Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

PhD Graduate Program Guidelines

All incoming Ph.D. 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.

Expectations of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Energy and Petroleum Engineering Students

Students who graduate with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wyoming will:

• have professional and specialized training so that they can move into careers in academic or non-academic tracks.
• have a dissertation research experience that results in professional publication(s), thereby contributing to the expansion of knowledge.
• have practical experience that will promote their movement into professional careers in a reasonable amount of time.

Doctoral Program Course Requirements

M.S. Plan A list (except CHE, PETE 5960); plus CHE 5090; petitions allowed	- 26 credit hours
Dissertation Research (CHE or PETE 5980)	- 30 credit hours
Electives (no internship 5990)	- 16 credit hours
Total	- 72 credit hours

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 the committee assignment and program of study forms 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. The report on prelim exam form must be completed, signed by all committee members, and sent by the student's adviser to the Office of the Registrar.

Ph.D. Seminar Requirements

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

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 research goals change between the program of study and preliminary examination, the research adviser should ask the student to give an additional seminar.

*Final examination 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. 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.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

Ph.D. students must orally defend their dissertation at a public final examination.The defense time and room must be scheduled by the seminar coordinator. 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. Dissertation students must give a defense announcement to their department. The defense must be advertised by bulletin board postings, e-mail, or other means. 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. The report on final exam form must be completed, signed by all committee members, and sent by the student's adviser to the Office of the Registrar.

Publication of Dissertation

After the defense, an electronic copy (in PDF format) of the dissertation must be uploaded in accordance with the Registrar's requirements. This copy will be rejected if the format standards specified by the 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 Biomedical 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.