Graduation Requirements

Masters Program in Chemical Engineering

Requirements

1. Core Course Requirements

   All students are required to take the following 12-credit hours of core classes, which provide a basic background in core chemical engineering concepts necessary to tackle open research problems in the field.

   • CHE 531: Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering
   • CHE 615: Transport Phenomena
   • CHE 620: Advanced Thermodynamics
   • CHE 625: Chemical Reaction Engineering

2. Elective Course Requirements

   All students are required to take 12-credit hours of graduate-level elective classes. These elective classes are chosen in consultation with the student’s thesis supervisor and the academic examining committee (AEC). These elective courses provide the necessary depth of knowledge in their chosen specialization in chemical engineering.

3. Journal Club

   All students are required to take a 1-credit hour journal club (CHE 796) for each semester they are enrolled. This journal club meets once a week and students get an opportunity to interact with their research peers as well as guest speakers who are prominent in their research field. The purpose of the journal club is to provide an avenue for students to learn about research problems in the discipline and also to improve their presentation skills.

4. Research Proposal

   A written research proposal and oral presentation of this proposal is required. his proposal should identify an original, unsolved problem in the field of chemical engineering and a systematic approach for solving this problem. This oral defense is administered by the student's AEC and must be completed by the end of the second semester of the first year of the masters program.

5. Research Credits and Final Examination

   Students sign up for 6 credit-hours of research (CHE 697) and work on the research problem identified in their research proposal. They are required to write a written thesis or report and pass an oral examination, administered by their AEC, covering both the thesis/problem report as well as related course material.

Doctoral Program in Chemical Engineering

The doctor of philosophy degree with a major in chemical engineering is administered through the college’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. program. The research work for the doctoral dissertation must show a high degree of originality on the part of the student and must constitute an original contribution to the art and science of chemical engineering.

All Ph.D. degree candidates are required to perform research and follow a planned program of study. The student’s research advisor, in conjunction with the student’s Advising and Examining Committee (AEC) will be responsible for determining the plan of study appropriate to the student’s needs. The underlying principle of the planned program is to provide the students with the necessary support to complete their degree and prepare them for their career.

Requirements

1. Course Requirements

   The College requires Ph.D. programs to have a minimum of 18 semester hours of course work, beyond the course credit required for a master’s degree, at the 500 and higher levels with an average of 3.0 or better.

   Students joining the doctoral program in chemical engineering with a bachelors degree are required to take the following courses:

   • CHE 531: Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering
   • CHE 615: Transport Phenomena
   • CHE 620: Advanced Thermodynamics
   • CHE 625: Chemical Reaction Engineering
   • In addition, they are required to take 24 hours of advanced electives, which are chosen in consultation with their AEC.

   Students joining the doctoral program in chemical engineering with a masters degree are required to take 18-credit hours of advanced electives, which are chosen in consultation with their AEC. While the core masters-level courses (CHE 531, CHE 615, CHE 620, CHE 625) may be taken to rectify deficiencies in prior background, these courses do not count towards the 18-credit hour requirement towards the doctoral degree.

2. Journal Club

   All students are required to take a 1-credit hour journal club (CHE 796) for each semester they are enrolled. This journal club meets once a week and students get an opportunity to interact with their research peers as well as guest speakers who are prominent in their research field. The purpose of the journal club is to provide a avenue for students to learn about research problems in the discipline and also to improve their presentation skills.

3. Doctoral Qualifying Examination

   All Ph.D. students must pass a Ph.D. qualifying examination given in their first year at WVU. This examination is designed to assess the basic competency of students in the chemical engineering field to determine whether they have sufficient knowledge to undertake independent research.

   The Ph.D. qualifying examination is a written examination that tests the student’s knowledge in the 4 core areas of chemical engineering mathematics, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and reaction engineering. Students who do not pass this examination on their initial attempt are allowed a 2nd attempt, which should be scheduled in the follow up semester. Students who are not successful on their 2nd attempt will be dismissed from the program.

4. Candidacy Examination

   Students must pass a candidacy exam, which is designed to evaluate their overall ability to engage in high-level research, to be admitted to candidacy. Admission to candidacy is assessed by a dissertation proposal. Within a maximum of one semester after passing the PhD qualifying examination or entering the Ph.D. program, whichever is later, students must successfully defend their dissertation research proposal. This proposal is a written document, which is reviewed and accepted by their AEC and subsequently defended in an oral presentation. The proposed research work should show a high degree of originality in the field. A student who has successfully completed all coursework, passed the qualifying examination, and successfully defended the research proposal is defined as a candidate for the Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering.

5. Research Credits and Final Examination

   Doctoral candidates are required to complete a minimum of 24-credit hours of research as part of their dissertation. They are allowed no more than 5 years to complete the remaining degree requirements after formal admission to candidacy. An extension of time can be obtained only by repeating the qualifying and candidacy examinations and meeting any other requirements specified by the student’s advisory and examining committee. At the completion of the dissertation research, candidates must prepare a dissertation and pass the final oral examination (defense) administered by their AEC. Candidates should demonstrate an original contribution to scientific knowledge and engineering practice in chemical engineering. The defense examination is open to the public and, to evaluate critically the student's competency, may include testing on material in related fields, as deemed necessary by the AEC. In addition, since the Ph.D. degree is primarily a research degree that embodies the results of an original research proposal and represents a significant contribution to scientific literature, the student must submit a manuscript on this research to the AEC. The rules for this defense and the timing for the manuscript submission are specified by the Office of Graduate Studies at WVU and the Statler College. There is no requirement for a foreign language or a minor in this program.

Masters Program in Biomedical Engineering

Requirements

Core Course Requirements

1. All students are required to take the following 9-credit hours of core classes, which provide a basic background in core biomedical engineering concepts necessary to tackle open research problems in the field.

   • BMEG 501: Principles and Applications of Biomedical Engineering
   • BMEG 601: Numerical and Statistical Methods for Biomedical Engineering
   • BMEG 602: Interfacial Phenomena in Living and Non-Living Systems

2. Elective Course Requirements

   All students are required to take 15-credit hours of graduate-level elective classes. These elective classes are chosen in consultation with the student’s thesis supervisor and the academic examining committee (AEC). These elective courses provide the necessary depth of knowledge in their chosen specialization in biomedical engineering.

3. Journal Club

   All students are required to take a 1-credit hour journal club (BMEG 796) for each semester they are enrolled. This journal club meets once a week and students get an opportunity to interact with their research peers as well as guest speakers who are prominent in their research field. The purpose of the journal club is to provide a avenue for students to learn about research problems in the discipline and also to improve their presentation skills.

4. Research Proposal

   A written research proposal and oral presentation of this proposal is required. This proposal should identify an original, unsolved problem in the field of biomedical engineering and a systematic approach for solving this problem. This oral defense is administered by the student's AEC and must be completed by the end of the second semester of the first year of the masters program.

5. Research Credits and Final Examination

   Students sign up for 6 credit-hours of research (BMEG 697) and work on the research problem identified in their research proposal. They are required to write a written thesis or report and pass an oral examination, administered by their AEC, covering both the thesis/problem report as well as related course material.

Doctoral Program in Biomedical Engineering

The doctor of philosophy degree with a major in biomedical engineering is administered through the college’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. program. The research work for the doctoral dissertation must show a high degree of originality on the part of the student and must constitute an original contribution to the art and science of biomedical engineering.

All Ph.D. degree candidates are required to perform research and follow a planned program of study. The student’s research advisor, in conjunction with the student’s Advising and Examining Committee (AEC) will be responsible for determining the plan of study appropriate to the student’s needs. The underlying principle of the planned program is to provide the students with the necessary support to complete their degree and prepare them for their career.

Requirements

1. Course Requirements

   The College requires Ph.D. programs to have a minimum of 18 semester hours of course work, beyond the course credit required for a master’s degree, at the 500 and higher levels with an average of 3.0 or better.

   Students joining the doctoral program in biomedical engineering with a bachelors degree are required to take the following courses:

   • BMEG 501: Principles and Applications of Biomedical Engineering
   • BMEG 601: Numerical and Statistical Methods for Biomedical Engineering
   • BMEG 602: Interfacial Phenomena in Living and Non-Living Systems
   • In addition, they are required to take 33 hours of advanced electives, which are chosen in consultation with their AEC.

   Students joining the doctoral program in biomedical engineering with a masters ;degree are required to take 18-credit hours of advanced electives, which are chosen in consultation with their AEC. While the core masters-level courses (BMEG 501, BMEG 601, BMEG 602) may be taken to rectify deficiencies in prior background, these courses do not count towards the 18-credit hour requirement towards the doctoral degree.

2. Journal Club

   All students are required to take a 1-credit hour journal club (BMEG 796) for each semester they are enrolled. This journal club meets once a week and students get an opportunity to interact with their research peers as well as guest speakers who are prominent in their research field. The purpose of the journal club is to provide a avenue for students to learn about research problems in the discipline and also to improve their presentation skills.

3. Doctoral Qualifying Examination

   All Ph.D. students must pass a Ph.D. qualifying examination given in their first year at WVU. This examination is designed to assess the basic competency of students in the biomedical engineering field to determine whether they have sufficient knowledge to undertake independent research.

   The Ph.D. qualifying examination is a written examination that tests the student’s knowledge in the core areas of biomedical engineering that are covered in BMEG 501: Principles and Applications of Biomedical Engineering, BMEG 601: Numerical and Statistical Methods for Biomedical Engineering, and BMEG 602: Interfacial Phenomena in Living and Non-Living Systems. Students who do not pass this examination on their initial attempt are allowed a 2nd attempt, which should be scheduled in the follow up semester. Students who are not successful on their 2nd attempt will be dismissed from the program.

4. Candidacy Examination

   Students must pass a candidacy exam, which is designed to evaluate their overall ability to engage in high-level research, to be admitted to candidacy. Admission to candidacy is assessed by a dissertation proposal. Within a maximum of one semester after passing the PhD qualifying examination or entering the Ph.D. program, whichever is later, students must successfully defend their dissertation research proposal. This proposal is a written document, which is reviewed and accepted by their AEC and subsequently defended in an oral presentation. The proposed research work should show a high degree of originality in the field. A student who has successfully completed all coursework, passed the qualifying examination, and successfully defended the research proposal is defined as a candidate for the Ph.D. degree in biomedical engineering.

5. Research Credits and Final Examination

   Doctoral candidates are required to complete a minimum of 24-credit hours of research as part of their dissertation. They are allowed no more than 5 years to complete the remaining degree requirements after formal admission to candidacy. An extension of time can be obtained only by repeating the qualifying and candidacy examinations and meeting any other requirements specified by the student’s advisory and examining committee. At the completion of the dissertation research, candidates must prepare a dissertation and pass the final oral examination (defense) administered by their AEC. Candidates should demonstrate an original contribution to scientific knowledge and engineering practice in biomedical engineering. The defense examination is open to the public and, to evaluate critically the student's competency, may include testing on material in related fields, as deemed necessary by the AEC. In addition, since the Ph.D. degree is primarily a research degree that embodies the results of an original research proposal and represents a significant contribution to scientific literature, the student must submit a manuscript on this research to the AEC. The rules for this defense and the timing for the manuscript submission are specified by the Office of Graduate Studies at WVU and the Statler College. There is no requirement for a foreign language or a minor in this program.