Though the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is consistently ranked the best U.S. graduate school for chemical engineering, many other schools follow the same general theme when advancing students through graduate coursework. The early courses focus on numerical methodology and energy conversion, along with courses in molecular and biochemical processes. Many of these topics are covered in undergraduate coursework, but not in such detail and application.
Most graduate schools in chemical engineering require students to pass classes geared toward chemical applications in thermodynamics. This includes various mixtures of fluids but also various calculations of equilibrium. Chemical reactions are studied in other required courses, as well as the effects of various catalysts. These classes focus on engineering chemical reactions in various forms then analyzing the effects of various stimuli such as heat or catalytic conversions.
At Penn State University, graduate students in chemical engineering are required to take several courses on transport phenomena, which entails studying momentum, heat energy and the transfer of chemical and biological properties. These transfers are then analyzed as they apply to numerous manufacturing, medical or commercial processes. More advanced courses in transfer phenomena include the subjects of molecular diffusion, DNA, coefficient calculations and boundary determination.
Much like master's degree programs in most fields, graduate chemical engineering schools usually require students to undergo practical applications of their coursework equivalent to nine credit hours and sometimes more. These include professor-guided projects, thesis research projects and laboratory work geared toward expanding upon classroom studies. Graduate schools in chemical engineering typically require a completed thesis project of varying lengths and scopes.