Graduate Study Information

Yale University offers a unique opportunity for chemical engineering graduate study -- an intimately sized program within a leading institution.

Yale Chemical Engineering at a glance:

Research: Internationally recognized, externally funded projects in many exciting areas of modern chemical engineering, including biomaterials, bio-interfaces, bio-molecular engineering, catalysis, complex fluids, electrochemistry, fuel cells, environmental engineering, fluid mechanics, polymers, nano-materials, reaction engineering, and surface science. Fundamental principles are the key focus, and interdisciplinary collaboration abounds.

Faculty: 15 core faculty members actively teach and conduct research. Many are recipients of prestigious awards, including a Nobel Prize (2002) and two elections to the National Academy of Engineering (2004 and 2006).

Students: 32 current graduate students benefit from our intimate size, engaging faculty, and broad institutional strengths in engineering, science, medicine, and humanities. Our graduates have become leaders in academia, industry, and government.

The Yale Chemical Engineering doctoral experience:

Courses: Students take 4 core courses (engineering math, kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport), 2 Special Investigations (involving research under faculty guidance), and 4 elective courses.

Research: Students choose a Ph.D. project and one or more research advisor(s)
by the end of Year 1.

Qualifying Exam: Students submit a written Prospectus motivating and describing their Ph.D. project, and defend their Prospectus via an oral Area Exam, by the beginning of Year 3.

Thesis: Students submit and publicly defend a Dissertation describing their research project and reporting key findings and conclusions.

Support: All admitted Ph.D. students receive full tuition and fee waiver, a generous stipend ($27,900 for 2008-09), and health insurance.

We invite applications from students with bachelor degrees in any field of engineering, or in related areas such as chemistry, physics, geology, mathematics, and environmental science. Admission to the Ph.D. program is offered on a competitive basis to highly qualified students showing unique potential.

For comprehensive information on Graduate Admissions, please visit the Yale Graduate School Admissions Office.

For comprehensive information on Ph.D. program requirements, please visit the Graduate Forms & Guides page.
Applications to the Graduate School should be initiated about a year in advance of the desired admission date.