Graduate Study Guidelines

All incoming Ph.D. and M.S. Plan A students who have not been assigned to an advisor are required to meet with all the faculty members (and obtain their signatures) in their program to get information regarding their research projects and evaluate the possibility of joining one of the research groups.

All incoming M.S. Plan B students must have an adviser. The student is responsible for contacting faculty members in order to find an adviser.

All Chemical Engineering graduate students must take the following Chemical Engineering Core courses:

1. Thermodynamics (CHE 5020)
2. Transport Phenomena (CHE 5010)
3. Reaction Kinetics (CHE 5030)
4. Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (PETE/CHE 5355)

All Petroleum Engineering graduate students must take at least four out of the following Petroleum Engineering Core courses:

1. Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (PETE/CHE 5355)
2. Thermodynamics (CHE 5020)
3. Transport Phenomenon (PETE 5010)
4. Fundamentals of Enhanced Oil Recovery (PETE 5310)
5. Flow Thru Porous Media (PETE 5060)
6. Reservoir Simulation (PETE 5300)

Plan B (non-thesis)

The coursework requirements are the same as the M.S. Plan A requirements except that Thesis Research (CHE, PETE 5960) is not required. Plan B students take an additional 4 hours of elective course credits (total of 30 hours required).

M.S. Plan B students must write a paper on a topic assigned by the adviser. This paper must be submitted to the student's graduate committee for approval.

Doctoral Program

Ph.D. Preliminary Examination

Ph.D. students must pass a preliminary examination. The examination should be scheduled about a year before the final dissertation defense. The university requires at least 15 weeks between the preliminary examination and the dissertation defense. Students must complete at least 30 hours of coursework and file a program of study prior to the examination.

The examination consists of an oral presentation to the student's graduate committee. At least one week before the presentation, the student must provide each member of the graduate committee with a written document; its format is at the discretion of the adviser, but it should be at least a copy of the slides used for the presentation. Both the paper and the presentation must describe the student's research progress and plans to complete the research. A form sent by the student's adviser to the Office of the Registrar reports the results of the examination.

M.S. and Ph.D. Seminar Requirements

All chemical and petroleum engineering graduate students must enroll in CHE/PETE 5890, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Seminar, every semester. All seminars, including the required presentations described below, must be scheduled by the seminar coordinator.

M.S. (Plan A) candidates must present at least one seminar (thesis defense) before they graduate. Ph.D. candidates must present the following seminars before they graduate:

Preliminary examination (admission to candidacy, at least 15 weeks prior to the final examination), and

Final examination (dissertation defense).

If the research goals are changed between the program of study and preliminary examination, the research adviser should ask the student to give an additional seminar. A student who presents a paper at a conference is encouraged to present this same work as a CHE/PETE 5890 seminar. The seminars should be attended and evaluated by the committee members with input from the faculty. A satisfactory evaluation qualifies the student to retain the Ph.D.-candidate status. At least one week before the presentation, the student must provide each member of the committee and faculty with a written document; its format is at the discretion of the adviser, but it should be at least a copy of the slides used for the presentation. Registered off-campus graduate students can be exempt from having to enroll in CHE/PETE 5890, but not from having to give the required seminars.

M.S. Thesis or Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

M.S. Plan A and Ph.D. students must orally defend their thesis or dissertation at a public final examination. The defense time and room must be scheduled by the seminar coordinator. A copy of the M.S. thesis must be delivered to each member of the graduate committee at least two weeks before the examination. A copy of the Ph.D. dissertation must be delivered to each member of the graduate committee and faculty at least three weeks before the defense. Thesis and dissertation students must give a defense announcement to their department. The defense must be advertised by bulletin board postings, e-mail, or other means. The results of the examination are reported on the completion of requirements form. Often, graduate committee members request changes in the thesis or dissertation, and they may postpone signing the form until they are satisfied that those changes have been made.

Publication of Thesis or Dissertation

After the defense, an electronic copy (in PDF format) of the thesis or dissertation must be uploaded in accordance with the directions provided on the Graduate Student Resources Web site. This copy will be rejected if the format standards specified by the Thesis and Dissertation Format Guide are not met. This guide allows for a publication-ready format. If required by the department and/or committee additional copies should be delivered to the University Bookstore for binding. A third, bound copy must be submitted to the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering for the departmental library. Most students will want one or more copies for their own use. Students should consult with their adviser to determine if the adviser wants a copy of the thesis, dissertation, or other research documentation.