Chemical Engineering (MEng)
Duffield College of Engineering
Program Description
The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program in Chemical Engineering is a 30-credit professional program that aims to advance the breadth and depth of our students’ technical, professional, and leadership knowledge through advanced coursework and real-world projects.
Students may design their program of study in one or more focus areas, including: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS/AI), Energy Economics and Engineering (EEE), or Medical and Industrial Biotechnology (MIB). The curriculum offers flexibility and is designed to explore current trends, research, and innovations within technology, business, and policy.
During the first semester, students learn leadership and entrepreneurship skills while building a solid basis for DS/AI/Process Modeling. The second semester is centered around team-based projects where students work to solve real-world challenges, preparing them for the professional arena.
Program Information
- Program Mode of Delivery: In Person
- Program Location: Ithaca, NY
- Minimum Credits for Degree: 30
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Chemical Engineering Courses | ||
| CHEME 5020 | Immersive Professional Development for Chemical Engineering M. Eng. | 3 |
| CHEME 5651 | M. Eng. Design Project Studio | 1 |
| CHEME 5800 | Principles of Computational Thinking for Engineers | 4 |
| CHEME 5820 | Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Methods for Engineers | 4 |
| Chosen Focus area courses | 6 | |
| Business Practice Course(s) | 3 | |
| Societal/Environmental Impact Course(s) | 3 | |
| Project Course | 4 | |
| Design Project | ||
| Additional Relevant Courses | 2 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
University Graduation Requirements
Requirements for All Students
In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.
Academic Requirements
A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.
Non-academic Requirements
Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.
Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.
Graduation Requirements for Master of Engineering Degree (M.Eng.) Programs
Requirements
The following are general requirements for graduation that apply to all Master of Engineering degrees offered on the Ithaca campus. The individual program pages provide additional information about discipline-specific requirements.
Credits and Residency Units
- Satisfactory completion of 30 technical credits, of which:
- At least 21 credits must be earned at Cornell. (Some M.Eng. programs allow up to 9 transfer credits of letter-graded coursework completed outside of Cornell to be applied to the M.Eng. degree.)
- At least 12 credit hours must be in coursework from the home M.Eng. program (as determined by the program).
- A maximum of two credit hours graded on an S/U basis may be included.
- The credit hours of any course in which a student receives a grade below C- will not count toward the Master of Engineering degree.
- Students must maintain a course load of at least 12 credit-bearing hours1 each semester.
- Students may not enroll in more than 20 credit-bearing hours per semester.
- Students must complete two full-time residency units1 (semesters) as registered M.Eng. students. Winter and summer sessions do not count as residency units.
- 1
Course load and residency unit exceptions apply for Distance Learning program students, employee degree program students, and Industrial Partnership Program students. The residency unit requirement is one full-time registered semester for Early Admit M.Eng. students and certain Cornell MPS/MS/PhD student transfers.
Courses
- Only program-approved courses at the 5000 level and above may count toward the M.Eng. degree.
- Courses covering subject matter previously taken at Cornell may not be repeated for credit.
- Satisfactory completion of an engineering design project bearing 3 or more credit hours and including a formal written report.
Other Requirements
- A grade-point average of 2.50 or above is required across all Cornell courses which count for credit towards the M.Eng. degree.
- Students must complete all degree requirements within four calendar years of their first enrollment in the M.Eng. program (six years for distance learning students), inclusive of any leaves of absence.
- Students must complete the M.Eng. Exit Survey prior to graduation.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Chemical Engineering M.Eng. program, graduates will:
- Analyze, model, and optimize chemical and biomolecular systems by applying principles of thermodynamics, transport phenomena, reaction engineering, and process design to produce quantitative process descriptions and design specifications.
- Build, validate, and deploy concentration-specific technical solutions:
Data Science & AI: Construct and test machine learning or statistical models that predict, optimize, or control chemical process outcomes using real or representative datasets.
Energy Economics & Engineering: Assess the technical feasibility and economic viability of sustainable energy systems and produce quantitative carbon-reduction roadmaps.
Medical & Industrial Biotechnology: Design and characterize bioprocesses and produce documented manufacturing workflows for healthcare or renewable materials applications. - Deliver an industry-relevant capstone project that defines a real-world engineering problem, produces an implementable solution, and presents results and recommendations to professional stakeholders in written and oral form.
- Perform techno-economic and sustainability assessments of chemical processes by calculating cost estimates, conducting sensitivity analyses, and quantifying environmental impacts using frameworks such as life cycle analysis.
- Construct computational models and data analysis pipelines using programming, simulation, and analytics tools to represent, predict, and optimize the behavior of chemical and biomolecular systems.
- Integrate methods from multiple disciplines to formulate and solve engineering problems at the interface of chemical engineering with biology, energy, or data science, producing solutions that combine tools and frameworks from each field.
- Lead project teams and present engineering recommendations to technical and business audiences, producing professional-quality reports, proposals, and presentations that support decision-making.
Admissions
Application Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadlines
Fall, June 1; no spring admissions
Cornell Early Admit applicants only: November 16 (of preceding year) for Fall admission; June 1 (of preceding year) for Spring admission
Requirements Summary
- Undergraduate degree in STEM major
- English Language Proficiency Requirement (for international applicants)
- Transcript(s) from previous institution(s)
- Three letters of recommendation (two letters for Cornell Early Admit applicants)
- Undergraduate Academic Statement of Purpose
- Personal Statement
- Resume or CV
Admissions Contact Information
Name: Chemical Engineering Admin.
Email: cbe-meng@cornell.edu
Phone: (607) 255-0728
Website: https://www.duffield.cornell.edu/cbe/meng/