UTC RAVE Alert

Chemical Engineering Graduate Curriculum

Chemical Engineering at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga

We are a premier program in applied research, teaching, research training and experiential learning. Our undergraduate and graduate programs incorporate a synergistic blend of traditional chemical engineering areas such as control systems, thermodynamics, reactors and separations with modern innovations in the field such as nanotechnology, bioengineering, sustainability and environment.

Our programs offer significant opportunities for multidisciplinary approaches to engineering thinking through research training and industrial problem-solving to bridge the gap between university training and industrial demands. Our graduates are equipped with the needed capabilities to contribute through innovation to address emerging problems facing the world today.  We are the research nexus for local industry, businesses and the community. We are proud to have a highly dynamic graduate program that opens the possibilities of research and innovation for each student.

Our research captures emerging areas of innovation in chemical engineering: materials innovation, nanotechnology, energy harvesting, bioengineering for biofuels and commodity chemicals production, sustainable processing, environmental remediation, biopharmaceutical development, targeted delivery and biosensing.

Course Guidelines for the M.S. Program

Engineering: Chemical, M.S.

Chemical Engineering program graduates obtain an M.S. degree. This program is accredited by the EAC of ABET Inc. under the Chemical Engineering Program Criteria.

  • UTC 2024-25 Graduate Catalog 
    • The requirements for the M.S. degree in Engineering: Chemical are listed in the graduate catalog. Each student’s program will be developed by the student’s committee as an individualized program and will be constructed in accordance with sound academic practices to provide the kind of study most suitable to the student’s needs. The proposed program must be submitted on a Program of Study form to The Graduate School office for approval during the first semester of coursework. It is that program, rather than the example which follows, which will constitute the student’s graduation requirements. Candidacy for the degree is typically filed in the semester prior to the student’s anticipated graduation semester.

Areas of Research

The Chemical Engineering program at UTC is the hub for a broad spectrum of fundamental and applied research. We are not only focused on traditional chemical engineering but we also incorporate new areas of chemical engineering through research and research training to solve emerging problems.

Traditional Research

  • Reactors
  • Thermodynamics
  • Control Systems
  • Separation

Emerging/New Areas of Research

  • Nanotechnology
  • Energy Harvesting
  • Biopharmaceuticals
  • Bioreactors
  • Storm Water
  • Sustainability

Nanotechnology and Materials Innovation

  • Synthesis of inorganic, biohybrid and magnetic nanostructures
  • Soft materials and hydrogels
  • Integrated experimental and computational approach to understand the flow of nanodrugs
  • Multimodal material characterization using dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging
  • Nanostructures and thin films for solar cell
  • Flexible supercapacitors
  • Green infrastructure for stormwater
  • Nanoparticle fertilizers for sustainable agriculture

Bioengineering

  • Deciphering bacterial disease pathogenesis via genetics, proteomics, bioinformatics
  • Understanding bacterial membrane function and adaptations through molecular modeling
  • Constructing microbial cell factories using metabolic modeling and synthetic biology

Sustainable Energy

  • Transparent Aerogel
  • Graphene
  • Heat and mass transfer modeling via Python
  • Optical, thermal, adsorption and mechanical properties characterization
  • Solar thermal energy conversion
  • Energy-efficient building windows
  • High-energy density batteries
  • Water harvesting from air

Environmental

  • Environmental bioremediation – CO2 biosequestration and wastewater treatment
  • Metabolic engineering of cellular pathways for the production of fine chemicals
  • Microbial synthesis of biofuels and bioproducts via consolidated bioprocessing.
  • Bioconversion of liquid and solid wastes into useful products
  • Sustainability evaluation via life cycle analysis

Biomedical and Biomolecular Engineering

  • Affinity ligand design and characterization via computational and experimental approaches for biomedical applications
  • Nucleic acid and protein based therapeutic production and analysis
  • Drug and vaccine formulation and targeted delivery via biodegradable microparticles and nanoparticles
  • Bioseparation adsorbent design and functionalization for downstream processing and biomolecule purification
  • Bioactive peptide production and formulation from food protein hydrolysates – Application in functional foods

Area

Description 

Hours
  Graduate Seminar 1

Area I

Mathematics Component

3-6

Area II

Approved Electives in Mathematics, Science or Engineering   

6-9

Area III

Engineering Concentration   

12-16

Area IV

Thesis or Special Project and/or Internship   

6

Graduate Seminar (1 hour)
 

Area I: Mathematics Component (3-6 hours)

Any 5000–level Math courses from the following list:

Math 5140  – Mathematical Statistics (3 hours)

Math 5160  – Applied Statistical Methods (3 hours)

Math 5190  – Design of Experiments (3 hours)

Math 5470  – Applied Mathematics for Science and Engineering I (3 hours)

Math 5600  – Numerical Analysis I (3 hours)

Math 5610  – Numerical Analysis II (3 hours)

Area II: Approved Electives* (6-9 hours)

Any approved Mathematics, Science, Engineering, and Engineering Management courses from the following list:

ENCE 5910R – Special Topics in Engineering (3 hours)

ENCE 5997R  –  Individual Studies (3 hours)

ENCH 5260 – Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems (3 hours)

ENCM 5380/ENME 5300 – Introduction to Continuum Mechanics (3 hours)

ENGM 5540 – Technical Project Management (3 hours)

ENGM 5580 – Advanced Engineering Economy (3 hours)

ENME 5032 – Mechanics of Composite Materials (3 hours)

ESC 5610  – Advanced Applications of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (3-4 hours)

ESC 5660  –  Geographic Information Systems (3 hours)

*With approval of the graduate program coordinator/thesis advisor, students may take a 500-level course related to the students’ research.

Area III: Approved Engineering (12 -16 hours)

ENCE 5031 - Advanced Strength and Applied Stress Analysis (3 hours)

ENCE 5420 - Finite Element Analysis (4 hours)

ENCE 5600 - Statically Indeterminate Structures (4 hours)

ENCE 5640 - Advanced Structural Analysis and Design (4 hours)

ENCE 5660 - Advanced Civil Engineering Materials (3 hours)

ENCE 5670 - Advanced Pavement Design (3 hours)

ENCE 5680 - Infrastructure Systems Analysis and Design (3 hours)

ENCE 5700 - Advanced Statistics and Design of Experiments (3 hours)

Area IV: Thesis (6 hours)/Project + Additional Coursework (9 hours)

Thesis option:
Two or more semesters of ENCE 5999R – Thesis (6 hours total)
Or
Project + Additional Special Topics Course, Internship, Coursework:

Two additional approved graduate courses (6 hours)
ENCE 5900r – Project (3 hours)
ENCE 5920R – Graduate Internship in Engineering (1 hour)

Program Total

31 hours (Thesis), 34 hours (Project + Coursework)

College of Engineering and Computer Science

College of Engineering and Computer Science