Master of Engineering Degree

Master of Engineering

The Master of Engineering Degree

The one-year Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree is the most flexible degree we offer. With a wide variety of elective courses to choose from, you can mold the degree to fit your interests and goals, whether they include training in additional engineering, computer science or management courses. 

Students with a background in any science or engineering-related field are encouraged to apply. Minimum qualifications for the degree involve a full year of physics, chemistry and engineering-level math, including linear algebra and differential equations. No prior research experience is required, though demonstration of success in some undergraduate core coursework in chemical engineering will strengthen your application.  

The M.Eng. degree can be completed at full-time or part-time status and is open to both recent graduates and those currently in the workforce. The majority of our master’s students find jobs in industry after graduation. 

Course Requirements

Program of Study / Handbook / Recommended Electives

You will begin with the core courses for the degree and our "Preparing for Graduate Student Success" course (ECH 200), which will match you with a major professor over the course of your first fall quarter. Students will select any combination of 12 units from the following core courses:

  • ECH 252: Statistical Thermodynamics (Fall only)
  • ECH 253A: Advanced Fluid Mechanics (Fall only)
  • ECH 253C: Advanced Mass Transfer (Winter only)
  • ECH 256: Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Engineering (Winter only)
  • ECH 259: Advanced Engineering Mathematics. (Fall only)

For electives, students should take two units of ECH 290. For the remaining elective units, students may select from any available upper-division undergraduate course (courses numbered 100-199) or graduate-level course (courses numbered 200-299). Popular electives include those from physics, chemistry, computer science, management and other engineering disciplines. In consultation with your major professor, you will select courses each quarter based on your career goals and aspirations. Students should plan to take at least three units of ECH 299 units, but no more than 9 units of ECH 299.

Sample Schedule: Full-Time Student
Fall   Winter   Spring  
ECH 252                       4 ECH 290 Seminar  1 ECH 290 Seminar 1
ECH 253A 4 Elective 1XX/2XX  4 ECH 299 Research 11
ECH 259 4 Elective 2XX 4 Capstone Project  
ECH 200 1 Elective 2XX 4    
    Advance to Candidacy   Graduate  
Capstone Project

The capstone project is a report, usually completed in the last quarter of study. The report should address a current topic in the general area of chemical engineering and offer a comprehensive review of the literature, clearly articulating open research directions and challenges that still remain to be tackled. The report can be viewed as a preliminary literature survey for a potential NSF proposal submission and should demonstrate the student’s understanding of the fundamental concepts and the student’s critical thinking ability. This report is then graded by three faculty members, on a pass, no pass, or fail basis. Since the M.Eng. is a coursework-based degree, there is no need to write a thesis.

To learn more about transferring course work please go to Graduate Studies webpage on the topic.

Read the full list of degree requirements for more information.