Coterminal Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Chemical Engineering
Stanford undergraduates with strong academic records may apply to study for a master’s degree while they are completing their bachelor’s degree(s).
Interested students should discuss their educational goals with their faculty advisers and talk with departmental graduate student services about the application requirements before submitting an application. Students who have completed at least 120 units toward an undergraduate degree and complete their applications by the seventh week of a quarter may be admitted to the Chemical Engineering MS Program the following quarter.
University requirements for the coterminal MS are described in The Stanford Bulletin, “Coterminal Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees.” For university coterminal degree program rules and application forms, see the Stanford Undergrad Coterm Guide.
Unit and course requirements for the master’s degree
Detailed information about course requirements can be found at Stanford Bulletin.
To ensure that an appropriate Chemical Engineering graduate program is pursued by each MS candidate, students who first matriculate at Stanford at the graduate level must do the following during the first quarter no later than the seventh week:
- Complete a Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree form that is approved by the MS adviser.
- Submit this petition to departmental student services for review by the graduate curriculum committee.
- Obtain approval for any subsequent program change or changes from the MS adviser and the graduate committee.
Stanford undergraduates admitted to the coterminal master’s program must:
- Submit an adviser-approved Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree (a graduate degree progress form) either during their second quarter of graduate standing or upon the completion of 9 units of graduate work (whichever occurs first).
- Document with student services their MS adviser’s review and approval of their graduate program when they have accrued 30 units toward the MS degree in Chemical Engineering.
Each MS candidate must obtain approvals for the final MS program no later than the seventh week of the quarter preceding the quarter of degree conferral, in order to permit amendment of the final quarter’s study list if the faculty deem this necessary. Students with questions should contact departmental graduate student services.
Minimum grade requirement
Any course used to satisfy the 45-unit minimum for the master of science degree must be taken for a letter grade, if offered. An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 must be maintained for these courses.
Research experience
Students in the MS program wishing to obtain research experience should talk with departmental student services and work with the MS faculty adviser on the choice of research adviser as early as feasible and in advance of the anticipated quarter(s) of research. Once arrangements are mutually agreed upon, including the number of units, students enroll in the appropriate section of CHEMENG 600 Graduate Research in Chemical Engineering. A written report describing the results of the research undertaken must be submitted to and approved by the research adviser. Research units may not be substituted for any of the required four 300-level core lecture courses.