Admission
In addition to meeting the requirements of the Graduate Division, applicants to the Master of Science program in Chemical Engineering are required to take the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Applicants not having adequate preparation may be admitted provisionally and may be required to undertake certain remedial coursework, which would not be applicable towards the degree. On arrival at UCLA, an adviser helps the student plan a program, which can remedy any deficiencies.
For requirements for the Graduate Certificate of Specialization, see Engineering Schoolwide Programs in Program Requirements.
Admission forms, including a departmental supplement to the application, may be obtained on the Worldwide Web at http://www.chemeng.ucla.edu. In addition, these forms may be obtained by writing to 5531 Boelter Hall, Box 951592, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1592, or to the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, School of Engineering and Applied Science, UCLA, 6426 Boelter Hall, Box 951601, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1601. Students are encouraged to apply via the Worldwide Web.
Advising
Each department in the School of Engineering and Applied Science has a faculty graduate adviser. A current list of graduate advisers can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, 6426 Boelter Hall, School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Students are assigned to the faculty graduate adviser upon admission to the School. During the first quarter in residence, the student meets with all faculty members in the department, and chooses three Professors with whom he would like to conduct M.S. thesis research. These choices are submitted to the graduate adviser. The faculty meets separately and assigns each student their faculty research adviser, taking into account the students’ choices and the interests of the department as a whole. The department will consider changing an adviser upon written request from the student.
During the second quarter in residence, students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with their faculty research adviser to plan the proposed program of study towards the M.S. degree. Continuing students are required to confer with their research adviser during the time of enrollment each quarter so that progress can be assessed and the study list approved.
Based on the quarterly transcripts, student records are reviewed at the end of each quarter by the departmental graduate adviser and associate dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Special attention is given if students were admitted provisionally, or are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the associate dean for Student Affairs.
Students are strongly urged to consult with the departmental Student Affairs Officer and/or the Office of Academic and Student Affairs regarding procedures, requirements, and implementation of the policies. In particular, advice should be sought on advancement to candidacy for the M.S. degree and on the use of the filing fee.
Areas of Study
Consult the department.
Foreign Language Requirement
None.
Course Requirements
The requirements for a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering are a thesis, nine courses (36 units), and a 3.0 grade-point average in the graduate courses. Chemical Engineering 200, 210 and 220 are required for all Master's degree candidates. Two courses must be taken from offerings by the Chemical Engineering Department, while two courses may be ChE 598, involving work on the thesis. The remaining two courses may be taken from those offered by the Chemical Engineering Department, or any other field in life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, or engineering. At least twenty-four units must be in letter-graded 200-level courses.
All Master's degree candidates are required to enroll in the seminar, Chemical Engineering 299, during each quarter of residence.
A program of study which encompasses these requirements must be submitted to the departmental Student Affairs Office for approval before the end of the student's second quarter of residence.
Undergraduate Courses. No lower division courses may be applied towards graduate degrees. In addition, the following upper division courses are not applicable towards graduate degrees: Chemical Engineering M105A, 199; Civil Engineering 106A, 108, 199; Computer Science 152A, 152B, 171L, 199; Electrical Engineering 100, 101 (formerly EE 100B), 102 (formerly EE 121C), 103 (formerly EE 124A) 199; Materials Science and Engineering 110, 120, 130, 131, 131L, 132, 150, 160, 161L, 190, 191L, 199; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 102, 103, M105A, 105D (formerly M105D), 199.
Teaching Experience
Not required.
Field Experience
Not required.
Comprehensive Examination Plan
None.
Thesis Plan
Consult the graduate adviser.
Time-to-Degree
The average length of time for students in the M.S. program is five quarters. The maximum time allowed for completing the M.S. degree is three years from the time of admission to the M.S. program in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination
University policy
A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
Special departmental or program policy
A recommendation for termination is reviewed by the School's Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.
In addition to the standard reasons noted above, a student may be recommended for termination for:
1) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in all courses and in those in the 200 series.
2) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in any two consecutive terms.
3) Failure to complete the thesis to the satisfaction of the committee members.
4) Failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree within the three-year time limit for completing all degree requirements.