PhD Degree Courses

Momentum transport processes in laminar- and turbulent-flow systems. Development and application of steady and unsteady boundary-layer processes, including growth, similitude principles, and separation. Potential flow theory coupled with viscous dissipation at boundaries. Momentum transport in fixed- and fluid-bed exchangers and reactors. Prerequisite: Undergraduate transport phenomena or instructor's permission.

Energy balances derived from first and second law approaches to open systems, with reaction. Conduction in fluids and solids, both steady and unsteady examples. Convection in laminar- and turbulent-flow systems. Diffusion and its treatment in stagnant and flowing media. Two-phase systems, coupled reaction, and mass transfer. Interphase transport. Prerequisite: Undergraduate transport phenomena or instructor's permission.

Analytical solutions to deterministic mathematical models encountered in chemical and biochemical engineering, including environmental and safety systems. Emphasis is on purpose, philosophy, classification, development, and analytical solutions of models occurring in transport phenomena, thermochemical, and reactor systems. Prerequisites: Undergraduate differential and integral calculus and differential equations or permission of the graduate director.

Basic principles of classical chemical thermodynamics. Chemical and physical equilibria and their relationships in simple and reactive systems. Estimation and correlation of thermodynamic functions, applications of thermodynamic principles to transport and rate processes. Irreversible and statistical thermodynamic topics also introduced. Prerequisite: Undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or chemistry. Prerequisites: Undergraduate thermodynamics or instructor's permission.

Principles of chemical kinetics, reaction mechanisms and rate laws, and engineering design of reactor vessels. Applications to homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction systems with internal, transphase, and external mass and heat transfer. Stability of chemical reactions and reactors. Micromixing and macromixing in reactor systems. Catalytic reactions and reactors.
Prerequisites: Undergraduate kinetics or instructor's permission.

Advanced course on theoretical and multiscale simulation methods for modeling nanomaterials and nanoscale processes, including statistical mechanics and thermodynamics of nanophases, Monte Carlo simulation, density functional theory of confined fluids, coarse-grained molecular dynamics and dissipative particle dynamics. The applications include nanoparticles and nanocomposites, nanoporous catalysts and adsorbents, colloids and membranes, self-assembled surfactant and polymeric systems, lipid and cell membranes, and drug-delivery vehicles. The students will get hands-on experience with modern molecular and mesoscale simulation tools by performing two computational term projects and a series of homeworks. This elective is designed for PhD, MS, 4+1, and undergraduate engineering students interested in nanoengineering and advancing their theoretical and computational skills.

The course will cover computational models and methods for simulating the structural and dynamical characteristics of hard and soft materials at different spatiotemporal scales. Topics will include accurate first principles quantum-based methods, atomistic, molecular modeling, multi-scale approaches and continuum techniques. Emerging computational methods related to diverse aspects of materials modeling will also be covered. The discussion of the various topics will be accompanied by case studies from research papers.

Integration of the principles of chemical engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology. Development and application of biochemical engineering principles. Analysis of biochemical and microbial reactions.

Advanced course devoted to current topics of interest in biochemical engineering, bioengineering, and biomanufacturing. Content and format may vary from year to year.

Fundamental problems of separation processes important to the recovery of products from biological processes. Topics include membrane filtration centrifugation, chromatography, extraction, electrokinetic methods. Emphasis on protein separations.

Applications to designing and optimizing pharmaceutical processes and products.  Production, characterization, and usage of pharmaceutical materials. The relationship between pharmaceutical materials and pharmaceutical products.

Students will learn advanced materials, i.e., materials utilized in high technology applications. Emphasis is placed on the relationships between the structure, which is controlled by processing, and the properties of advanced materials. Both soft matter, cutting-edge materials evolving daily, and more traditional hard matter will be covered.

This course is intended to give mainly but not exclusively an engineering and scientific perspective about conventional energy resources, energy challenges and our endeavors on the development of future, sustainable, clean and renewable energy sources. This course will start by offering an introduction and basic fundamental knowledge and science about available energy resources and fossil fuels. It will follow with the challenges we face related to energy; the current state-of-the-art in energy production; various energy resources and how they work; sustainable methods being developed for generation of various clean and renewable energy sources;and the design and optimization of materials, biomass, chemical products and processes that enable energy conservations. The course will also provide information on new materials/nanomaterials, engineering concepts, and thermochemical, photochemical and electrochemical devices for energy applications. The course will examine the relationship between materials, material designs, energy systems and energy resourcesto address sustainability and clean energy challenges, by providing special emphasis on fundamental roles played by chemical engineering and basic scientific principles.

Individual research project under the guidance of a faculty advisor in a specific area of chemical or biochemical engineering. Up to 3 credits may be applied towards a non-thesis M.S. degree. Thesis and Dissertation research should enroll in 16:155:701/702 instead. 

All core courses in the M.E. curriculum may be used as electives towards the M.S./Ph.D. degree. These are 

• 16:155:541 Pharmaceutical Materials Engineering 
• 16:155:545 Synthesis, Separations, and Sterile Processing in the Pharmaceutical Industry
• 16:155:546 Pharmaceutical Unit Operations
• 16:155:547 Statistical Analysis and Design of Pharmaceutical Operations
• 16:155:549 Advanced Engineering Pharmaceutical Kinetics, Thermodynamics and Transport Processes (Pharmaceutical Development, Administration, and Adsorption)

Technical electives are meant to supplement the student’s core knowledge with flexibility for the student to tailor the courses to one’s own educational objectives. Most graduate classes in the life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics and engineering, including those offered in CBE qualify. Approval from the Graduate Program Director may be requested to confirm eligibility.