Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Return to: John A. Swanson School of Engineering

Contact Information

Joseph J. McCarthy, W.K. Whiteford Professor and Vice Chair for Education
940 Benedum Engineering Hall
412-624-7362
Fax: 412-624-9639
E-mail: jjmcc@pitt.edu
http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/chemical/

Graduate Degree Programs

The Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering awards Master of Science degrees in chemical and petroleum engineering and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemical engineering; offers several dual degree programs; and participates in joint degree programs with the Katz Graduate School of Business and the School of Medicine. The general objective of all programs is to develop the ability of the chemical or petroleum engineer to carry out original research at advanced levels. The aim of the doctoral program is to develop individuals for careers in academic and industrial research. The program is flexible. Its primary emphasis is on innovative and distinctive research on the cutting edge of engineering science. Students wishing to pursue the PhD should have an outstanding academic background and a desire and ability to carry out original research. PhD students here are given independence and responsibility. They are not only encouraged but are expected to develop research ideas, which they propose and defend. They work closely with their faculty research advisors and often participate in a research group attacking relevant engineering problems. To supplement their research, students take advanced courses in areas related to their research work. Candidates for the PhD achieve a high level of proficiency through this advanced course work and individual study in their research area and related areas.

The graduate program offers MS and PhD students the opportunity to pursue independent research in five research focus areas in which the department has developed national and international reputations: biotechnology, catalysis, multi-scale modeling, materials, and environment and energy. Additional research areas exist in programs that have exploited opportunities at the interface between disciplines. The department’s recognized research activities impact the following boundaries between established disciplines: biotechnology/environment; biology/engineering; energy/environment; polymer chemistry/physics; catalysis/chemistry/materials; catalysis/energy; and catalysis/environment.

Admissions

Chemical Engineering: For admission to full graduate status, students should have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering with high academic standing in an ABETaccredited curriculum.

Petroleum Engineering: For admission to full graduate status, students should have an undergraduate degree in engineering or geology, and high academic standing.

Students from chemistry or from another engineering discipline who desire to pursue a graduate degree in chemical engineering must have a high grade point average and prepare for graduate course work by taking selected undergraduate courses in chemical engineering. See MS and PhD Requirements for Students with Non-Chemical Engineering BS Degree. Each case for admission will be evaluated individually, and applications are encouraged.

Interested students may apply online (preferred method) or, if necessary, interested students may request a complete application package in one of the three following ways:

1. Send e-mail to che@engr.pitt.edu. Be sure to include your name and complete mailing address.
2. Send surface mail to:

University of Pittsburgh
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Graduate Coordinator
1249 Benedum Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Financial Assistance

While admission to the graduate program does not imply the granting of financial aid, most fulltime graduate students are supported. All students who qualify for financial assistance are awarded departmental fellowships. In addition, a select few top students receive supplementary dean’s fellowships. An applicant interested in obtaining financial aid should request information directly from the department. Applications for admission and financial aid should be submitted by January 15 for the following fall term.

Programs

• Chemical Engineering (Professional Engineer Program), MSCHe
• Chemical Engineering (Research-Oriented Program), MSCHe
• Petroleum Engineering, MSPE

• Chemical Engineering, PhD

• Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Dual Degree, MS

Courses

• PETE 2097 - SPECIAL PROJECTS
• PETE 2160 - PETROLEUM RESERVOIR ENGNRNG
• PETE 2201 - RECOVRY OF OIL BY WATRFLOODING
• PETE 2202 - PETROLM DRILLING & PRODUCTION
• PETE 2203 - WELL TESTNG & PRSSURE TRANSENT
• PETE 2204 - ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY PROCES
• PETE 2205 - PETROLEUM PRODUCTION ENGNRNG
• PETE 2207 - PET AND NATURAL GAS PROCESSING
• PETE 2208 - PET DRILNG & WELL CMPLTN DSGN
• PETE 2209 - HYDRL FRACTURING MECHCS APPLCS
• PETE 2210 - PVT & ROCK FLUD PRPRTY IN PET
• PETE 2212 - CO2 ENHND OIL RECOV FRACKING
• PETE 2910 - SPECIAL PROJECTS
• PETE 2980 - MS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• PETE 2982 - ISSUES IN RESEARCH & TRAININ
• PETE 2998 - GRADUATE PROJECTS
• PETE 2999 - M.S. THESIS

• CHE 2015 - MOL CHMCL &NUCLR REACTN KINET
• CHE 2016 - FUNDM PRIN BIDEGRBL METLC ALLY
• CHE 2017 - CHMCL ENRGY & NATR CHMCL BOND
• CHE 2043 - ELECTRN MICRSCPY IN MATRLS SCI
• CHE 2045 - CHEMICAL ENGR PLANT DESIGN
• CHE 2050 - ARTIFICIAL ORGANS
• CHE 2051 - HEAT & MASS TRANSF IN BIO SYMS
• CHE 2101 - FUNDAMENTALS OF THERMODYNAMICS
• CHE 2118 - COLLOIDS AND SURFACES
• CHE 2125 - CARDIOVASCULAR DYNAMICS
• CHE 2201 - FUNDAMNTL OF REACTN PROCESSES
• CHE 2210 - PARLEL PRGG PROB IN SCI & ENGR
• CHE 2220 - CARDIO BIOMAT & TISSUE ENGRG
• CHE 2230 - INTRO TO HETEROGENEOUS CATLYS
• CHE 2231 - CARDIO ORGAN REPLACEMENT
• CHE 2246 - ADVANCED HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS
• CHE 2250 - CARDIO CLINICAL INTERNSHIPS
• CHE 2301 - FUNDAMNTL TRANSPORT PROCES 1
• CHE 2302 - FUNDAMNTL TRANSPORT PROCES 2
• CHE 2311 - HEMODYNAMICS AND BIOTRANSPORT
• CHE 2350 - DETECTOR CHMCL PHYSCL LIFE SCI
• CHE 2410 - MATHMTCL METHD IN CHMCL ENGR 1
• CHE 2411 - MATHMTCL METHD IN CHMCL ENGR 2
• CHE 2430 - APPLD STATSTC IN CHMCL ENGRNG
• CHE 2455 - ADV PROCESS SIMUL & PINCH ANAL
• CHE 2460 - COMPUTER INTERFACING
• CHE 2471 - ROBUST PROCESS CONTROL
• CHE 2500 - INTRO TO CELL & MOLECULAR BIOL
• CHE 2530 - BIOCHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
• CHE 2531 - FUNDMS OF BIOCHEMICAL ENGR
• CHE 2532 - BIOSEPARATIONS
• CHE 2533 - CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY
• CHE 2535 - APLD SOLID STATE CHEM
• CHE 2600 - PRIN & PROPS CPLX ENGNRD MATLS
• CHE 2610 - ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION CONTROL
• CHE 2620 - INDUSTRIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT
• CHE 2630 - ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMNT
• CHE 2640 - POLLUTION PREVENTION
• CHE 2752 - INTRO TO POLYMER PHYSICS
• CHE 2753 - INTRODCTN TO POLYMR PROCESSING
• CHE 2754 - PRINCIPLES OF POLYMER ENGINRNG
• CHE 2756 - POLYMERIZATION ENGINEERING
• CHE 2757 - APPLIED POLYMER PRINCIPLES
• CHE 2758 - ASPECTS OF POLYMER THEORY
• CHE 2811 - BIOMATRL & BIOCOMPATIBILITY
• CHE 2812 - BIOSENSORS
• CHE 2850 - COAL TECHNOLOGY
• CHE 2870 - SOLIDS PROCESSING & TRANSPORT
• CHE 2910 - SPECIAL PROJECTS
• CHE 2925 - FLUID/PARTICLE SEPARATION
• CHE 2930 - SEL TOPC FLUD/PAR PROCNG & SEP
• CHE 2940 - PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
• CHE 2948 - ADVANCED SEPARATION PROCESSES
• CHE 2980 - MS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• CHE 2982 - ISSUES IN RESEARCH & TEACHING
• CHE 2983 - LAB HLTH & SAFETY: ISS & APPLC
• CHE 2990 - RESEARCH, M.S.
• CHE 2999 - M.S. THESIS
• CHE 3001 - GRADUATE SEMINAR
• CHE 3002 - GRADUATE SEMINAR
• CHE 3003 - TEACHING PRACTICUM
• CHE 3004 - PRACTICUM
• CHE 3050 - SELCTD TOPCS IN MOL SPCTRSCPY
• CHE 3125 - CARDIOVASCULAR DYNAMICS
• CHE 3149 - ADV SEMINAR IN THERMODYNAMICS
• CHE 3229 - ADVANCED SEMINAR IN KINETICS
• CHE 3240 - FUNDM OF HETEROGENEOUS CATLYS
• CHE 3245 - ADV TOPC HETEROGENEOUS CATLYS
• CHE 3246 - ADVANCED HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS
• CHE 3247 - SURFACE CATALYZED REACTIONS
• CHE 3249 - ADVANCED SEMINAR IN CATALYSIS
• CHE 3261 - THREE PHASE REACTORS
• CHE 3301 - ADVANCED TRANSPORT PHENOMENA
• CHE 3325 - ADV TOPICS IN FLUID DYNAMICS
• CHE 3345 - ADVANCED TRANSPORT PROCESSES
• CHE 3349 - ADV SEMNR IN TRANSPRT PHENOMNA
• CHE 3350 - DETECTOR CHMCL PHYSCL LIFE SCI
• CHE 3411 - TRANSPORT PHENOMNA IN POLYMERS
• CHE 3450 - PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
• CHE 3455 - ADV PROCESS SIMUL & PINCH ANAL
• CHE 3472 - NONLINEAR DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS
• CHE 3530 - ADV ENZYMLGY: FUNDMS TO APPLCS
• CHE 3531 - ADV TOPICS IN BIOCHEM ENGRNG
• CHE 3532 - BIOSEPARATIONS
• CHE 3533 - CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY
• CHE 3610 - POLLUTION PREVENTION 2
• CHE 3748 - THE GLASS TRANSITION
• CHE 3749 - ADVANCED SEMINAR IN POLYMERS
• CHE 3750 - MATHMTL MODLNG IN POLYM PROCNG
• CHE 3760 - THEORY & SIMUL POLYMRIC MATRLS
• CHE 3820 - ADVANCED SEPARATIONS
• CHE 3910 - INDIVIDUAL STUDY
• CHE 3920 - ELCTR STRUCT THRY MODLNG SIMUL
• CHE 3921 - SPECIAL TOPICS CHEMICAL ENGR
• CHE 3922 - MODELING OF SOFT MATTER
• CHE 3925 - ADV TOPCS IN FLUID/PARTCL SEP
• CHE 3930 - SEL TOPC FLUD/PAR PROCNG & SEP
• CHE 3934 - PRATCL SCNTFC PRGMG FOR ENGNRS
• CHE 3935 - PARTICLE-BASED MATLS MODELING
• CHE 3936 - SYNTHESIS AND CHRCYTZN OF PFM
• CHE 3940 - PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
• CHE 3948 - ADVANCED SEPARATION PROCESSES
• CHE 3980 - PHD RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• CHE 3990 - ADVANCED GRADUATE PROJECTS
• CHE 3999 - PH.D. DISSERTATION

Return to: John A. Swanson School of Engineering