Chemical Engineering (M.S.)

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Dayton

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Dayton is a flexible, 30-credit graduate program designed for students from chemical engineering, biological engineering, materials engineering, chemistry and related backgrounds who want to deepen their technical and research expertise. Students can specialize through advanced coursework and research in areas such as combustion, environmental engineering, materials engineering, nanomaterials, fuel cells, chemical reactors and biosensors, with the option to complete a thesis or non-thesis pathway.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students begin with CME 581 Advanced Chemical Engineering Calculations I, building advanced mathematical and analytical skills for engineering problems, while selecting graduate-level Chemical Engineering core courses and technical electives. Depending on their interests, students can study areas such as CME 507 Advanced Thermodynamics, CME 521 Advanced Transport Phenomena, CME 542 Chemical Engineering Kinetics, or CME 543 Chemical Reactor Analysis & Design.

Year 2:

Students use their remaining technical electives to develop a more focused specialization, with options including CME 529 Computational Chemistry, CME 530 Biomaterials, CME 566 Advanced Separations, CME 574 Fundamentals of Air Pollution Engineering I, or CME 592 Chemical Sensors & Biosensors. Students pursuing the thesis pathway complete CME 599 Thesis, while the non-thesis route allows students to complete additional Chemical Engineering electives, giving them flexibility to align their studies with professional or research goals.

Focus Areas:

Advanced thermodynamics, transport phenomena, chemical reaction engineering, computational chemistry, polymer science, advanced composites, corrosion, biomaterials, bioengineering, chemical product design, wastewater treatment, hazardous waste engineering, combustion, advanced separations, air pollution engineering, petroleum engineering, chemical sensors and biosensors, nanomaterials, fuel cells, environmental engineering, materials engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced chemical engineering calculations and problem-solving skills, research and laboratory capabilities, expertise in chemical processes and materials, computational and analytical skills, and the ability to conduct independent research and communicate technical findings. The thesis option provides additional experience in defining research problems, developing research plans, conducting investigations and presenting original research.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The University of Dayton's undergraduate Chemical Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Programs criteria. The M.S. is a graduate program and is not separately identified as ABET-accredited; the university itself is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Reputation (Employability):

The University of Dayton reports an average starting salary of $77,818 for Chemical Engineering graduates on its School of Engineering career outcomes page; this figure is for engineering graduates and is not identified as M.S.-specific. The university also reports Chemical Engineering graduates working with employers including Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Sherwin-Williams, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Vulcan Industries, with roles such as Process Engineer, Shift Engineer, Quality Engineer and Chemical Process Engineer.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Dayton gives students a strongly research-oriented experience, with the program specifically emphasizing the development of research, laboratory and professional skills. Because students can complete a thesis and the department conducts research in areas such as process systems engineering, chemical reaction engineering, nanomaterials, bioenergy and molecular modeling, students can connect advanced coursework with hands-on investigation and real engineering applications.

Students can develop practical and research skills through:

Thesis research: Students choosing the thesis pathway complete CME 599 Thesis, allowing them to undertake independent Chemical Engineering research under faculty guidance. The program also offers CME 597 Research Methods, where students learn to identify research problems, develop hypotheses and research plans, and prepare and present an original research proposal.
Advanced Nanomaterials Lab: Research focuses on nanochemistry and engineered materials for applications including bioelectronics, point-of-care diagnostics, sustainable energy and nano-enabled technologies, with both experimental and computational projects.
Carbon Research Lab: Students can gain hands-on experience in the growth, fabrication and manufacturing of nanomaterials and nanocomposites, using wet chemistry, precipitation and chemical/physical vapor deposition, followed by microscopic and spectroscopic characterization.
Polymers and Composites Lab: Students work directly with processing and characterization equipment to prepare, process and test polymer and fiber-reinforced polymer samples, with research connected to lightweight materials for aircraft and spacecraft applications.
Sarwan S. Sandhu Research Lab: The laboratory supports both theoretical and experimental research involving fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, combustion, heat and mass transfer, chemical kinetics and thermodynamic simulation.
Molecular Simulations of Nanomaterial Surfaces Lab: Students can use computational molecular simulations to investigate materials and interfaces, including applications involving reverse-osmosis membranes and drug delivery.
Advanced Electronic Biosensor Fabrication Lab: The facility provides scaled materials synthesis and high-speed fabrication capabilities for 2D electronic sensor platforms, including applications in virus and biomarker detection.
Biomatter Manipulation Technologies Lab: Research involves biomaterials, 3D bioprinting, tissue models and bioreactor design, giving students opportunities to work at the intersection of chemical engineering, biomedical research and pharmaceutical applications.
Cellular Evaluation of Bioengineering Applications Lab: Chemical engineering principles are applied to nanomaterial-bioeffects research, 3D growth scaffolds, fluid dynamics and evaluation of biomedical therapeutics.
Nanoscale Engineered Materials Lab: Research focuses on the behavior and assembly of functionalized nanoscale materials, particularly magnetic nanoparticles, and their translation into practical engineering applications.
NEST Laboratory: The Nanoscale Engineering Science and Technology (NEST) Laboratory, operated by the University of Dayton Research Institute, provides equipment for investigating, characterizing and manipulating materials at the nanoscale. Researchers can be trained to use instruments themselves or have samples characterized by facility staff.
Nano-Fab Lab: The university's Class 100 cleanroom provides capabilities including thin-film deposition, metrology, photolithography, and chemical and plasma etching, supporting advanced materials and semiconductor-related research.
Research and industry environment: The Chemical and Materials Engineering department highlights access to nearby research and industrial organizations including the University of Dayton Research Institute, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, GE Aviation and Copeland, creating opportunities for real-world research connections.
Special research opportunities: The M.S. program notes opportunities involving federally funded research and courses through the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute, giving graduate students additional avenues for research and interdisciplinary engagement.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Dayton prepares students for research-based industrial positions as well as further graduate study, with advanced training that can be applied across energy, biotechnology, materials, environmental engineering, manufacturing, and chemical processing. The program is particularly suited to students who want to strengthen their technical and research capabilities while keeping pathways open to industry, government research, or doctoral education.

Typical career options: Chemical Engineer, Research & Development Engineer, Process Engineer, Environmental Engineer

Here are some of the opportunities that can support your career progression:

Career Services: University of Dayton provides lifetime career support, including one-on-one career counseling, résumé reviews, interview preparation, career fairs, and access to more than 125,000 job postings, including approximately 30,000 internships and co-ops, through Handshake.
Employment outcomes: UDayton's 2024–25 First Destination Survey reports that 97% of graduates were employed, pursuing graduate school, or participating in full-time service programs within six months. For the School of Engineering, the reported success rate was 96%.
Salary figures: The university reports an average starting salary of $76,859 for Chemical Engineering majors; this is an undergraduate Chemical Engineering figure rather than an M.S.-specific salary. Across the university's 2024–25 graduating class, the reported average starting salary was $61,279.
University–industry connections: UDayton's Engineering Co-op and Internship Office works with employers through career fairs, on-campus interviews, recruiting events, and Handshake. The university's employer network includes organizations such as GE Aerospace, Dow, Johnson & Johnson/Ethicon, Samsung, Sherwin-Williams, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lubrizol, Bayer Becker, Boeing, Tesla, and Northrop Grumman.
Chemical Engineering industry pathways: UDayton identifies career areas for Chemical Engineering graduates including manufacturing and processing, research and development, product design, technical sales, engineering consulting, and management, with additional pathways into government regulatory agencies and other professional fields.
Government and research opportunities: Historical UDayton graduate outcomes for Chemical Engineering include positions such as Research Technologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Refinery Operations Engineer at Saudi Aramco, Environmental Compliance Engineer, and Chemical Engineer. These are historical graduate outcomes and are not guaranteed M.S. placements.
Long-term accreditation value: The M.S. itself is not separately identified as ABET-accredited. UDayton's undergraduate Chemical Engineering program is ABET-accredited, while the M.S. provides advanced graduate-level technical and research preparation. The university's Chemical Engineering graduate program specifically states that it can prepare students for research-based industrial positions and admission to doctoral programs.
Graduation outcomes: Beyond immediate employment, UDayton's latest university-wide survey shows that graduates continue into employment, graduate education, or full-time service, while the School of Engineering maintains a 96% success rate in the latest reported outcomes.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the M.S., students can continue into doctoral-level study or other advanced graduate programs. UDayton's current graduate engineering catalog lists Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering programs in Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and other engineering fields, allowing students to build on their research background and pursue advanced research or academic careers.