PhD Timeline

Your Path to ChE PhD

Earning a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Purdue is a structured, milestone-driven journey — from selecting a faculty advisor and completing coursework, to passing key exams and defending original thesis research that advances the field.

Year 1

Foundation

Select a major professor, begin graduate coursework toward the 30-credit requirement.

Year 2

Qualifying

Complete remaining coursework; pass the Ph.D. Qualifying Procedure (Qual); serve as a Teaching Fellow.

Year 3

Candidacy

Pass the Preliminary Examination and advance to candidacy. Teaching Fellow duties continue as research becomes the primary focus.

Year 4-5.5

Completion

Complete original thesis research; write and defend the dissertation at the Final Examination.

How to Apply

  • 3.0 Minimum GPA
  • GRE Optional Not required for admission
  • Dec 1 Fall Application Deadline
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation Required
  • ~2 Pages Statement of Purpose (Recommended Length)
  • 80 / 6.5 TOEFL / IELTS (International Applicants)

Discover Groundbreaking Research

RESEARCH AREAS FOR GRADUATE STUDY

Purdue ChE graduate students research across five areas, from bioengineering and biotechnology to process systems engineering, working alongside internationally recognized faculty. No one takes a giant leap alone, so our students collaborate across labs and disciplines and keep going, again and again and again. Explore the areas below to find where you fit.

Learn More about Research

PhD Program Highlights

Competitive Stipend

Earn a $40,000 annual stipend. With a low cost of living in the Greater Lafayette area, it goes a long way.

Teaching Experience

Every PhD student serves as a Teaching Assistant for two semesters, and more teaching opportunities are available if you want them.

A Community of 130 to 150

Join 130 to 150 PhD students in the School of Chemical Engineering.

We'll Pair You with Faculty

Applications are reviewed by a department-wide committee, so you don't need to contact faculty first. In your first semester, our advisor selection process pairs you with an advisor and a research project.

Apply from Any Background

No master's degree needed, and your undergrad degree doesn't have to be in chemical engineering. We regularly admit students from other disciplines, and after a transcript review, you'll take additional courses if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Take a virtual tour of Purdue Chemical Engineering research laboratories on YouTube. If you are planning an in person visit, please contact us and we can arrange building and lab tours!

The current stipend is $40,000 per year. The cost of living in the Greater Lafayette area is very reasonable and our graduate students are able to live quite comfortably on this stipend.

All graduate students are expected to be a Teaching Assistant for two semesters during their time in the School of Chemical Engineering. There are opportunities for additional teaching responsibilities and experiences, if desired.

Students entering the PhD program with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering usually take four to five years to complete the degree requirements. Those who arrive with an M.S. in chemical engineering should be able to complete the PhD program in four years.

We usually have between 130 and 150 students in the Ph.D. program.

No. All applications to our PhD program are reviewed by a department-wide Ph.D. admissions committee. Admitted PhD students will then go through our faculty advisor selection process during their first semester on campus. After the completion of that process, each student will be formally assigned to a faculty advisor (or co-advisors) and to a specific research project.

A PhD degree in chemical engineering requires a minimum of ten (10) three-credit graded courses (30 credits of coursework total) and a minimum of 60 credits of ChE 699 (Ph.D. Research). All students are required to take four “core” courses during their first year in the program. They are required to take our department seminar (CHE 690—a non-credit course) every semester. They are also required to sign up for the appropriate level of research: either CHE 698 (M.S. Research) or CHE 699 (Ph.D. Research). The four required first-year “core” courses are the following: • ChE 610 (Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics) • ChE 620 (Advanced Transport Phenomena I) • ChE 630 (Applied Mathematics for Chemical Engineers) OR ChE 697 (Statistical Methods in ChE) • ChE 660 (Chemical Reaction Engineering) ChE 610, 620, 630, and 697 (Statistical Methods) are offered every fall semester and ChE 660 is offered every spring semester.

No. We do not admit for an MS with thesis. We offer the PHD program, and the PMP (Professional MS Program).

No. You can apply directly from undergrad.

No. We make admission offers to students that are in other disciplines quite often. We will review your transcript, and if needed, have you take additional courses.

Please see the above section "How to Apply" for application information and program requirements.

There are no strict length requirements on the SOP, although we recommend that you write a statement that is approximately two pages (or 1000 words). In the SOP, please provide your perspective on why you want to pursue your PhD, how your past experiences have prepared and motivated you for graduate research, and why Purdue is the right school for graduate career.

Our department has many employers that visit to recruit our Ph.D. students. There are campus-wide recruiting events including the Industrial Roundtable (https://www.purdueesc.org/career-fairs) and ChE-specific recruiting events including the GSO symposium (https://engineering.purdue.edu/~gso/graduate-research-symposium/). Additional campus resources can be found at the Center for Career Opportunities (CCO): https://www.cco.purdue.edu/

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a team of multi-culturally sensitive professionals delivering comprehensive psychological services to the students of Purdue University. CAPS has a strong commitment to meeting the needs of diverse people.

There are lots of leisure activities to do in the surrounding community. Please see the following links for more information: https://www.homeofpurdue.com/things-to-do/attractions/; https://www.purdue.edu/visit/see-and-do/attractions.php