Four specific courses are required for the Master of Science, Master of Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees:

ECHE 700 Chemical Process Analysis
ECHE 710 Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
ECHE 720 Advanced Fluid Flow Analysis
ECHE 722 Advanced Mass Transfer

For the Master of Science, a set of four additional courses and at least six hours of thesis preparation are required. Two of these courses must be from Chemical Engineering and the remaining two may be from Chemistry, Engineering, and Mathematics. The advisor specifies these courses after discussion with the student. ECHE 797 will not count towards the Master of Science degree.

For the Master of Engineering, a set of six additional courses is required. Two of these must be from Chemical Engineering, and the remaining four may be from Chemistry, Engineering and Mathematics. ECHE 797 may be one of the remaining four courses. The Graduate Director specifies these courses after discussion with the student.

For Doctor of Philosophy students, a minimum of 66 semester hours, including 30 semester hours of course work beyond the B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering are required. At least 36 semester hours of Dissertation Preparation, ECHE 899, are required. In addition to the four required courses above, Chemical Reactor Design (ECHE 730), as well as three additional ECHE courses are required. The remaining two courses may be from Chemistry, Engineering, and Mathematics. No more than two courses below the 700 level may be used for graduate credit.

For students entering the Doctor of Philosophy program with a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering equivalent to that awarded at the University of South Carolina, a minimum of 36 semester hours, including 18 semester hours of course work, are required. At least 18 hours of Dissertation Preparation, ECHE 899, are required. In addition to the four required courses above, ECHE 730, as well as three additional ECHE courses are required. Equivalent courses taken during the Master of Science program may be substituted for these specified courses; students should consult the Graduate Director to seek approval for these substitutions. No more than two courses below the 700 level may be taken for graduate credit, including courses taken in the Master of Science program. All courses taken for credit must be approved in writing by the student's advisor prior to course enrollment.

The choice of a research advisor and project is the most important decision of your graduate program. In order to ensure that you have as much information as possible to make your choice, we have formalized the interviewing and selection process. This process may include presentations by the faculty and interviews with the entire faculty. The research interest areas of the faculty are outlined at http://www.che.sc.edu/faculty/. You may consider any research area that is of interest to you. Many faculty members have research programs that cover more than one area. You are encouraged to explore all possibilities before you solidify your choice of general research area and a specific research advisor. Before selecting a research advisor, you may be asked to listen to presentations and interview every member of the Chemical Engineering faculty.

Each Ph.D. student must select a research project and advisor no later than October 1 or February 15 of the first semester, depending on whether entry into the program is in Fall or Spring semester, respectively. Within two months of the time the student passes the Admission to Candidacy Examination, the advisory research committee of no fewer than four members including the Department Chairman will be selected. At least one member of the committee must be from a department other than Chemical Engineering. The advisory committee should approve the candidate's project and program of study and review periodic progress reports prepared by the student. Upon completion of the project, the Research Advisor must confirm that work for the degree is complete in a memorandum to the Graduate Director.

Each M.S. student must select a research project and advisor no later than October 1 or February 1 of the first semester, depending on whether entry into the program is in Fall or Spring semester, respectively. A research advisory committee of no fewer than three members including the Department Chairman must be selected immediately. A M.S. program of study and a thesis proposal should be submitted by the end of the first semester. Upon completion of the above requirements, the student is recognized as a candidate for the M.S. degree. The advisory committee should review periodic progress reports. Upon completion of the project, the Research Advisor must confirm that work for the degree is complete in a memorandum to the Graduate Director.

Doctoral students must pass the Admission to Candidacy (AtC) Examination. The AtC Examination is offered once a year, during the week prior to the first week of classes of the Spring semester. The AtC Exam consists of a portfolio reflecting your work to date in the Ph.D. program (e.g., coursework, projects, research), and an oral exam covering this material. Based on performance on all sections of the AtC Exam, performance in graduate courses, and research performance, a student may pass, pass conditionally, or fail the exam.

The Comprehensive Examination for the Ph.D. degree shall consist of a written research proposal presented to and defended orally before the student's advisory committee. The proposal shall describe an original plan of research suitable for submission to a funding agency. The proposal may describe research to be completed for the student's dissertation.

The results of each student's research must be communicated to the engineering community at-large. M.S. and Ph.D. students are required to submit their research results in the form of technical papers to peer-reviewed journals before graduation. It is recommended that these papers be prepared before the thesis or dissertation is completed and defended. The Department requires that M.S. students submit one paper to a reputable journal for publication prior to graduation, while Ph.D. students must submit at least three papers.

The student's Advisory Committee conducts the Final Examination. For Ph.D. students, this exam serves as the Dissertation Examination. For M.S. students, it serves as the Comprehensive Examination. Regardless of the name, this Examination represents the culmination of the student's research efforts.