MS in Chemical Engineering

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Washington

Program Overview

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington (UW) is a research- and advanced-coursework-focused master’s designed for students preparing for industry careers, clean-energy work, or further study toward a Ph.D. in chemical engineering or a related field. Students develop advanced knowledge in core chemical engineering subjects while choosing specialized coursework and either completing an independent research project/thesis or pursuing the program’s data science option with an industry- or research-partnered capstone.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

The M.S. can typically be completed in four quarters, with students taking graduate-level chemical engineering courses covering fundamental areas such as CHEM E 512: Methods of Engineering Analysis, CHEM E 525: Transport Phenomena, and CHEM E 530: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics. Students also complete CHEM E 523: Seminar, specialized electives, and independent research through CHEM E 600, allowing them to build both advanced technical knowledge and research experience.

Year 2:

Students following the two-year thesis pathway continue advanced coursework while developing an original research project under the supervision of a Chemical Engineering graduate faculty member. They complete at least 12 thesis credits through CHEM E 700, prepare a thesis, and defend their research, while students choosing the data science pathway complete a team-based capstone project addressing a data science challenge from an external industry partner, nonprofit, national laboratory, or UW research team.

Focus Areas:

Biochemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Information and Process Technology, Environmental Technology, Materials and Interfacial Phenomena, Data Science and Molecular Simulation, Clean Energy and Sustainability, Advanced Materials and Interfacial Engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced mastery of chemical engineering principles including thermodynamics, transport phenomena, kinetics, and applied mathematics, while gaining specialized expertise through electives and independent research. The program also develops research, technical problem-solving, data-analysis, and scientific communication skills through projects, seminars, thesis work, or the data science capstone.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The UW M.S. in Chemical Engineering is a graduate professional/research degree and is not separately identified as ABET-accredited. UW states that its undergraduate 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.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings):

UW Chemical Engineering describes the University of Washington as the largest university in the northwestern United States and highlights its position as the highest-ranked public university on Reuters’ World’s Most Innovative Universities list and No. 16 globally in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The department also emphasizes its research-focused graduate environment, with faculty research spanning areas including advanced materials, data science and molecular simulation, health and biotechnology, and clean energy and sustainability.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington provides strong hands-on opportunities through thesis research, independent projects, specialized laboratories, and industry-connected capstone work. Students can work with Chemical Engineering faculty on research spanning clean energy, advanced materials, biotechnology, environmental engineering, and data science, while the program’s data science pathway includes a team-based capstone addressing a real challenge supplied by an external industry, nonprofit, national laboratory, or UW research partner.

Students can develop practical and research skills through:

Thesis research: Students in the thesis pathway complete independent research under the supervision of a Chemical Engineering graduate faculty member and undertake CHEM E 700 thesis credits before defending their research.
Industry-connected capstone: The data science pathway includes a team-based capstone project addressing a real data-science problem provided by an external industry partner, nonprofit organization, national laboratory, or UW research team.
Chemical Engineering laboratories: UW Chemical Engineering research facilities support work in areas including biochemical engineering, clean energy and sustainability, materials and interfacial phenomena, environmental technology, and information/process technology.
Clean Energy Institute: Students can engage with UW’s interdisciplinary clean-energy research environment through the Clean Energy Institute (CEI), which supports research into next-generation clean-energy technologies and materials.
Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute: The Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (MolES) provides an interdisciplinary research environment focused on molecular-scale science and engineering, with facilities and instrumentation supporting advanced materials and molecular research.
Nanoengineering & Sciences Building: UW’s Nanoengineering & Sciences Building provides specialized laboratory and research space for nanoscale engineering and materials research.
Advanced Materials Research: Department research facilities support experimental work involving materials and interfacial phenomena, giving students opportunities to investigate advanced materials and chemical processes.
Computational and data-driven research: Students working in data science and molecular simulation can use computational approaches to analyze chemical-engineering systems and materials, complementing experimental research.
Research seminars: CHEM E 523: Seminar exposes graduate students to current research and gives them opportunities to engage with the department’s research community.
UW Libraries: Students have access to the University of Washington Libraries, including engineering and science resources that support graduate-level research, literature reviews, and technical work.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington prepares graduates for advanced technical and research-oriented careers across chemical processing, energy, biotechnology, materials, environmental engineering, and data-driven engineering. Depending on their specialization and experience, graduates can pursue roles such as Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, R&D Engineer, and Materials Engineer, while the research-focused structure can also support progression into doctoral study.

Key career-development opportunities include:

Career services: UW students can use the College of Engineering Career Center for career coaching, résumé and cover-letter reviews, interview preparation, career fairs, employer events, and job-search resources specifically supporting engineering students.
Industry and research connections: The department's research spans areas such as clean energy and sustainability, biochemical engineering and bioengineering, materials and interfacial phenomena, environmental technology, and information and process technology, creating opportunities to work within interdisciplinary research environments.
Industry-connected projects: Students in the data science pathway complete a team-based capstone addressing a real problem supplied by an industry partner, nonprofit, national laboratory, or UW research team, providing direct experience with external organizations.
Employment and salary data: UW Chemical Engineering does not publish a program-specific employment rate or median salary for M.S. Chemical Engineering graduates on its official program pages. A program-specific salary figure should therefore not be assumed.
Research and professional outcomes: The M.S. offers both a thesis pathway and a data-science pathway, allowing students to graduate with either substantial independent research experience or a team-based applied project portfolio.
Accreditation value: The UW B.S. in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The M.S. is a graduate degree and is not separately presented by UW as an ABET-accredited program, so students should distinguish the accreditation status of the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Professional preparation: The combination of advanced chemical engineering coursework, specialized electives, research, seminars, thesis work, and industry-connected projects gives graduates experience that can be relevant to technical engineering and research positions.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates who want to continue into advanced research can pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field. The UW Chemical Engineering department offers doctoral study and has research strengths across areas including clean energy, biotechnology, advanced materials, environmental engineering, and data science, making the M.S. thesis experience particularly relevant for students considering research-based doctoral work.