Master’s Student Handbook
Degree Programs Covered by This Handbook:
1. Master of Science (MS)
2. Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Engineering - Chemical Engineering (MS-AIEC)
3. Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE)
4. Integrated Master’s Bachelor’s degree (IMB)
We want to welcome you to the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Our vision is to be a program that “enriches the future by advancing ethical, sustainable, and ambitious solutions to critical problems”. We believe that you have what it takes to help us succeed in this vision. Our mission includes the desire to “foster a collaborative, diverse community focused on interdisciplinary education and research”, and we ask that you work with us and your peers in the department to build a strong, inclusive community that values contributions from everyone.
In our goal to graduate the strongest engineering students, we have high expectations for you, as we do for ourselves. We specifically recruited you because of your academic excellence, your ability to advance knowledge with your passion for education and research, and your commitment to our department values. We believe that you will exceed our expectations, achieve great things, and make a positive, lasting impact on society.
Welcome to our community. Welcome to Carnegie Mellon!
Sincerely,
Carl D. Laird Professor of Chemical Engineering and Interim Department Head
This handbook provides information on our policies. Please be sure to read the following:
1. Master’s Student Handbook: This document spells out the major policies and procedures of the department including, but not limited to, coursework, examinations, research expectations, timelines for completion of degree and allowances for vacation.
2. Safety Policy: Safety is critical for the protection of yourself and others, and everyone is expected to maintain safe work. The university has strict safety codes and violations thereof will be penalized. University safety guidelines can be found at: www.cmu.edu/ehs/Guidelines/index.html
While this handbook is specific to your academic experience in the department, it is just one element of the Graduate Student Handbook Suite. Information about The Word (i.e., the student handbook); the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs; the Office of the Dean of Students and others are included in this handbook. You are strongly encouraged to contact the Graduate Academic Advisor or Director of Graduate Education if you have questions.
There are several other resources within the suite that you should consult when needed:
• College of Engineering Graduate Student Handbook
• University-Wide Graduate Student Handbook (Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs)
• The Word Student Handbook
2.1: Vision
To be one of the world’s pre-eminent chemical engineering programs that enriches the future by advancing ethical, sustainable, and ambitious solutions to critical problems in Chemical Engineering
2.2: Mission
We will foster a collaborative, diverse community focused on interdisciplinary education and research, exploring all facets of chemical engineering from molecular to enterprise, and commit to preparing the next generation of responsible engineers.
2.3: Values
The values of the Department are reflected in the Mission and Vision statements above. The structure of the Master’s degree programs and associated degree requirements are explained in this document. Students completing a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering will gain a deep understanding of the fundamentals of chemical engineering (ChemE) and a focus on problem-solving and mathematical modeling using advanced computational software. This is delivered through core courses that each student must take. Students may personalize their educational experience with curated electives across the college of Engineering. Students in the Master of Science (MS) and Master’s of Artificial Intelligence Engineering – Chemical Engineering (MS-AIEC) degrees deeply explore a specialized topic through an independent project under the supervision of a faculty Project Advisor. The education and training of these degree programs prepare students for careers in industry or pursuit of a PhD degree.
The following Master’s degrees are offered by the Department
1. Master of Science (MS)
2. Master’s of Science in Artificial Intelligence Engineering - Chemical Engineering (MS-AIE)
3. Master of Chemical Engineering (MChE)
4. Integrated Master’s & Bachelor’s degree (IMB-MChE)
Requests to change between these degrees should be made in writing to the Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education. Students on F-1 or J-1 documents must report program changes to OIE within 10 days of any changes.
4.1: College of Engineering Personnel
• William Sanders, Dean of College of Engineering
• Lisa Porter, Associate Dean for Faculty & Graduate Affairs
• Jennifer Spirer, Director of Graduate Affairs
• Andrea Cohen, Faculty & Graduate Affairs Coordinator
• Alaine Allen, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
4.2: Select Department Personnel
• Carl Laird, Interim Department Head
• Whitney Friedman, Director of Finance and Operations
• Aditya Khair, Director of Graduate Education
• Maria Barnes, Academic Recruiting & Outreach Manager
• Heather Costello, Graduate Academic Advisor
• Janet Latini, Front Office Administrative Coordinator
• Samantha Wessel, Manager of Administration and Assistant to the Department Head
• Justin Dawber, Director of Computing Services
• Sarah Hughes, Endpoint Computing Services
• Julie Tilton, Facilities Manager
• Lauren Smith, Communications Manager
• Lauren Lesko, Assistant Business Manager
• Matthew Westphal, Buyer
• A complete listing of departmental personnel is available at: www.cheme.engineering.cmu.edu/directory/index.html
• Department Directory
• Canvas is used for important announcements. Modules in Canvas contain information on processes, policies, and fellowship or job opportunities. The relevant module for the Master’s programs is at:
https://canvas.cmu.edu/courses/5268
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they are receiving notifications regarding updates to this module.
• Master’s students are provided access to the Master’s student office area, in Doherty Hall rooms A105, A107, A109. This space seats around 70 students.
• Master’s students are assigned a locker and provided a lock for it by the department. The lockers are inside the Master’s student office area.
• Printing is available for Master’s students in the Master’s student office area Questions on printing should be addressed to the ChemE-computing team at chemecomputing@andrew.cmu.edu
• Master’s students have access to relevant departmental labs if they do experimental work as part of their project. Students should go to the main office in Doherty Hall 1107 to resolve card access issues.
• Facility maintenance requests for Doherty Hall are handled by the Chemical Engineering Facility Manager. Requests are considered either urgent or routine.
Urgent/emergency requests are anything that poses a risk to the safety or security of people or property is considered an emergency. Examples include elevator stoppages, leaks, any utility outage, broken door locks, abandoned packages, clogged toilets. If a situation arises that would alarm you if it were happening in your home, please consider it an emergency.
What should you do in an emergency? Report all emergencies. Do not send emails. Do not leave phone messages. Go down the list of phone numbers below until you can report the situation directly to another person.
● Facilities Manager – 412-268-9537. When this person is not on campus that number is forwarded to another staff member who can answer calls during regular business hours.
● Chemical Engineering helpline phone number – 412 268-2231. This number should be used for urgent facility matters during regular business hours.
● Facilities Management & Campus Services (FMCS) Emergency Response – 412 2682910 – this phone number is answered 24/7.
● Campus Police, Emergency – 412 268-2323 – phone number answered 24/7.
If you are unsure of what to do or who to call, please call the Campus Police Emergency number.
Routine (non-urgent) service requests: Please use the Facility Repair Request & Cleaning Feedback Form (https://forms.gle/oicn1a3BQYQw2iFw9) to report routine (non-urgent) repair requests. Please provide the room number (or location such as a stairwell) and as many details as possible to describe the location/problem/need/symptoms. Non-urgent requests will be handled by the Facilities Manager during regular business hours.
Cleaning Requests: For cleaning requests, please use the Facility Repair Request & Cleaning Feedback Form (https://forms.gle/oicn1a3BQYQw2iFw9).
If you are cleaning out offices or lab space and have larger items, such as furniture, microwaves, or boxes of materials to discard, you must contact the Facilities Manager in advance and provide an Oracle string to be charged for these special trash pick-up services. The cleaners will not discard any equipment left in the hallway even if marked as trash.
5.3.1:
The purchasing of all technical supplies and equipment by members of the Chemical Engineering department is coordinated through the department and handled by the Buyer. All purchases automatically become the property of the Department of Chemical Engineering. A completed Purchase Request Form submitted electronically through the Chemical Engineering Department’s website is required to initiate a purchase.
https://www.cheme.engineering.cmu.edu/dept-resources/purchasingprocedures/purchase-request.html
Purchase Request Forms, comprehensive instructions for using the forms, as well as university policies/requirements for various types of purchases can be found on the Chemical Engineering website. Please read through the instructions before completing any request forms, and never arrange to make purchases prior to completing and submitting purchase order request forms. To navigate to the purchasing portion of the Chemical Engineering website, first access the department’s main page:
A Chemical Engineering affiliated Andrew ID is needed to access this portion of the department’s website. Links to the Purchase Request Forms, form completion instructions, and other information about technical purchasing can be found here. Non-technical purchases, payments or reimbursements are handled by the Chemical Engineering administrative team, who can be reached at:
cheme-adminsupport@andrew.cmu.edu
Items can be purchased using an Oracle account from University Stores including the Bookstore, Art Store or Computer Store. You will need the account number, proper identification, and a signed authorization form to purchase goods. See the Assistant Business Manager for the authorization form you will need to present to the store clerk. Please give the store receipt to Front Office Administrative Coordinator after you have made your purchase.
Students who accrue business-related costs, such as conference and research travel, should seek reimbursement using the Expense Reimbursement Form, which is available at:
www.cheme.engineering.cmu.edu/dept-resources/expenses-travel-reimbursement.html
Expenses must be submitted within 30 days of purchase date. Reimbursed expenses may be taxable and will require additional approvals and additional paperwork if submitted after 90 days. Submit all original receipts, including itemization and proof of payment, for reimbursement, with the Thesis Advisor’s approval, to ChemE Expenses inbox: chemeexpenses@andrew.cmu.edu
Reference the university policies for travel and non-travel business expenses online at:
http://www.cmu.edu/finance/controller/bte/index.html.
Domestic per diem rates can be found at:
https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates
International per diem rates can be found at:
https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp.
Expense report reimbursements will be paid via direct deposit. To ensure that payments can be made electronically, complete the AP Employee Expense Direct Deposit Form at: https://www.cmu.edu/finance/forms/files/ap-exp-dd.pdf
This form must be emailed to Accounts Payable department at ap-supplierdoc@andrew.cmu.edu from your CMU email account before submitting your first expense reimbursement request. Processing time for this initial setup is approximately 2 weeks.
The Chemical Engineering Graduate Masters Student Association, abbreviated as ChEMSA, is a student organization in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. The primary objective of ChEMSA is to enrich the experience of Master’s students in our department. To accomplish this goal, ChEMSA hosts social, academic, and professional development events throughout the year.
The Communications Manager supports faculty and students in publicizing their work. You can share a news story idea by submitting form here or contacting the Communications Manager directly. Advance notice is very helpful, and the Communications Manager understands working within embargo.
If you are contacted directly by the media, please reach out to the Communications Manager. They can vet the reporter or media outlet, offer guidance for your response, and help you prepare.
Guidelines for the Carnegie Mellon University brand can be found here: https://www.cmu.edu/brand/brand-guidelines/index.html.
The Department of Chemical Engineering unit mark is available in different sizes, orientations, colors, and file types. If you would like to use it, please contact the department’s Communications Manager, who will help determine the best option to meet your needs. The department unit mark should not be altered, modified, or combined with other logos or wordmarks.
Each Master’s student is advised by the Graduate Academic Advisor upon entering their program of study. Students who undertake a project will also receive a Project Advisor, based on preferences provided during the student and faculty project matching process that occurs during the Fall semester (for fall admits). Students will be provided the opportunity to learn about available projects ahead of providing their preferences. The Department Head and Director of Graduate Education will review preferences and make matching assignments. Once an assignment has been made, the student should meet with their Project Advisor to define the roles and expectations that the student will need to meet as part of their project work.
Students who wish to change a Project Advisor must bring this to the attention of the Director of Graduate Education and Graduate Academic Advisor. Students must clearly indicate why they are requesting a Project Advisor change and indicate preferences for a new Project Advisor. The request will be considered by the Director of Graduate Education and ultimately a decision will be rendered by the Department Head.
Inadequate Degree Progress
Please see section 9.7.
The Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education are available to advise all Master’s students on non-technical matters. After project assignment for the MS and MSAIEC degrees, students have their Project Advisors to consult on technical and non-technical matters, but the Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education can provide advice to students concerning satisfaction of coursework requirements and any other nonproject issues that arise.
Generally, graduate students are expected to seek informal resolution concerns within the applicable department, unit or program before invoking formal processes. Such concerns should be brough to the attention of the Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education. When an informal resolution cannot be reached, however, a graduate
student who seeks further review of the matter is to follow the formal procedures outlined in:
https://www.cmu.edu/graduate/policies/appeal-grievance-procedures.html
These appeal and grievance procedures shall apply to students in all graduate programs of the University. Students should refer to the department specific information in this handbook for department and college information about the administration and academic policies of the program.
All Master’s programs in the department require in-person, on-campus residency during the fall and spring semesters. During the summer semester MS students are required to be oncampus completing their project program requirement. MS-AIEC and MChE programs have the opportunity for on-campus experiences, such as project or coursework, however these are not required. Students who wish to complete an internship must receive approval from their Project Advisor and the Director of Graduate Education. They must also inform the Graduate Academic Advisor, and if on a VISA must also communicate with the Office of International Education (OIE).
7.2:
With your Andrew ID and password, log into Student Information Online (SIO).
▪ Plan your course schedule.
o Click +new, select the semester, name your plan.
o Browse for courses to add or type the course number into the box and click add.
▪ Review your planned schedule with your advisor.
▪ Register for classes. Use the gear wheels to register, drop, switch, and manage your waitlist.
MS and MS-AIEC students should register for a minimum of 36 units in the first semester (including at least one, and preferably two, core courses) and a maximum of 51 units. MS and MS-AIEC students must register for the 06-608 Graduate Professional Development
course, which is required but will not count towards the minimum degree unit requirement. This load comprises, for example, four 12-unit courses and the Graduate Professional Development course (06-608).
There is no minimum course requirement per semester for MChE students; this degree can be taken full time or part time. If part time, the degree requirement must be satisfied within five years from the end of the semester during which the first course that counts toward the degree is completed. Full-time MChE students and international students, however, must enroll in at least 36 units each semester.
MS, MS-AIEC, and full-time MChE students should register for a minimum of 36 units in each semester. Students are permitted two non-CIT courses without approval, any additional course outside of CIT must have the approval of the Project Advisor and Director of Graduate Education for MS or MS-AIEC students, or Director of Graduate Education for MChE students. Exceptions to this rule can be granted only by petition to the Department Head. In the second semester, MS and MS-AIEC students will register for 39-699 Career & Professional Development for Engineering Masters Students, which is required but does not count towards the total minimum degree units.
Students seeking the MS degree must complete a minimum of 72 units of project work and 72 units of coursework, the latter of which has the following distribution:
• 4 Master’s Core courses
• 1 Graduate (at least 9 units)
• 1 Graduate or Outside Technical (at least 9 units)
• 06-608 Graduate Professional Development Course (Does not count towards total minimum coursework units towards degree)
• 39-699 Career & Professional Development for Engineering Masters Students (Does not count towards total minimum coursework units towards degree)
Relevant Ph.D. courses may be accepted as alternatives to the Master’s core courses upon approval of the Director of Graduate Education.
Students seeking the MChE degree must complete 96 units of coursework having the following distribution:
• 4 Masters Core courses (48 units)
• 1 Graduate or Outside Technical (at least 9 units)
• 3 Breadth/Depth/Skill courses totaling 36 units
Relevant Ph.D. courses may be considered as alternatives to the Master’s core courses upon approval of the Director of Graduate Education.
Students completing the MS-AIEC program must complete 120 total units. At least 12 units must be project-based work approved the prior semester by the Graduate Academic Advisor or Director of Graduate Education. Research is not required; however, it is an effective way to complete the project-based 12 units. Students in the MS-AIEC program who take research for credit towards the degree must receive a letter grade for the research registration and cannot exceed 18 units of research total for the duration of the program. The unit requirements are broken down as follows:
• 36 units of any three required ChemE Core courses
• 42 units of AI core courses
• 42 units of (4) approved electives including 12 units of project-based work:
14-763 or 18-763 Systems and Tool Chains for AI Engineers
24-787 or 18-661 Machine Learning & AI for Engineers
24-788 or 24-789 Intro to Deep Learning
24-784/ 24-789 or 18-780 or 18-786 Trustworthy AI
• 06-608 Graduate Professional Development Course (Does not count towards total minimum coursework units towards degree)
• 39-699 Career & Professional Development for Engineering Master’s Students (Does not count towards total minimum coursework units towards degree)
Relevant Ph.D. courses may be considered as alternatives to the Masters core courses upon approval of the Director of Graduate Education.
The IMB degree requires the completion of at least eight courses and 96 units with a cumulative QPA of 3.0 or higher. These include:
• 4 Masters Core courses (48 units)
• 1 Graduate or Outside Technical (at least 9 units)
• 3 Breadth/Depth/Skill courses totaling 36 units
Relevant Ph.D. courses may be considered as alternatives to the Master’s core courses upon approval of the Director of Graduate Education.
The MS, MChE, and MS-AIEC degrees have common core coursework. Students should prioritize takingthese courses early in their studies. All Master’s degree programs have an elective component with requirements described below.
Some requirements of all courses taken:
• A student must receive a letter grade in a course to count that course toward meeting the numerical unit requirements for any degree. Courses issuing Pass/Fail grades will not count toward degree requirements.
• Course work or project work with a grade of C- or lower are not acceptable toward graduate degree requirements. If a student elects to take a course as P/F and an instructor enters a letter grade, any letter grade of C- or lower will be converted to Fail, while any letter grade A through C will be considered Pass.
• The student must maintain a 3.0 average to remain in satisfactory academic standing. Note that the 3.0 average applies to courses that the student intends, or must use, for satisfying degree requirements. Transcripts show all courses and grades and might not reflect whether the student is satisfying the QPA requirement in the courses required for the degree. A student should check with the Graduate Academic Advisor if there is any doubt about progress toward satisfying degree requirements and QPA requirements.
• If a course is repeated, the higher grade is used in the calculation of the QPA to determine whether the student has satisfied degree requirements.
• The College of Engineering requires that student transcripts report withdrawals from courses after the withdrawal deadline. A student’s transcript will record a “W” for any course where the student withdraws from the course after the official deadline to drop.
Graduate: Any course offered by the Chemical Engineering department having a designation 06-Nxx, where N ≥ 6. If a graduate course is not graded, it cannot be counted toward the unit requirement.
Masters Core: The following four (4) courses comprise the common core for Master’s students.
• 06-623: (12 units) Mathematical Modeling of Chemical Engineering Processes
• 06-625: (12 units) Chemical and Reactive Systems
• 06-663: (12 units) Analysis and Modeling of Transport Phenomena
• 06-665: (12 units) Process Systems Modeling
Relevant Ph.D. courses may be considered as alternatives to the Master’s core courses upon approval of the Director of Graduate Education.
Outside Technical: A technical course offered outside the Chemical Engineering Department having substantial engineering or scientific content with a course number of the form xx-Mxx, where M ≥ 3.
Breadth/Depth/Skill: Practically any course at the junior level or above (xx- Mxx where M ≥ 3). Check with the Graduate Academic Advisor if there is doubt about the appropriateness of any course.
Note that courses in other departments may have restrictions on registration numbers and priorities which may limit access. Students are permitted two non-CIT courses without approval, any additional course outside of CIT must have the approval of the Project Advisor and Director of Graduate Education for MS or MS-AIEC students, or Director of Graduate Education for MChE students. Exceptions to this rule can be granted only by petition to the Department Head.
Professional Development and Safety: Our department is committed to safety. We require that all graduate students take the Chemical Engineering Graduate Professional Development course, 06-608; and the 39-699 Career & Professional Development for Engineering Master’s Students.
7.4.2
Students seeking the MS degree must complete a minimum of 72 units of project work and 72 units of coursework; the latter follows the distribution detailed in section 7.3.1. Students must complete an independent project and submit a satisfactory project report.
The report must be read and approved by the Project Advisor For students interested in preparing and completing a MS thesis, this is possible. This must be discussed with the Project Advisor and approved (by the Project Advisor and the Director of Graduate Education) by the end of the second semester in the program. The additional reporting onus of a thesis and the expectation of an original research contribution may result in additional time for completion of the degree. An MS Thesis does not require a committee but must be signed by the Thesis Advisor and the Department Head. There are no minimum or maximum page limits for the MS Project or MS Thesis. Specific details of presentation should be consistent with those recommended by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors (Section III). The Guide is available from the department. It contains complete guidelines for tables, figures, references, etc. The student should follow the rules about thesis preparation standards at
https://engineering.cmu.edu/education/academic-policies/graduate-policies/thesisdissertation.html
Notes on the above:
• An average QPA of 3.0 is required for the Masters core courses.
• "Satisfactory progress" in course work means that the normal full-time course load is carried, and a 3.0 QPA or better is maintained each semester.
• The graduate seminar cannot be counted toward these unit requirements.
• It is typically recommended that an MS or MS-AIEC student takes 48 units in a given semester. If a student drops below 36 units they will not be classified as full time; all international students should consult the Office of International Education and Graduate Academic Advisor before dropping below 36 units carried in a single semester.
• This distribution of courses might not fulfill the minimum 72 units of course work for an MS student if some 9-unit courses are taken. MS students should consult with their Project Advisor to decide on the best way to fulfill the 72-unit requirement.
• A student must receive a letter grade in a course to count that course toward meeting the numerical unit requirements for any degree. Courses issuing Pass/Fail grades will not count toward degree requirements.
• Graduate seminar 06-800 cannot be counted toward unit requirements.
• The MS and MS-AIEC programs are full time until all degree requirements are satisfied;
students must register for at least 36 units per semester (The 144 unit requirement for MS and 120 unit requirement for MS-AIEC requirement are a minimum number of units.) The only exception to this rule is the following: Students who have been in full time status for a minimum of four semesters, counting the summer as a semester, and who have completed the Project Report with all necessary signatures before the beginning of the next semester, may petition the Director of Graduate Education for permission to take a reduced course load in their final semester in order to satisfy any remaining course requirements. International students must be enrolled in at least 36 units each semester until degree completion.
Students seeking the MChE degree must complete a minimum of 96 units of coursework; the latter follows the distribution detailed in 7.3.2. Please note that:
• Students in the MChE program must finish with an overall 3.0 average among the Masters core courses. No grade lower than “C-” is acceptable.
• A student must receive a letter grade in a course to count that course toward meeting the numerical unit requirements for any degree. Courses issuing Pass/Fail grades will not count to degree requirements.
• Graduate seminar 06-800 cannot be counted toward unit requirements.
• There is no minimum course requirement per semester; this degree can be a full time or part time goal. If part time, the degree requirements must be satisfied within five years from the end of the semester during which the first course that counts toward the degree is completed. Full-time students, which includes all international students, must enroll in at least 36 units each semester.
• The Graduate Professional Development course is not required for the MChE degree. Students must still complete 96 units of coursework. This distribution of courses might not fulfill the minimum 96 units of course work if the student elects to take some 9-unit courses. Students should consult with the Graduate Academic Advisor to decide on the best way to fulfill the 96-unit requirement.
See 7.3.3 and start of 7.4
7.4.4 Course and QPA requirements for the IMB (MChE) degree
See 7.3.4, start of 7.4, and 7.4.3. Additionally, there are course and QPA Requirements for undergraduate ChemE students at CMU to be eligible for the IMB degree. Please see:
https://www.cheme.engineering.cmu.edu/education/undergraduate-program/integrateddegree.html
Students should discuss criteria and their intention to apply to the IMB program with their Academic Advisor.
See section 7.4.1 for a discussion of possible elective courses for the Master’s degree programs.
• Students must complete coursework as outlined in section 7.4
• MS students will complete 144 units. For students starting in Fall, the first semester will focus on coursework and project selection. The following semesters will focus on project work, report preparation (primarily in the final semester) and completion of required coursework. Projects are designed for the 72-unit requirement and work can be performed over the summer semester.
• MChE students will complete 96 units of coursework. This is typically completed in two (fall, spring) semesters by taking a minimum of 48 units in each semester.
• MS-AIEC students will complete 120 units. For students starting in Fall, the first semester will focus on coursework. The second semester will include coursework and a project with a ML/AI component. The third semester will be a project or internship. The fourth semester will focus on coursework and perhaps an ML/AI project.
• Any substantial changes to the published program requirements must be approved by the Director of Graduate Education and Department Head. Petitions to the Committee must be made in writing by the student.
7.7.1: Double Counting Courses
Students may not double count any courses, this includes if a course was used for a prior degree, another program, a dual degree, or IMB.
Master’s students may take up to two courses outside of the College of Engineering without special approval. Requests for additional courses outside of the College of Engineering must go to the Director of Graduate Education and Graduate Academic Advisor for review with the ultimate decision rendered by the Department Head.
A student desiring to switch between Master’s programs offered by the Department of Chemical Engineering should formally petition Director of Graduate Education and provide a clear explanation for the change; the Director of Graduate Education will provide a recommendation to the Department Head who will make the final decision.
Request for course exemptions should be made in writing to the Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education.
Students may transfer credit according to the process detailed in: https://www.cmu.edu/hub/registrar/registration/transfer-transcripts.html
Undergraduate coursework cannot be used as a waiver for coursework to be completed for the Master’s programs. Requests for waiving courses should be made to the Director of Graduate Education.
Carnegie Mellon University offers students the opportunity to take courses for credit through a cross-registration program (see Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) and Crossregistration below) and through the receipt of transfer credit from other accredited institutions. The Carnegie Mellon University transcript will include information on such courses as follows: Carnegie Mellon courses and courses taken through the university's cross-registration program will have grades recorded on the transcript and be factored into the QPA. All other courses will be recorded on this transcript indicating where the course was taken, but without grades. Such courses will not be considered for academic actions, honors or QPA calculations.
https://www.cmu.edu/policies/student-and-student-life/doctoral-student-status.html
NOTE: Suspended students may take courses elsewhere; however, they may receive transfer credit only if their college's and department's policies allow this.
Up to 24 units (two courses) of graduate work completed at other universities, with a grade point average of 3.0 or better, may be transferred from another academic institution provided that such course work is part of the graduate program leading to the degree sought. Such transfer credit is generally not granted prior to admission to the graduate program and must be approved by the department after the student has satisfactorily completed at least 36 units of graduate courses at Carnegie Mellon. These courses must not have been counted toward any other prior degrees. The Department Head and College of Engineering administration must approve the transfer. Students should complete a Transfer Credit Request form and provide all required attachments for their request to be considered. Transfer courses are recorded on the transcript indicating where the course was taken, but without a grade. Such courses will not be considered for QPA calculations. Please see the College of Engineering Transfer Credit Policy & Transfer Credit Request Form.
Students in the Master’s programs of the Department of Chemical Engineering do not serve as Teaching Assistants and have no teaching requirements.
Master of Science (MS) students are required to complete a minimum of 72 unit of project work and a project report
MS-AIEC students are required to complete a minimum of 12 units of project-based work with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Learning (ML) component. This can be done in the form of a project or an approved course (approved by Director of Graduate Education). MS-AIEC students cannot take more than 18 units of project work towards the degree requirements. All project work counting towards the degree must receive a letter.
Internships are not required for any of the Master’s program in Chemical Engineering. However, with approval from the Director of Graduate Education, it is possible that standard letter graded internships may count towards an elective requirement with a maximum of three (3) units. Students must register for 06-695 Graduate Internship in Chemical
Engineering and communicate internship details to the Graduate Academic Advisor and/or Director of Graduate Education to receive credit. Internships must be relevant to the degree.
International students are required to consult with the Office of International Education for eligibility for work authorization before starting or seeking an internship/co-op or consulting opportunity. International students will benefit from proactively reviewing OIE guidance regarding off-campus work authorization. Off-campus work authorization processing times can take several weeks or months, and international students will benefit from starting the off-campus work authorization process as early as possible.
Resources to Explore Potential Internships:
• Faculty Recommendations
• College Career Services
• Career and Professional Development Center
A student in the MS program must take 72 units of project work. The project report documents the results of this work and is required for graduation. The recommendation for approval (or not) of the Project Report is made by the Project Advisor. The preparation, evaluation and completion of the report should be performed by the student with input and advice from the Project Advisor. The Project Advisor must recommend approval (or not) and sign the report. The Department Head will make the final decision on whether the Project Report is approved or not, considering the recommendation of the Project Advisor. If the Project Report is not approved the Project Advisor will consult with the Director of Graduate Education on the options and consequences for the student, which could include dismissal from the program.
The report should be well written and organized; specific details of presentation should be consistent with those recommended by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in the ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors. The Guide is available from the department. The report should summarize the motivation, approach, results, and conclusions of the project work. The document must be typed in 12-point font with no less than one-inch margins and no more than four lines per inch. The front page of the report should include the title, student name, and spaces for signatures.
The Project Report will be in electronic format and all formatting and preparation should be performed with this in mind. A single document should be sent to the Project Advisor (with cc to the Graduate Academic Advisor) as a pdf. Students should verify that all figures, equations and formatting are correct in the final document. The naming convention of the document should be: last name_first name_semester-year.pdf The Semester and year are
those of graduation. For example, for a student named Andrew Carnegie completing their degree in December of 2025: carnegie andrew_F25.pdf.
Instructions for the submission of these documents will be provided by the Graduate Academic Advisor and project reports will be archived on departmental servers. Students should be sure to provide their Project Advisor with data, analysis and files used to generate the report.
The due date for project reports will be communicated to students in advance by the Graduate Academic Advisor. If the project report is not turned in on time, the student may need to register for the following semester. All students must be registered for at least five units in their semester of graduation. International students must be enrolled in at least 36 units the semester of graduation.
7.14: Requirements for Application/Consideration for Entry into PhD Program
Students who are interested in entry to the Ph.D. program of the Department of Chemical Engineering are encouraged to contact the Director of Graduate Education.
8.1: Petition Procedures
See sections 7.7.3, 7.8 and 7.9.
Graduate students may drop a course on or before the deadline published in the official university calendar. When a course is dropped before the deadline, the course disappears from a student’s academic record. After the official university deadline to drop a course, graduate students may withdraw from a course during the posted withdrawal period. When a graduate student withdraws from a course during the posted withdrawal period, a “W” (Withdrawal) is assigned as a grade, which appears on the student’s academic record. This “W” grade does not affect a student’s QPA. Students taking undergraduate and Master’s level courses must follow the procedures and deadlines for adding, dropping, or withdrawing from courses as identified on the academic calendar. Information can be found on the HUB’s Course Add, Drop & Withdrawal Process web-page. There is a separate calendar for doctoral level courses which can also be found at the above webpage. International students should be aware of OIE requirements for number of units to be taken per semester when considering withdrawing from a course.
There are no additional requirements for students without a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
The Department changes its degree requirements occasionally. In these cases, every student has the right to either graduate under the policies in effect at the time of their entry into the graduate program, or to graduate under the policy in force at the time of receiving the degree.
Students should consult Project Advisors and the Graduate Academic Advisor, and if applicable (Visa holders) the Office of International Education (OIE), before making travel plans or planning time away from campus. Students can typically follow the University calendar for holiday breaks; however, they should consult Project Advisors with any questions especially if conducting research.
8.6: Other Policies and Protocols / Inclusion of Any Variations to University Policies and Protocols
None.
The University policy on grading can be found at: https://www.cmu.edu/policies/student-and-student-life/grading.html
When a course is repeated, all grades will be recorded on the official academic transcript and will be calculated in the student's QPA. This is the case regardless of if the first grade for the
course is a passing or failing grade. When a student takes a course that they have already passed, only one set of units will count towards graduation requirements. A student wishing to re-take a course they have already passed must obtain approval from the Department Head.
Pass/Fail courses do not count toward meeting Masters degree unit requirements.
Students are expected to complete a course during the academic semester in which the course was taken. However, if the instructor agrees, a grade of I (incomplete) may be given when a student, for reasons beyond their control, has been unable to complete the work of a course, but the work completed to date is of passing quality and the grade of incomplete provides no undue advantage to that student over other students. In awarding an I (incomplete) grade, an instructor must specify the requirements for completing the work and designate a default letter grade if no further work is submitted. Students must complete the required course work no later than the end of the following academic semester, or sooner if required by the instructor. The instructor must record the permanent grade by the last day of the exam period of that following semester, or Enrollment Services will administratively assign the default grade.
There is no independent study/directed reading applicable to the Master’s degrees offered by the Chemical Engineering Department.
See sections 7.3 and 7.4.
At the conclusion of each semester, the Graduate Academic Advisor will review grades and QPA. If a student’s cumulative QPA is below 3.0 the student is making unsatisfactory progress toward their degree and will thus be placed on academic probation; a written letter notifying the student of this will be sent by the Department Head. If the student does not attain satisfactory academic progress (a cumulative QPA above 3.0) by the timeframe indicated in the letter, usually the end of the following semester, they will be dismissed from their program of study, unless granted an exception by Department Head.
Students can appeal these decisions. A Student who feels unfairly treated should consult the CIT Grievance policy. Also refer to the University's Summary of Graduate Student Appeal and Grievance Procedures.
The QPA and general progress of Master’s students are reviewed at the conclusion of each semester by the Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education. Students who wish to discuss their progress are encouraged to contact the Graduate Academic Advisor and Director of Graduate Education at any time in the semester. Students who are not in satisfactory academic standing will receive written notification from the Department Head as described in section 9.7.
Students in the Department’s Masters degree programs are not supported financially by the department.
Students are expected to make normal progress toward their degree to graduate within the standard timeframe for their program of study. Under U.S. Federal Title IV regulations, student eligibility for federal financial aid is contingent upon enrollment in and successful completion of courses that are counted as credit toward their current degree program. To receive the maximum amount of federal financial aid for which they may be eligible, students must enroll each semester in at least 36 units that count toward their current degree level. CMU institutional undergraduate grants support undergraduate degree completion and ontime graduation; institutional undergraduate grants for students in undergraduate programs and in IMB programs are renewable for eight semesters. Students should consult with their designated college liaison in The HUB regarding billing and financial aid, particularly for early completion, longer-than standard completion, or integrated undergraduate and master’s degree programs.
Students in the Department’s Masters degree programs do not receive stipend.
Not applicable.
GuSH Research Funding is a source of small research grant funds provided by the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) and the Provost’s Office and managed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs. Students can find more information about the application process and deadlines at:
https://www.cmu.edu/graduate/professional-development/research-funding/index.html
Conference Funding opportunities can be found at:
https://www.cmu.edu/graduate/funding/conference.html
Students in the Department’s Masters degree programs do not receive funding from the Department.
Master’s student may pursue work in the Department of Chemical Engineering as a course grader, lab and facilities support, and office or event support roles. These opportunities are contingent on job posting and availability is dependent on departmental need.
Prospective students are encouraged to consider the CMU Rales Fellows Program: https://www.cmu.edu/graduate/funding/rales/index.html
More information on funding opportunities and fellowships can be found at: https://www.cmu.edu/graduate/funding/index.html
MS students are expected to be registered for at least 36 units of project work during the summer session. MS students can work up to 20 hours per week on campus during the summer semester. MChE students and MS-AIEC students can complete
coursework electives, such as an approved internship or project, or use the summer as a “vacation semester” and find employment. All international students should consult the Office of International Education and Graduate Academic Advisor when considering if summer employment is an option. Students cannot be paid for research or project work that they are using as curriculum credit towards the degree.
International students must contact the Office of International Education (OIE) regarding their ability to hold outside employment. The impact of outside employment on internal support is a moot point since the Department does not provide funding for students in its Master’s degree programs.
10.9:
applicable)
The Department does not provide funding for students in its Master’s degree programs.
A student should inform the Graduate Academic Advisor as soon as possible if they lose funding. International students must also notify the OIE.
Graduate students who find themselves in need of immediate funds for emergency situations should contact the Office of the Dean of Students:
https://www.cmu.edu/student-affairs/dean/
to inquire about the types of emergency funding available to enrolled students.
Not applicable.