ME Chemical Engineering

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Florida

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida is designed for students seeking advanced expertise in chemical engineering through graduate coursework and, depending on the pathway, research and thesis work. Students can build expertise across areas such as transport phenomena, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, process control, separations, biotechnology, materials, and energy while preparing for advanced engineering or research careers.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students begin by strengthening their graduate-level chemical engineering foundation through courses covering areas such as Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Advanced Transport Phenomena, and Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering. These subjects develop the analytical understanding needed to model thermodynamic systems, transport processes, and chemical reactions at an advanced level.

Year 2:

Students move toward specialized coursework and, for the thesis pathway, independent research under faculty supervision. Courses and research can be tailored toward areas such as Process Dynamics and Control, Advanced Separation Processes, and specialized chemical engineering topics, allowing students to connect advanced theory with their chosen research or professional interests.

Focus Areas:

Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Transport Phenomena, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Process Dynamics and Control, Separation Processes, Heat and Mass Transfer, Biotechnology, Biomolecular Engineering, Materials, Energy, Environmental Engineering, Nanotechnology, Computational Chemical Engineering, Process Systems Engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

Advanced chemical engineering analysis, mathematical modeling, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, reaction engineering, process design and control, separation processes, research methodology, technical problem-solving, experimental and computational skills, independent research, and professional technical communication.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering is a graduate degree and is not separately identified as an ABET-accredited program. UF's Chemical Engineering department provides graduate-level preparation through advanced coursework and research, while ABET accreditation primarily applies to the university's undergraduate engineering programs.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

The University of Florida is a major public research university with extensive engineering research activity and industry connections. UF's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is nationally recognized in U.S. News graduate engineering rankings, while the Chemical Engineering department provides graduate research opportunities across areas including energy, materials, biotechnology, environmental engineering, and advanced chemical processes.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The University of Florida’s M.S. in Chemical Engineering provides particularly strong hands-on opportunities through its thesis and non-thesis pathways. The thesis option involves supervised research and a formal thesis defense, while the non-thesis option can include laboratory research or an industrial internship; the department specifically highlights its Advanced Chemical and Bio Processing Laboratory, where students work with state-of-the-art instrumentation and processes relevant to emerging chemical-engineering applications.

Students can also work with advanced computational, analytical, and processing infrastructure across UF Engineering, including HiPerGator AI, the Nanoscale Research Facility, Major Analytical Instrumentation Center, and Particle Analysis Instrumentation Center. These resources support areas such as process modeling, materials characterization, nanotechnology, biotechnology, separations, energy, and advanced chemical processing:

Advanced Chemical and Bio Processing Laboratory: The department specifically identifies this laboratory as a hands-on component of its master's programs, exposing students to state-of-the-art instrumentation and chemical/bioprocessing technologies.
Research laboratory experience: M.S. thesis students can complete up to six credits of supervised research, while the non-thesis pathway permits seven credits of laboratory research or industrial internship. Students can therefore gain experience conducting research rather than relying solely on classroom coursework.
Industrial internships: The non-thesis M.S. explicitly provides the opportunity to gain basic industrial experience through a short internship, and UF lists EGN 5949: Practicum/Internship/Cooperative Work Experience among its graduate courses.
Process simulation and computational tools: UF Chemical Engineering uses Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS for process simulation in graduate engineering education, alongside data analysis, modeling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence approaches.
Chemical Process Data Science: The graduate curriculum includes ECH 6845: Chemical Process Data Science, giving students a direct route into data-driven chemical engineering. Other relevant options include ESI 6407: Optimization for Engineers: Data-Driven and Classical Approaches.
Nanoscale Research Facility: UF's campus-wide facility provides cleanroom fabrication, advanced electron/optical/surface imaging, synthesis and processing laboratories, and facilities for characterization, assembly, and testing of nanoscale materials, devices, and sensors.
Major Analytical Instrumentation Center: Graduate researchers can access advanced analytical instrumentation, with UF providing training ranging from instrument familiarization to hands-on practical instruction, data analysis, and interpretation.
Particle Analysis Instrumentation Center: This facility provides 20+ instruments for analyzing particle size, shape, surface and bulk powder properties, along with spectroscopic, imaging, and chemical-analysis capabilities—particularly relevant to materials, particles, pharmaceuticals, and process research.
HiPerGator AI and research computing: UF Engineering provides access to HiPerGator 3.0 and HiPerGator AI, including NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD infrastructure for scalable AI and high-performance data analytics, supporting computationally intensive engineering research.
Specialized research projects: UF Chemical Engineering research covers areas such as electrochemical engineering, polymer membranes for carbon capture and clean hydrogen, heterogeneous catalysis, biomass upgrading, sustainable process design, biomaterials, and advanced materials, giving graduate students opportunities to connect laboratory work with current engineering challenges.
Chemical Engineering Building: The department is based at UF's dedicated Chemical Engineering Building, while related research also extends into facilities such as the Particle Science building and Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida can prepare graduates for advanced technical, research, and industry roles across chemical processing, energy, biotechnology, materials, pharmaceuticals, and related fields. Because UF’s M.S. combines advanced coursework with opportunities for research and internships, graduates can pursue roles such as Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, Research & Development Engineer, and Process Development Engineer.

Key career and progression opportunities include:

Career services: UF’s engineering career resources provide access to career coaching, job and internship databases, employer information sessions, workshops, career showcases, and Industry Institutes. The College of Engineering’s Center for Experiential Learning also supports internships and co-ops.
Employment and salary figures: UF Chemical Engineering reports that 73% of B.S. Chemical Engineering graduates accepted a job or graduate-school offer by graduation, while 74% gained internship/co-op experience. A UF Chemical Engineering 2025 information presentation reported an $81,300 average starting salary for its recent Chemical Engineering graduates; these figures are undergraduate departmental outcomes, not M.S.-specific outcomes, so they should not be presented as the M.S. salary or placement rate.
University–industry partnerships: UF Engineering's Corporate Engagement program connects companies with faculty expertise, research facilities, and engineering talent through sponsored research, internships, collaborative projects, curriculum development, and affiliate programs. UF Chemical Engineering also provides industry exposure through its AIChE chapter, which has hosted company information sessions involving organizations such as ExxonMobil, PepsiCo, Dow, Micron, and CDM Smith.
Industry-connected research: UF Chemical Engineering research has connections across sectors including energy, advanced materials, semiconductors, biotechnology, chemical industry, devices, and data science. UF's 2014–2024 Chemical Engineering Ph.D. graduate data also identifies employers and organizations including Applied Materials, Medtronic, Amgen, ExxonMobil, Intel, NREL, AMD, Shell, Samsung, Boeing, Texas Instruments, GE, DuPont, and Dow; this is Ph.D. alumni data rather than an M.S.-specific employment list.
Accreditation value: The UF B.S. in Chemical Engineering is ABET-accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The M.S. is a graduate degree and is not separately identified as an ABET-accredited program, so its value is primarily in advanced specialization, research experience, and graduate-level technical preparation.
Graduation outcomes: UF states that its M.S. can prepare students for careers in industry, research, and other technical fields, as well as further graduate study. Students can complete the degree through thesis or non-thesis pathways, with opportunities for research, internships, and advanced coursework.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students interested in advanced research can continue into UF’s Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. The doctoral program is primarily research-based and involves advanced coursework, independent research, a research proposal and oral qualifying examination, followed by a doctoral dissertation and final oral examination. UF notes that a master's degree is not required for Ph.D. admission, but an M.S. can provide relevant advanced coursework and research preparation.