Prospective Students - Graduate

Chemical and Biological Engineering

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) offers an innovative graduate program and emphasizes the doctoral degree. ChBE's outstanding national and international students take advantage of the high level of faculty-student collaboration and benefit from access to three interdisciplinary research centers. The department has won numerous awards both locally and nationally.

Areas of Study and Research

General research areas within the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering include: biomaterials; biopharmaceutical engineering; catalysis, surface science and reaction engineering; complex fluids and microfluidic devices; computational science; energy and environmental applications; membranes and separations; metabolic engineering and directed evolution; nanostructured films and devices; polymer chemistry and engineering; and tissue engineering.

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is one of the top research departments in the nation and maintains sophisticated facilities to support research endeavors. Although research in the department spans many diverse fields, there is a particular emphasis on research in biological engineering, functional materials, and renewable energy.

Biological engineering research includes a broad collection of focal areas spanning from the molecular scale (metabolites, genes, protein) to the cellular and multicellular scales. Biological engineering projects account for a significant portion of the research activity within the ChBE Department. This research is supported in a variety of manners federal grants (NIH, NSF, DOD, etc.), national foundations (Howard Hughes, Cystic Fibrosis, etc.), and industrial collaborators.

Functional Materials research in the ChBE Department is concentrated in a diverse group of research areas including polymers, zeolites, ultrathin films, catalytic materials, self-assembled monolayers, and liquid crystalline materials. The department has strength in studying materials problems at the nanometer and sub-nanometer length scales. Such fundamental investigations are directed toward technological applications.

Finally, the ChBE Department has an active program in renewable energy research. Studies range from the production and utilization of hydrogen to materials for photovoltaics to biorefining and biofuels research. The latter area has recently been strengthened by the formation of the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2), a large collaborative research center led by faculty in the department and supported by university, state, and industry funding.

Degrees Offered

ME
Master of engineering follows the standards of the MS degree program. A 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA is required for regular admission.

MS
The master of science degree requires 30 hours of approved course work and successful completion of a comprehensive final exam or thesis defense. Students may pursue a thesis or non-thesis plan.

PhD
The doctor of philosophy degree requires 30 hours of approved course work and 30 hours of dissertation. Students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination and dissertation defense.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 3.00 (3.00=B) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.
   

Chemical and Biological Engineering Admission Requirements
Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
   
2. Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00
   
3. Submit at least three letters of recommendation.
   

Please visit www.colorado.edu/che/grad/prospectives.html for more information on graduate admission procedures for the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering.

Minimum Standards for Applicants

1. Submit official GRE scores directly to the ChBE department. No GRE Subject Exams are required.
   
2. International Applicants must submit official TOEFL scores to the ChBE department. Applicants should have a minimum TOEFL score of 250 on the computer-based exam.
   
3. Submit a completed ChBE Department Questionnaire with the application for admission. Please visit the following link to download the necessary document: www.colorado.edu/che/downloads/grad_questionnaire.pdf

Financial Support Available
Full financial support is available to admitted PhD students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. No additional forms are needed in order to be considered for this funding. Students admitted to the MS degree are not eligible to receive department financial support.

Application Information and Deadlines   Fall admission Yes Application deadline Rolling Admissions Suggested Application Submission: September - January International application deadline None Financial assistance application deadline None   Spring admission Yes Application deadline Rolling Admissions Suggested Application Submission June - Aug. International application deadline None Financial assistance application deadline None   Summer admission No

Contact Information

University of Colorado at Boulder
Chemical and Biological Engineering
ECCH 111
424 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0424
Phone: 303-735-1975
Fax: 303-492-4341
E-mail: chbegrad@colorado.edu
Website: www.colorado.edu/che