Chemical Engineering, MS

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

West Virginia University

Program Overview

West Virginia University’s M.S. in Chemical Engineering is an advanced, research-based degree designed for students who want to deepen their chemical engineering knowledge while developing expertise in areas such as energy, catalysis, materials, biomedical engineering, polymers, and process systems. Students build advanced skills through core chemical engineering courses, specialized electives, faculty-guided research, and a master’s thesis, preparing them for careers in industry or further doctoral study.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students establish a strong advanced foundation through the required core courses CHE 531: Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering, CHE 615: Transport Phenomena, CHE 620: Advanced Thermodynamics, and CHE 625: Chemical Reaction Engineering. Alongside these fundamentals, students begin selecting graduate-level electives with their thesis supervisor to build expertise in their chosen area of chemical engineering.

Year 2:

Students deepen their specialization through elective coursework and research, with options such as CHE 512: Advanced Topics in Process Systems Engineering, CHE 516: Oil & Gas Refining, CHE 566: Electronic Materials Processing, and other advanced chemical engineering topics. Research forms a central part of the second stage, culminating in a master's thesis; students also participate in CHE 796: Graduate Seminar/Journal Club, developing their ability to communicate and present technical research.

Focus Areas:

Biomedical engineering, bioengineering, catalysis and reaction engineering, coal conversion, energy, fuels, materials and transport, polymer processing, process systems engineering, systems control, dynamic simulation, process optimization, oil and gas refining, electronic materials processing, and sustainable chemical processes.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced knowledge of chemical engineering fundamentals, mathematical and computational methods, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, process systems, and specialized research areas. The program also develops independent research, technical communication, problem-solving, data analysis, and the ability to conceive and design processes for producing, transforming, and transporting materials.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

WVU's B.S. in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET under the Chemical, Biochemical, and Biomolecular Engineering program criteria. The university's current accreditation information does not separately identify the Chemical Engineering M.S. as ABET-accredited, so the ABET accreditation applies to the undergraduate program rather than being presented as accreditation of the M.S.

Reputation & Employability:

WVU's Statler College reported that its Chemical Engineering research expenditures reached $8.9 million in FY2024, ranking 52nd nationally in the relevant NSF HERD research-expenditure category. The department also states that its graduate programs are closely connected to faculty research across catalysis, materials and transport, process systems engineering, and biomedical engineering, while M.S. graduates typically enter the chemical industry or continue to doctoral study.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

WVU’s M.S. in Chemical Engineering gives students substantial research-based practical experience through faculty-led projects in catalysis, reaction engineering, materials and transport, and process systems engineering. The department has 16 laboratories developing technologies in areas such as process systems, catalysis, materials, biotechnology, and precision medicine, while graduate students can also access WVU’s shared research facilities for advanced characterization and computational work.

Students can build hands-on and research skills through:

Catalysis and Reaction Engineering research: Students can work on shale-gas utilization, refining catalysis, coal and biomass conversion, CO₂ capture, hydrogenation catalysts, and reaction engineering.
Materials and Transport research: Research opportunities include bionanomaterials, magnetic materials, polymer processing, polymer composites, hydrogen production, fuel cells, natural-gas upgrading, hydrocarbon separation, wastewater treatment, desalination, and micropollutant removal.
Process Systems Engineering: Students can work with research involving dynamic modeling, real-time optimization, process control, process design and intensification, state estimation, modular energy systems, and sustainability.
Advanced microscopy: WVU's shared facilities include a Hitachi S-4700 field-emission SEM located within Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, along with a JEOL JEM-2100 TEM, enabling detailed analysis of materials and nanoscale structures.
Materials characterization: Students can access facilities containing X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and ellipsometry for materials and surface characterization.
Cleanroom facilities: WVU's shared research facilities include cleanroom equipment such as mask aligners, sputtering stations, wafer dicing equipment, profilometers, e-beam evaporation and ICP-RIE, supporting materials and electronic-processing research.
BioNano Research: The BioNano facility provides access to LC-MS/MS with Orbitrap, UHPLC, electrophoresis, CD spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy and cell-culture facilities, supporting interdisciplinary chemical/biomedical research.
Research-computing resources: WVU Shared Research Facilities provide research infrastructure alongside laboratory instrumentation, with iLab Solutions used to manage facility access, instrument use and safety training.
Industry-connected research: WVU faculty maintain regular contact with industrial counterparts, giving students exposure to practical perspectives and industrial problems in chemical and biomedical engineering.
Center for Integration in Gas Research and Utilization (CIGRU): The center works across catalysis, reaction engineering, materials science, power generation and gas turbines, including research on shale-gas conversion to chemicals and polymers, with industry and government involvement.
Engineering research environment: Statler College reports 165 research labs, 67 support labs and 12 support shops, with major graduate research facilities housed in the Engineering Sciences Building, Engineering Research Building and Advanced Engineering Research Building.

Progression & Future Opportunities

WVU’s M.S. in Chemical Engineering is a research-based degree designed to prepare graduates to enter the chemical industry or continue into doctoral study. Students graduate with advanced knowledge across transport phenomena, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and a chosen specialization, supported by faculty-guided research and a master’s thesis.

Typical job roles: Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, R&D Engineer, Process Development Engineer

Students can build their career pathway through:

Career preparation: WVU’s Statler College emphasizes practical engineering preparation, including problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, written and verbal communication, and professional ethics.
Industry exposure: WVU Chemical Engineering research spans areas with direct industrial applications, including catalysis and reaction engineering, energy, materials, process systems, and sustainable chemical processes. The department also maintains connections with industry through research activities.
Research-to-industry opportunities: Department research addresses practical areas such as shale-gas utilization, refining catalysis, CO₂ capture, hydrogen production, polymer processing, natural-gas upgrading, hydrocarbon separation, wastewater treatment, and process optimization.
Employment outcomes: WVU specifically states that M.S. Chemical Engineering graduates typically join the chemical industry or continue for a doctoral degree. The university does not publish a current M.S. Chemical Engineering-specific employment rate or salary figure on the official program pages, so no program-specific percentage or salary is attributed here.
Graduate research environment: Students work closely with faculty advisors on research, giving them experience that can support both industry careers and research-oriented positions.
Accreditation value: WVU’s B.S. in Chemical Engineering is accredited by ABET, providing an internationally recognized quality benchmark for the undergraduate program. The university does not list the Chemical Engineering M.S. as separately ABET-accredited; therefore, the M.S. should not be described as an ABET-accredited degree.
Graduation preparation: The M.S. combines 12 credits of advanced core coursework, 12 credits of graduate electives, semester-by-semester CHE 796 Journal Club, and required research culminating in a master's thesis, giving graduates both advanced technical knowledge and research experience.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students can continue into WVU’s Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, which is a research-intensive degree focused on original research and an independent dissertation. WVU's doctoral program accepts students with a master's degree and requires advanced coursework, research, qualifying and candidacy examinations, and a final dissertation defense.