Graduate degree programs
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The doctor of philosophy (PhD) is the highest academic degree. It reflects not only mastery and in-depth knowledge in core and specialized areas of chemical engineering, but also the ability to conceive and bring to fruition a major body of independent research at the frontiers of this field, as evidenced by an original doctoral dissertation. The doctoral research project is originally formulated by the student's faculty advisor together with the student, but it is sufficiently rich and long-range that the outcome can generally not be foreseen. The student eventually assumes leadership in carrying out the research.
Required courses for the PhD total 72 credit hours, of which four are required courses in the core areas of chemical engineering, and of which a number may be independent study and dissertation credits. Completion of the PhD degree typically takes between 4 and 5 years. Graduate research in chemical engineering at SUNY-Buffalo is primarily geared toward the PhD program. Students admitted to the PhD program must submit a formal petition to the department if, owing to extenuating circumstances, they wish to change their degree objective; this petition is reviewed by the Graduate Committee. Students admitted to the M.Eng and MS programs may apply to the PhD program while undertaking their master's studies; their applications are placed in the pool of applicants for the PhD program.
Master's degrees
The master's degree reflects mastery of core and specialized areas of chemical engineering, as well as the ability to conduct research on a well-defined problem formulated by the student's faculty advisor. Required courses total 30 credit hours, of which three to six are master's project or thesis credits.
Master of Science (MS)
The master of science (MS) degree is based on both course-work, including two of the four core courses, and a master's thesis, the latter accounting for three to six credit hours.
Completion of the MS degree typically takes 18 to 24 months.
Master of Engineering (M.Eng)
The master of engineering (M.Eng) degree is a course-work based master's degree, imbued with considerable flexibility in the selection of courses, because no specific core courses are required. The required 24 to 27 credits of coursework are assembled as a coherent program of electives. The remaining three to six credit hours are devoted to a M. Eng. project which may be a small research project in a faculty member's laboratory or a project undertaken during an industrial internship. This project is summarized in a project report that must be approved by the student's advisor.
Completion of the M.Eng degree typically takes 12 to 18 months.
