanced lithography technology.
Corporate Programs: UCSB Corporate Programs connects industry partners with university talent and research resources, supports corporate recruitment strategies, and facilitates access to graduates and students. Companies can also participate through the Corporate Affiliates Program, creating additional opportunities for industry engagement.
Long-term accreditation value: The M.S. is a graduate degree and is not separately identified as ABET-accredited. ABET accreditation is attached to specific undergraduate engineering programs, so students should view the M.S. as advanced specialization rather than as a separate ABET credential.
Graduation outcomes: UCSB's Chemical Engineering department reports graduates working in industry and government, with chemical engineering career functions spanning research, development, design, manufacturing, and technical management. The department's graduate program is also strongly research-oriented, providing a pathway for students interested in advanced technical careers.
Reputation: In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report graduate rankings, UCSB Chemical Engineering ranked No. 8 among public universities and No. 12 overall out of 136 programs. The College of Engineering also reports UCSB as No. 1 among U.S. public universities for research citation impact in engineering and physical sciences in the 2025 Leiden Rankings.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students interested in research can pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at UCSB or another research university. UCSB's Chemical Engineering Ph.D. focuses on four broad areas—materials and interfaces, bioengineering, energy and sustainability, and modeling, theory, and simulation—and prepares students for research careers in academia and industry.