The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tulane was the first Department of Chemical Engineering in the Southeast, and is the third oldest department in the country. It has a distinguished faculty and is a Department that values Research and Graduate Education. Graduate programs are available at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels, though the emphasis is on Doctoral education. The department has ten total faculty, all of whom are active in both teaching and research. The department has been expanding steadily over the past several years, with significant increases in both the number of graduate students and the amount of funded research. Currently, there are approximately thirty five full-time graduate students, most of whom are pursuing a Ph.D. degree.
The graduate student body is a diverse mixture of both domestic and international students. Approximately 25% of the students are female. The department strongly promotes a research environment where one-on one interactions between faculty and students are highly encouraged. A popular forum for presenting results is the graduate student seminar program. Every two weeks during the fall and spring semesters, graduate students give an informal presentation of their work to both faculty and students. Participation is strictly voluntary and the format encourages open discussion and exchange of ideas.
And most importantly - Based on the events unfolding from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will reflect educational objectives that are distinctive to Tulane and to New Orleans. In addition to providing a highly rigorous education in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Department will work under University guidance to provide our students with tremendous opportunities to help rebuild the city and community.
The Department seeks to recruit the most talented students to its graduate program. Full financial aid (tuition + a stipend) is given to all students admitted to the Doctoral Program. Highly qualified undergraduates are strongly encouraged to apply. Prospective applicants are encouraged to write to the Graduate Coordinator at chemeng@tulane.edu.
The inability to pay application fees must not deter highly qualified applicants. All applications will be considered irrespective of the ability to pay the application fees.
On-line applications are preferred, but require the submission of an application fee using a credit or debit card. MS+ PhD applicants who are unable to provide this method of payment could use the paper application form with no application fee and send the application materials directly to the department (attn: Graduate Coordinator, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 300 Lindy Boggs Bldg., Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA).
When do I select a research advisor?
Entering graduate students select their research advisors during the
first semester of graduate study under the supervision of the Chair of the
Graduate Committee for the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE)
Department.
Can I transfer credits from another university?
A maximum of 12 semester hours of transfer credit can be accepted at
Tulane toward a master's degree, and up to 24 semester hours for the Ph.D.
The transfer credit must carry a grade of B or better and have been
completed no more than four years ago if applied toward a master's degree
and no more than six years ago for a Ph.D. Students should apply for
transfer credit after completing at least one semester of graduate study at
Tulane.
Can I enroll in the CBE
graduate program with an undergraduate degree that is not in chemical
engineering?
Frequently, students without an undergraduate chemical engineering
degree will enroll in the graduate program. To ensure that all students are
familiar with the fundamental principles required of chemical engineers,
students entering the graduate program with a bachelor's degree in an area
other than chemical engineering may be required to take undergraduate
courses recommended by the Graduate Committee.
What are the
responsibilities of a teaching assistant?
Teaching assistants help course instructors by, for example, grading
homework papers, holding office hours, and possibly leading review
sessions.
How is grading in graduate school different than
when I was an undergraduate?
In graduate school, students need to maintain a B average (3. 0 GPA). A
grade of C+ or less cannot be counted towards a M.S. or Ph.D.
What is the difference between the non-thesis and
thesis option for the M.S. degree?
For the thesis option, the student must complete 24 hours of graduate
course work plus conduct a research investigation under the guidance of a
faculty member. Upon completion, the student must defend a thesis before a
faculty committee. Graduate students on financial aid can earn a M.S.
degree only with the approval of Department and after writing a thesis.
Part-time students typically earn a M.S. degree through the non-thesis
option.
Do I need to obtain a master's degree before a
doctorate?
A master's degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D. program. The CBE
Department offers financial aid to only students pursuing a doctorate.
What are the degree
requirements for a doctorate?
Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must complete (1) a minimum of 48 hours
of approved graduate course work, (2) pass an oral qualifying examination at
the end of the first year of graduate study that tests a student's
preparedness to conduct an independent research project, (3) select a
dissertation committee, (4) defend a prospectus of the research project
typically within a year of passing the qualifying exam, (4) conduct
cutting-edge research and document the project in a dissertation, and (5)
pass a final oral exam in defense of the dissertation.
Are there opportunities for interdisciplinary study
at the graduate level?
Yes, there several ways to gain interdisciplinary training. These
include interdisciplinary graduate programs, coursework outside of the CBE
Department and research collaborations. The Chair of the CBE Graduate
Committee has additional information on this subject.
Whom should I contact if I have questions about the
graduate program?
Please contact the Chair of the CBE Graduate Committee.For the
2006-2007 academic year, Prof. O'Connor (koc@tulane.edu) is serving in this
role.
Where do I get additional information on the
graduate program?
Additional information is available in the CBE Graduate Student
Handbook, the School of Science and Engineering Graduate Program Catalog,
and web sites for the CBE Department (www.tulane.edu/~ceng/grad/grad.htm)
and School of Science and Engineering (www.sse.tulane.edu/pages/graduate_current.php).