Graduate School Bulletin

Requirements for the MS in Chemical and Molecular Engineering

A minimum of 30 graduate credits is required to earn the Master of Science in CME (Non-Thesis option) or (Thesis option). 

The following courses must be taken by all CME MS students: 

• Four core courses (CME 501: Fluid Mechanics; CME 502: Mathematical Analysis & Modeling; CME 503: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics; and CME 504: Chemical Reaction Engineering.) for a total of 12 credits. 

• Additional four elective courses within the CME program for a total of 12 credits are required.

• CME 697: Chemical and Molecular Engineering Colloquium for the duration of their coursework until graduation for 0 credit.

• All courses taken outside the Department require permission from the Graduate Program Director.

• A grade point average of B or better must be attained for the core CME courses taken and an overall grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0 must be maintained overall.

Non-Thesis Option – For students who opt for the Non-thesis option, the culmination of the degree involves is earned by completing an appropriate project. A project must be a written proposal that summarizes the goals and objectives of a capstone project intended to demonstrate a student's readiness for their field. This project proposal document must be submitted by the student to a committee of three members, at least two of whom are core faculty members in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, including the project advisor and/or the graduate program director.This project must be submitted for approval by three faculty members, with at least two being members of the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. These faculty members typically include the project advisor and/or the graduate program director. The project option is particularly recommended for students aiming for career in industry that do not involve Research & Development (R&D). Students pursuing the project option are required to enroll in CME 595 for up to 6 credits, documenting the completion of their project. If enrolled in less than 6 credits for this course, the student must then complete the rest of the required courses credits by completing additional coursework as elective.

Thesis Option- For students who opt for the thesis option, the culmination of their degree involves conducting appropriate research under the guidance of a research advisor. This option is particularly recommended for students intending to pursue a doctoral degree or those interested in industrial careers with a focus on research and development (R&D). To complete the thesis, students must have their research approved by three faculty members, with at least two being core faculty members in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, including the research advisor. Additionally, students are required to enroll in CME 599 for 6 credits under the supervision of their research advisor within the department or the graduate program director. During this enrollment, students work on their research project and submit a thesis on their research digitally through Stony Brook University's ProQuest/UMI ETD administrator site following guidelines provided by Grad School and the department a written thesis documenting their research. 

Final Recommendation- Upon fulfillment of the above requirements, the Graduate Program Committee will recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School that the Master of Science in Chemical and Molecular Engineering with a Non-Thesis or Thesis degree be conferred or will stipulate further requirements that the student must fulfill.After completing the requirements outlined above, the Graduate Program Committee will review the student’s progress. They will then recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School whether to confer the Master of Science in Chemical and Molecular Engineering with either a Non-Thesis or Thesis degree. In some cases, the Committee may stipulate further requirements that the student must fulfill before the degree can be conferred. These additional requirements will be communicated to the student by the Committee.

E. Transfer to Other Options
Transfer to another degree option in the Department can be made only with the written permission of the Graduate Program Director.     

Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in Chemical and Molecular Engineering

A. Plan of Work 

As part of department’s selection process, students are required to choose a research advisor who agrees to serve in that capacity. Following this, the student must prepare a plan outlining further coursework. This plan must be approved by both the student’s advisor and the Graduate Program Committee.

B. Coursework

1. An average grade of B or higher is required for all courses. 

2. A minimum of 60 graduate credits are required to graduate with a Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Molecular Engineering 

• Of which a minimum of 24 graduate course credits are required to be completed (excluding CME 555: Teaching and Mentoring Techniques, CME 594: Technical Writing for Scientists, CME 599: Research, CME 697: Chemical and Molecular Engineering Colloquium, CME 698: Practicum in Teaching, and CME 699: Dissertation Research on Campus). 
• Four core courses (CME 501: Fluid Mechanics; CME 502: Mathematical Analysis & Modeling; CME 503: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics; and CME 504: Chemical Reaction Engineering.) for a total of 12 credits. 
• Additional four elective courses within the CME program for a total of 12 credits are required. 
• All courses taken outside the Department require permission from the Graduate Program Director.
• All students must complete CME 555: Teaching and Mentoring Techniques, CME 594: Technical Writing for Scientists for 1 credit each, and CME 697: Chemical and Molecular Engineering Colloquium for the duration of their coursework until graduation for for 0 credit. These 3 courses do not count towards the 24 graduate coursework credits but are required credits.
• All full-time PhD students must act as teaching assistants for five semesters (regardless of support), and they must register for CME 698 Practicum in Teaching- in all five semesters for a total of 3 credits and 0 credits for the rest for 0 credit.
• All students must complete CME 599: Research, for at least a total of 163 credits  

C. Preliminary Examination

A preliminary examination must be taken during the student’s fifth semester as a Ph.D. student once all of the above requirements are completed. This oral examination is designed to assess the student’s ability to apply their background in chemical engineering to conduct research in their chosen field of study. Additionally, it evaluates the student’s proficiency in delivering clear written and oral presentations of their research findings. At least ten days prior to the examination, the student must submit a research proposal to the examiners. This proposal, typically 10-15 pages in length, provides context for the research and outlines a plan for its completion. 

The Preliminary examination committee must comprise a minimum of three (3) members, with at least two (2) being core faculty members in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering.

D. Advancement to Candidacy

The preliminary examination committee evaluates the student’s written and oral presentation. Upon successful completion, the department processes the student’s Advancement to Candidacy, confirming their passing of the prelims.
Upon “Advancement to Candidacy” the student must fulfill a minimum of 18 credits (equivalent to two semesters) of CME 699: Dissertation Research, to meet the 60 credits minimum requirement for earning a Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Molecular Engineering
Note: 
• To advance to candidacy, students must have no “I” or “U” grades in any courses counting towards the degree.
• All coursework listed for the PhD program must be completed before the Preliminary oral exam.
• If a second examination is necessary, it must be completed by the student’s seventh semester in the program; failure to do so results in the inability to continue in the program.

E. Dissertation

The most critical aspect of the Ph.D. degree is the successful completion of a dissertation. This dissertation must entail an original scholarly investigation, making a significant contribution to the scientific literature. Its quality must meet the publication standards of respected scholarly journals. Furthermore, a minimum of two semesters should elapse between the preliminary exam and digital submission of the dissertation through Stony Brook University's ProQuest/UMI ETD administrator site. submission of the dissertation.

F. Defense

The candidate shall defend the dissertation before an examining committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the student’s graduate program director. The committee must consist of a minimum consisting of at least four faculty members, :
•  a chairperson of the defense-a core faculty member in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering;
• the dissertation advisor(s) (at least one who is a faculty member in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering);
• a member with no conflict of interest in relationship to the student (often, but not always, someone external to the program or university). 
• one additional member – either external to the department or a core faculty member in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering.

The candidate is required to defend the dissertation before an examining committee, which must consist of at least four faculty members. This committee includes the research advisor, at least two core faculty members from the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, one member from outside the department, and another member from either inside or outside the department.

G. Time Limit
All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be fulfilled within seven years after completing 24 graduate course credits and other requirements as needed to complete the program with a total of 60 graduate credits minimum. , along with and other necessary requirements, to complete the program with a total of 60 graduate credits.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree/Master of Science Degree Accelerated Program

The Accelerated BE/MS program allows undergraduate students in is designed to enable Chemical and Molecular Engineering (CME) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in their major to apply at the end of their junior year. This program enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Engineering at the end of their fourth year and a Master of Science degree in Chemical and Molecular Engineering at the end of the fifth year. students in good academic standing to earn both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree within five years. 

This is achieved by allowing the students to substitute up to 6 credits of graduate courses for 6 credits of undergraduate specialization courses during their undergraduate studies. These graduate courses, consistent with the Graduate School policy, count towards the MS degree. However, undergraduate students are restricted to taking graduate electives, not core courses, totaling 6 credits. In their fifth year, students complete the remaining 24 credits needed to fulfill the 30-credit requirement for the M.S.

The admissions requirements for students entering the accelerated degree program are as follows:

• Applicant must be a senior in the CME major with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the major at the time of application in their junior year.
2. Students are encouraged to apply to the five-year program by the end of the spring semester of their junior year. 
• A 3.0 GPA in the major must be maintained to to transition into the graduate program during the fifth year.
3. begin the student’s graduate career in the 5th year of the accelerated program. 
4.•  Please contact the department at ESMandCME_GradAdmissions@stonybrook.edu to apply to the program. 

Declaration to Accelerated Program Process:

• Interested students in the CME program request to declare the BE/MS accelerated program. 
• The CME graduate committee reviews the student’s request, offers admission, and processes the declaration to the BE /MS sequential accelerated degree program.

Additional Notes:

• Students in the accelerated program are encouraged to complete at least 6 credits of graduate coursework before matriculating into the graduate program.
• Students generally matriculate into the graduate program at the start of their third semester in the accelerated program.
• To matriculate into the Graduate School, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in their major.

The Master's in Chemical and Molecular Engineering is a 30-credit program, with at least 24 credits required to be completed as a matriculated graduate student. For additional details about the program, students are encouraged to consult the department’s graduate program coordinator. Applications are reviewed by the CME Graduate Program director/Committee and students are generally accepted by the beginning of their senior undergraduate year and are then notified if they have been admitted to the Accelerated Program. The BE/MS is a sequential degree program. Students in the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's program typically matriculate to the graduate career at the beginning of their third semester. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in the major to be admitted to the Graduate School. The Master's in Chemical and Molecular Engineering is a 30credit program and 24 of those credits must be earned as a matriculated graduate student. 

Applicants interested in a graduate degree who do not meet these criteria are encouraged to apply directly to the M.S. program in their senior year. 

As an undergraduate, students will be charged tuition at the undergraduate rate for both graduate and undergraduate courses. Once the graduate career begins in the 5th year of the program, the student will be subject to graduate tuition, fees and Graduate School regulations. Students will be permitted to live in Graduate Housing however they will no longer be eligible for Undergraduate Financial Aid. 

Students who transfer to Stony Brook must complete at least one semester at Stony Brook before they will be considered for admission to the five-year BE/MS program and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis to ensure they meet all other requirements to qualify for the combined degree program.