Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private school founded in 1861, across the Charles River from Boston. It is ranked by the US News and World Report as one of the top universities in the nation. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in chemical engineering and is a leader in research. Students of the program are required to complete core courses and labs in chemistry, biology and physics. As an undergraduate student, the university offers an advisor-led research program on campus as part of the curriculum. Once the basic courses are completed, more in-depth options include courses in thermodynamics, transport processes and chemical kinetics, which may be tailored for specific interests. Upon completion of the undergraduate program, students are eligible to apply to the master's level program.
The University of California at Berkeley was founded in 1868 and is part of the state's flagship public university system. As of 2011, the Berkeley campus was home to more than 25,000 students and offers undergraduate, master's and PhD-level education in chemical engineering. At the graduate level, students are required to complete 30 semester units, 12 of which are from core classes, including selections from mathematics, thermodynamics and transport phenomena. Students can select nine additional credits from outside the program. A research project done under supervision of an advisor is required prior to graduation. Two oral exams, one at the beginning of the second semester and another at the beginning of the fifth semester, in addition to a dissertation, are required for degree completion.
Stanford University is located on the California coast, and is among the state's top-rated private universities. Opened in 1885, the school offers undergraduate and graduate-level degrees in chemical engineering. Students begin the chemical engineering degree in the autumn quarter, and must complete core classes and several hours of degree-specific courses. Students must complete courses in chemistry, biology and physics before moving on to more degree-specific credit hours in thermodynamics and chemical kinetics. Students have the opportunity to participate in instructor-led research, and if continuing on to master's, must complete a dissertation and research project.
The chemical engineering program at University of Minnesota is among the top-rated programs in the United States. It ranks number four on US News and World Report's annual list. Students who complete the undergraduate program are eligible to enter the workforce or apply to the graduate degree program at the university. The first years are spent completing basic chemistry, math and physics courses before moving on to degree-specific courses in chemical thermodynamics, process control and the study of polymers. On-campus facilities offer students the opportunity to participate in research with professors.