Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, MSE

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Pennsylvania

Program Overview

The MSE in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania provides advanced training in chemical and biomolecular engineering for students interested in research, development, and technical careers across areas such as biotechnology, energy, pharmaceuticals, polymers, process design, and scientific computing. The program builds a strong foundation in advanced thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, reactor design, transport processes, and engineering mathematics while allowing students to specialize through graduate-level electives.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:
Students begin with the core engineering principles that form the foundation of advanced chemical and biomolecular engineering. Courses include CBE 6180 — Advanced Molecular Thermodynamics, CBE 6400 — Transport Processes I, and ENM 5100 — Foundations of Engineering Mathematics - I, followed by CBE 6210 — Advanced Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design and engineering electives. These courses develop students’ understanding of thermodynamics, transport phenomena, mathematical analysis, reaction engineering, and reactor design.

Year 2:
The second year provides greater flexibility for students to build expertise around their academic and career interests through advanced electives. Students complete additional 5000-level electives, with the thesis option allowing them to undertake CBE 9990 — Master's Thesis across the second year. The program requires 10 course units overall, and students can complete the MSE in one to two years depending on their course load and chosen pathway.

Focus Areas:

Biotechnology and Pharma, Catalysis, Energy and Environment, Computational Science and Simulation, Process Control and Design, Soft Matter, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, bioengineering, polymer engineering, heat transfer, scientific computing.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced knowledge of chemical and biomolecular engineering principles, including molecular thermodynamics, transport processes, chemical kinetics, reactor design, engineering mathematics, computational methods, process design, and specialized technical areas. The curriculum also enables students to apply these principles to complex engineering and research problems in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, energy, sustainability, materials, and industrial processes.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The MSE in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is a graduate engineering degree. Penn identifies Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering BSE among its undergraduate programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; this ABET accreditation applies to the BSE rather than being stated as a separate accreditation for the MSE.

Reputation & Employability:

Penn Engineering describes the MSE as preparing graduates for leadership roles across industries including oil, chemical, pharmaceutical, and electronics, while some graduates continue to doctoral study at leading universities. Penn's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering faculty also have significant research recognition; in 2026, Penn reported that Professor Karen Winey was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, bringing Penn Engineering's total NAE faculty membership to 16.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The MSE in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering gives students opportunities to connect advanced coursework with research and engineering applications across areas such as advanced materials, catalysis and reaction engineering, cellular and biomolecular engineering, energy and environmental engineering, molecular simulation and thermodynamics, nanotechnology, soft matter and complex fluids, and chemical systems engineering. Students who select the thesis pathway can take their learning into supervised research, while Penn's interdisciplinary research environment provides access to specialized engineering, chemistry, materials, computational, and biomolecular resources.

Students can build practical research and technical skills through Penn's specialized facilities, research centers, databases, and laboratory resources:

Thesis research: The MSE offers both thesis and non-thesis pathways, giving students choosing the thesis option an opportunity to undertake graduate-level research connected to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Program-specific research areas: Penn CBE research covers advanced materials; catalysis and reaction engineering; cellular and biomolecular engineering; energy and environmental engineering; molecular simulation and thermodynamics; nanotechnology; soft matter and complex fluids; and chemical systems engineering, giving students opportunities to connect their studies with active research directions.
Interdisciplinary research centers: Penn's engineering research environment includes resources and centers such as the Institute for Medicine and Engineering (IME), Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB), Penn Center for Bioinformatics (PCBi), Penn Center for Energy Innovation (Pennergy), Penn Center for Molecular Discovery (PCMD), Penn Genome Frontiers Institute (PGFI), and Penn Institute for Computational Science (PICS).
Advanced materials and nanotechnology: Penn Engineering's Singh Center for Nanotechnology includes the Quattrone Nanofabrication Facility, Nanoscale Characterization Facility, and Scanning and Local Probe Facility, providing specialized infrastructure relevant to nanoscale materials and engineering research.
Chemistry and analytical research facilities: Penn's Chemistry resources include biological and analytical NMR, X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, and the UPenn/Merck High Throughput Experimentation Laboratory, supporting chemical characterization and experimental research relevant to CBE.
Computational and scientific resources: Students have access to Penn Libraries' engineering and scientific research resources, including Compendex, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerMaterials, Knovel Engineering Handbooks, and SciFinder. These resources support literature research, chemical and engineering data analysis, and technical research.
Engineering and chemistry libraries: The Penn Engineering Collection supports graduate research across Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and provides engineering journals, databases, standards, handbooks, and other technical resources. The Chemistry Library additionally provides access to chemistry databases and tools including SciFinder, Reaxys, PubChem, Protein Data Bank, Cambridge Structural Database, and NCBI.
Research-to-application opportunities: Penn CBE research has included projects moving laboratory discoveries toward scalable applications, such as work on nanostructured polymer membranes for water purification and energy-related applications.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The MSE in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering can prepare graduates for technical and research-oriented careers across chemical processing, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials, energy, and related engineering industries. Penn’s graduate career resources and documented CBE alumni outcomes also show pathways into industry, consulting, research, and further academic study.

Typical career roles: Process Engineer, Chemical Engineer, Bioprocess Engineer, Research & Development Engineer

Students can build their career direction through Penn’s academic, career, and industry connections:

Career support: Penn Career Services provides career exploration and networking opportunities, while Penn Engineering graduate students can use university career resources to pursue industry and research opportunities. Penn’s Career Exploration Initiative has specifically featured Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering students in placements with organizations including Janssen, Merck, Clarion/Lumanity, and Penn Center for Innovation.
Industry exposure: Penn’s documented CBE career placements include roles with organizations such as Merck, IBM, Nosco, Credit Suisse, and other employers, demonstrating the range of industries in which Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering graduates have worked.
Employment statistics: Penn Engineering publishes master's career reports covering Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering among its master's programs. However, the available official report does not provide a current CBE MSE-specific salary figure, so a program-specific salary should not be assumed.
University–industry connections: Penn's Career Exploration Initiative has connected CBE students with employers including Janssen, Merck, and Clarion/Lumanity, while Penn Center for Innovation provides an additional university pathway for translating research and innovation into real-world applications.
Research-to-industry pathway: Penn CBE's research environment spans areas such as biotechnology, energy, materials, catalysis, and chemical systems, giving students a foundation that can support both industrial R&D and research careers.
Long-term accreditation value: The MSE is a graduate engineering degree. Penn's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering BSE is ABET-accredited; Penn does not state that the MSE itself carries separate ABET accreditation. Therefore, the MSE should not be presented as an ABET-accredited master's degree.
Further career development: Penn's career and alumni ecosystem can help students explore employers, build professional connections, and identify opportunities across engineering and related sectors. Documented CBE alumni and student placements include both industry positions and pathways into further study.

Further Academic Progression:

Graduates who want to deepen their research expertise can pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering or a related engineering, materials science, biotechnology, or scientific discipline. Penn's CBE department offers a Ph.D. pathway with research spanning areas including advanced materials, catalysis and reaction engineering, cellular and biomolecular engineering, energy and environmental engineering, molecular simulation and thermodynamics, nanotechnology, soft matter and complex fluids, and chemical systems engineering.