MSE Requirements

There are three Master of Science in Engineering degree options in the department. Up to 20% of coursework may be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, not including thesis and dissertation. Click HERE for more on the Graduate School's requirements.

  1. Master’s with Thesis
  2. Master’s with Report
  3. Master’s with Coursework only


Thesis or Report Options



  • The length and format of the report or thesis should be agreed between the student and supervisor. Students can access previous theses on the library database to see previous examples from the department. Filter by the location --Dissertations/Thesis


  • The difference between a thesis and report is that a report does not include novel data collection (although it may include novel analysis of data) and a thesis is therefore typically longer than a report.


  •  Each master’s thesis or report is developed under the guidance of a supervising committee with two or more members, one of whom is designated as supervisor.


Master of Science in Engineering with Thesis: 

15  -  Minimum Chemical Engineering Graduate-Level Coursework

6    -  Required Master's Thesis (CHE 698A and 698B) - one full year

9    -  Maximum Chemical Engineering Research Credits, or Outside Coursework

30 -  Total hours required for MSE

Thesis students should register for CHE 398A (Master's Thesis) the semester before they plan to graduate, and CHE 398B (Master's Thesis) the semester they plan to graduate


Master of Science in Engineering with Report: 

18  -  Minimum Chemical Engineering Graduate-Level Coursework of which *at least 15 hours need to be in Chemical Engineering (outside course must be approved by Graduate Advisor) 

3    -  Required Master's Report (CHE 398R)

9    -  Maximum Chemical Engineering Research Credits, or Outside Coursework

30 -  Total hours required for MSE

Report Students should register for CHE 398R (Master's Report) the semester they plan to graduate


Master of Science in Engineering (Coursework Only):

18  -  Minimum Chemical Engineering Graduate-Level Coursework

9    -  Required Coursework Outside ChE (6 hours must be outside coursework. Can use 3 hours of CHE graduate course here.) 

3    -  Maximum Chemical Engineering Research Credits, or Upper-Division Coursework

30 -  Total hours required for MSE


Enrollment in the coursework-only option must be approved by the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee in Chemical Engineering. Courses taken on a credit/no credit basis do not count towards this requirement. A grade point average of at least 3.00 must be attained on graduate coursework in the major. All coursework must be related to the degree. Students can meet with the Graduate Adviser or Graduate Program Administrator to discuss their program of work and ensure it will meet the departmental degree requirements. Courses taken at UT towards a master's degree may also fulfill the PhD coursework requirement.




****************************************************************************************************************************


Achieve - prior to Fall 2022

Past Requirements were as follow:

Master of Science in Engineering:

18  -  Minimum Chemical Engineering Graduate-Level Coursework (includes 3 hours of CHE 398R for Report option, and 6 hours of CHE 698A and 698B for Thesis option)

6    -  Minimum Hours Outside Coursework

6    -   Chemical Engineering or Outside Hours

30 -  Total hours required for MSE

*Up to 6 hours of upper-division coursework is permitted, but 18 ChemE hours must be at graduate level. Research hours may not be counted toward the 30 hour total, and all coursework must be related to the degree.