MEng Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

1 Years On Campus Masters Program

Vanderbilt University

Program Overview

Vanderbilt University’s Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Chemical Engineering is a professional, non-thesis graduate degree designed for students who want to strengthen their advanced chemical engineering knowledge while focusing on engineering practice rather than research. The program combines graduate-level chemical engineering coursework, electives, and a project, making it suitable for students preparing to apply advanced engineering skills in professional settings.

Curriculum Structure

The M.Eng. requires 30 semester hours: 12 hours of Chemical Engineering core courses, 12 hours of elective coursework, and 6 hours of project work. Vanderbilt does not publish a fixed year-by-year course sequence for the M.Eng.; students with a Chemical Engineering undergraduate degree can typically complete it in two semesters plus one summer of full-time study.

Core Chemical Engineering study: Students build advanced technical knowledge through Vanderbilt’s graduate Chemical Engineering curriculum, with courses such as ChBE 6100 – ChE Mathematics, ChBE 6110 – Advanced ChE Thermodynamics, ChBE 6120 – Applied Chemical Kinetics, and ChBE 6200 – Transport Phenomena available within the department’s graduate-level chemical engineering coursework. The curriculum develops quantitative, thermodynamic, reaction-engineering, and transport-phenomena knowledge that supports advanced chemical engineering practice.

Electives and project work: The remaining coursework allows students to select 12 hours of graduate electives, while 6 hours are dedicated to project work, providing an opportunity to apply advanced engineering concepts to a practical problem. Vanderbilt’s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department also identifies areas including biotechnology and biomolecular engineering, computational science and engineering, materials and nanotechnology, and energy and sustainability as major areas of focus.

Focus Areas:

Biotechnology and Biomolecular Engineering, Computational Science and Engineering, Materials and Nanotechnology, Energy and Sustainability.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced chemical engineering knowledge, quantitative problem-solving skills, the ability to apply graduate-level engineering concepts to practical problems, and experience completing project-based engineering work.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

Vanderbilt’s Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The university’s accreditation page specifically identifies the undergraduate chemical engineering degree as the ABET-accredited program; the M.Eng. itself is not separately identified as ABET-accredited on that page.

Reputation (Employability / Rankings):

Vanderbilt is an internationally recognized research university, and the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department provides graduate students with professional development opportunities including conferences, professional seminars, and career services.

For an external ranking reference, QS World University Rankings 2027 places Vanderbilt University at #265 globally. QS also publishes a separate 2026 Chemical Engineering subject ranking, although the accessible QS page does not provide a Vanderbilt-specific Chemical Engineering position in the information retrieved here.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University is structured as a non-thesis professional degree with 6 semester hours of project work, allowing students to apply graduate-level chemical engineering knowledge to a defined engineering problem rather than completing a traditional research thesis. Students can also benefit from Vanderbilt’s broader Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering ecosystem, where faculty work across biotechnology and biomolecular engineering, computational science and engineering, materials and nanotechnology, and energy and sustainability.

The department provides access to research-intensive facilities and computational infrastructure, while professional development opportunities include conferences, professional seminars, and career services. Vanderbilt does not specifically state that the M.Eng. includes a mandatory internship, field trip, or particular software package, so these should not be presented as required components of the program.

Students can gain practical and applied experience through:

M.Eng. Project Work: The program includes 6 semester hours of project work, giving students an opportunity to apply their graduate chemical engineering coursework to an engineering project.
Chemical Innovation Lab (ChIL): Vanderbilt’s Chemical Innovation Lab is a multipurpose facility designed for immersive chemical engineering education, with laboratory and design coursework and an emphasis on safe and sustainable experimentation.
Computational Resources: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering research uses computational resources from the Vanderbilt Center for Simulation, Computational-modeling, and AI-integrated Learning for Engineering Systems (SCALES), Vanderbilt’s Advanced Computing Center for Research & Education (ACCRE), and Department of Energy supercomputing facilities.
Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE): Students working in materials, nanotechnology, and energy-related areas can benefit from access to state-of-the-art instrumentation through VINSE and other interdisciplinary centers.
Biotechnology & Biomolecular Research Facilities: Vanderbilt’s chemical and biomolecular engineering research environment covers biomaterials, tissue engineering, stem-cell biotechnology, computational biology, cellular and metabolic engineering, bionanotechnology, and drug/gene delivery, with collaborations involving Vanderbilt University Medical Center, biotechnology and biopharma companies, and national laboratories.
Materials & Nanotechnology: Students interested in materials can engage with research involving biological and biomimetic materials, organic and polymeric materials, inorganic nanocrystals, nanofibers, nanocomposites, and nanoporous materials.
Energy & Sustainability: The department's facilities and collaborations support work involving solar cells, fuel-cell membranes, biofuels, nuclear-waste reduction, and advanced materials characterization.
Professional Development: Graduate students have opportunities to attend conferences and professional seminars and use career services, supporting the transition from graduate study to professional engineering roles.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt University is designed as a professional, non-thesis degree that combines advanced Chemical Engineering coursework with elective study and 6 semester hours of project work, giving graduates preparation for applying engineering knowledge to professional problems. The department’s work spans biotechnology, computational science, materials and nanotechnology, and energy and sustainability, creating pathways into areas such as Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, Bioprocess Engineer, and Materials Engineer.

Students can strengthen their transition from graduate study into professional roles through:

Career development: Vanderbilt’s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering graduate programs provide professional development activities including career services, professional seminars, and conference participation.
Industry-connected research: Department research has collaborations with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies, and national laboratories, helping position research discoveries for clinical and industrial application.
Industry and technology partnerships: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering faculty have participated in projects involving organizations such as Toyota Research Institute of North America, through the ECS-Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory through collaborative research.
Commercialization opportunities: Vanderbilt’s Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (CTTC) supports the protection, evaluation, licensing, and commercialization of university research innovations, providing an ecosystem connecting engineering research with commercial applications.
Practical graduate preparation: The M.Eng. includes 12 hours of Chemical Engineering core courses, 12 hours of electives, and 6 hours of project work, with no research thesis requirement. Students entering with a Chemical Engineering bachelor's degree can typically complete the degree in two semesters plus one summer of full-time study.
Employment and salary figures: Vanderbilt’s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering graduate-program page does not publish program-specific employment rates or graduate salary figures for the M.Eng.; therefore, no university-verified salary or employment percentage should be attributed to this program.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing the M.Eng., students interested in research or academic careers can pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. Vanderbilt explicitly states that students do not need to obtain an M.S. before applying to the Ph.D.; the Ph.D. is a separate application route. Graduates can also use the M.Eng. as a professional qualification and move directly into engineering roles in areas such as biotechnology, materials, energy, sustainability, and advanced chemical processing.