Program Overview 

We thank you for your interest in the graduate program in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering department at Tulane University. Currently, the department consists of 10 research active faculty members, each with unique backgrounds and research interests and 40 graduate students from all around the world including India, China, Germany, Colombia, and USA. Our program is committed to offer graduate students a high level of education as well as the opportunity to perform highly diverse and interdisciplinary research under the close mentorship of our faculty members.

Graduate students have access to a wide range of state-of-the-art research equipment, including imaging, spectroscopy and computational equipment, which have enabled quality research and publications in high impact research journals.

What to expect as a graduate student in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering department at Tulane?

• PhD students receive a stipend of $23,000 per year under the Teaching Assistantship program.
• US citizens are considered for a BOR fellowship for 4 years.
• Sign-on bonuses are offered to exceptional students.
• Tuition fees are waived by the department.
• Health Insurance is subsidized by the department.
• PhD students are matched to a research advisor at the end of their first semester.
• PhD students take courses and carry on research during the duration of their studies, which varies between 3 to 5 years.

In addition to obtaining a high level of education, our graduate students also take advantage of what the city has to offer. Situated in New Orleans, Tulane University is in close proximity to the famous French Quarter, which offers some of the best cuisine in the country and is world-renowned in entertainment and performing arts.

And most importantly - Based on the events unfolding from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will reflect educational objectives that are distinctive to Tulane and to New Orleans. In addition to providing a highly rigorous education in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Department will work under University guidance to provide our students with tremendous opportunities to help rebuild the city and community.

The Department seeks to recruit the most talented students to its graduate program. Full financial aid (tuition + a stipend) is given to all students admitted to the Doctoral Program. Highly qualified undergraduates are strongly encouraged to apply. Prospective applicants are encouraged to write to the Graduate Coordinator at npesika@tulane.edu.

Admissions

Students with a strong academic background and a serious interest in scientific research are encouraged to apply for admission to the graduate program. Students with undergraduate degrees in other engineering disciplines or the sciences (e.g., chemistry, physics, mathematics) are frequently accepted and thus also encouraged to apply. (In such cases, additional undergraduate courses in chemical engineering are normally required to make up deficiencies.) Every applicant is expected to take the GRE General Test. The TOEFL examination is required for students whose native language is not English.

Applications for the fall semester should be received by December 31, if at all possible. Students interested in starting in the spring semester should submit their applications by October 15. Although we encourage applicants to adhere to these deadlines, applications that are received after the deadlines will be considered as long as admission slots are unfilled.

The Department seeks to recruit the most talented students to its graduate program. Full financial aid (tuition + a stipend) is given to all students admitted to the Doctoral Program. Highly qualified undergraduates are strongly encouraged to apply. Prospective applicants are encouraged to write to the Graduate Coordinator at npesika@tulane.edu.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is awarded on the basis of academic merit. Assistance is available in the form of tuition waivers and/or stipends. All full- time graduate students working towards a Ph.D degree receive a full tuition waiver plus stipend. The Department is the beneficiary of the Spahr Graduate Fellowship Funds, which will be used to make our stipends highly competitive with peer institutions.

BOR Fellowships. Qualified applicants from the United States are encouraged to inquire about Louisiana Board of Regents (BOR) Fellowships. These competitive fellowships are intended to support top domestic candidates for four years of graduate study at Tulane. Competition for these fellowships is intense and there is an application deadline of February 1st. Please contact the Graduate Advisor for more information.

Teaching and Research Assistantships are available for students who express the intent to study towards the PhD Degree. These Assistantships carry a highly competitive stipend and a full tuition waiver.

Molecular and Cellular Biology Program

The Department of Chemical Engineering and the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Tulane established in 1993 a combined degree program in which graduate students earn an M.S. degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. The combined degree program provides graduate students with a strong theoretical and research background in both engineering and the biological sciences. This unique education is designed to prepare future bioengineers and biotechnologists to work in a discipline that is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. It is at the interface between engineering and biological sciences where many of the breakthroughs in these two fields occur.

The graduate MCB program involves a total of 80 faculty from Tulane University's School of Medicine, School of Engineering, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, the Health and Environmental Research Center, and the Tulane Regional Primate Research Center. Faculty and students pursue research in a wide variety of topics, including cell- membrane phenomena, DNA replication and recombination, molecular and developmental neurobiology, protein design and engineering, gene therapy, and environmental pathobiology.

During the first two years, students are required to take specific core courses in engineering, molecular biology and cell biology and attend a seminar series in which faculty and students present their particular research. In addition, students are introduced to research during the first year of graduate training by a program of rotations through faculty laboratories. At the end of the first year, it is expected that each student will select a research supervisor and will have initiated their dissertation research.

To apply to the Combined Degree Program, please send a request for application materials to Professor Kim O'Connor.

Prof. Kim O'Connor
Chemical Engineering Dept.
Tulane University
Lindy Boggs Center Room 300
New Orleans, LA 70118
Phone: (504) 865-5740
E-mail: koc@tulane.edu

Graduate Courses

Printable Curriculum

CENG 600 Chemical Engineering Research Seminar (0) Lecture 1.
Students are exposed to the important research findings, presented by invited speakers as well as by professors and advanced PhD candidates of our own department.

CENG 601 Mathematical Methods for Engineers (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisite: MATH 224. Review of calculus and ordinary differential equations, series solutions and special functions, complex variables, partial differential equations, and integral transforms.

CENG 611 Thermodynamics and Properties of Matter (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisite: CHEM 311. Molecular thermodynamics of multi-component systems are reviewed with particular attention to separation processes. Thermal and chemical equilibrium properties are examined for pure and mixed fluids.

CENG 612 Graduate Transport Phenomena (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisites: 232, 333, 334, and MATH 221, MATH 224 or equivalents. Mathematical formulation and solution of problems involving theoretical concepts in fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics and elementary reaction theory. Emphasis is placed upon transient transport processes and the associated partial differential equations.

CENG 613 Surface and Colloid Phenomena (3) Lecture 3.
A study of surface and colloid chemistry. Topics include characterization of particles and surfaces, stability of colloidal systems, interactions of charged particles, and electrokinetic phenomena.

CENG 616 Heterogeneous Catalysis (3) Lecture 3.
A study of the fundamental concepts underlying catalytic processes in the petroleum processing industry and in synthetic fuels research. Topics include molecular theories of adsorption and catalysis, catalyst design and formulation, instrumental methods of catalyst characterization, transport in catalysts, shape-selective catalysis, etc. Applications discussed include catalytic cracking, reforming, hydrodesulfurization, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, direct and indirect coal liquefaction, etc.

CENG 625 Applied Numerical Analysis (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisite: CENG 323 or equivalent, MATH 224. Numerical techniques for the solution of mathematical problems in the engineering analysis of systems are presented for computer implementation. Topics include interpolation, integration, solution of systems of linear and nonlinear algebraic equations, optimization, and regression. A comparison of numerical solution methods for ordinary and partial differential equations is given. Eigenvalue and split boundary problems are included.

CENG 633 Advanced Separations Design (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisites: CENG 232, 333, 334 or approval of instructor. Design of separations processes based upon newer technologies. Special emphasis is placed upon membrane separations and those processes involving colloidal and surface phenomena.

CENG 640 Introduction to Gene Therapy (3) Lecture 3.
A survey into the fundamental aspects of gene delivery and their application to gene therapy. Topics include various gene carriers, carrier/DNA interaction and complex formation, complex interactions with cells and cell structures, targeting, gene therapy applications, host response. A knowledge of cell and molecular biology is not required.

CENG 642 Advanced Materials Design (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisites: consent of instructor. Fundamentals of condensed matter are elaborated upon, namely bonding, structure, physical properties, phase equilibria and thermodynamics of solids. Characterization of condensed phases as it reviewed. Manipulation of material properties for specific applications is discussed.

CENG 645 Applied Biochemistry I (3) Lecture 3.

Prerequisite: CHEM 241/243. Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry and chemical processes involved with the molecules that are utilized by living organisms. This two-semester series will provide an in-depth coverage of carbon- and nitrogen-containing molecules such as proteins and DNA and certain cofactors. In the first semester enzyme kinetics and catalysis will be covered, along with carbohydrates and their metabolism.  The metabolic pathways and associated bioenergetics of glycolysis and the TCA cycle will be examined in detail.  The material will be related to everyday life, diet, nutrition, and exercise performance.

CENG 646 Applied Biochemistry II (3) Lecture 3.

Prerequisite: CENG 645. This course is a continuation of CENG 645 (please refer to the related course description). Principles taught in CENG 645 will be extended as they are applied to lipids and nitrogen-containing molecules, and the metabolism of each. Example molecules include fats, triglycerides, DNA, amino acids, heme, and urea. The interplay of biochemistry and molecular biology will also be examined.

CENG 655 Sol-Gel Science (3) Lecture 3.
A study of chemistry, physics, and applications of sol gel processing. Designs and fabrications of functional and nanostructured materials. Recent advances of sol-gel science in nanotechnology, microelectronics, and biomedical engineering.

CENG 671 Biochemical Engineering (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisite CENG 250 or equivalent. An advanced course in biochemical engineering. Topics include enzyme catalyzed and cell-associated reactions, engineering aspects of recombinant DNA technology, cell culture, bioreactors and tissue engineering.

CENG 677 Advances in Biotechnology (3) Lecture 3.

The objectives of the course are to enhance understanding of the basic principles of biotechnology and to introduce the most current biotechnology research. Topics include gene therapy, microbial pesticides, genetically engineered food, stem-cell technology and tissue engineering.

CENG 686 Readings and Research (2-4).

CENG 689 Polymer Engineering and Science (3) Lecture 3.
Fundamentals of polymer science and engineering, including synthesis, characterization, properties and processing of polymeric materials. An overview of polymer structure, including classification, tacticity, conformation and configuration will be given. Synthetic techniques will be reviewed, including addition and condensation polymerization and copolymerization. Polymer thermodynamics will be described, including an introduction to Flory-Huggins theory, as well as polymer-polymer miscibility and blends. A brief overview of characterization will be given, including molecular weight and glass transition temperature determination. Properties will be discussed, including mechanical properties of semi-crystalline polymers and elastomers. The time-temperature superposition principle will be described, as well as a brief introduction to processing techniques.

CENG 712 Thermodynamics of Macromolecules (3) Lecture 3.
Prerequisite: 611 or equivalent. Thermodynamics is applied to macromolecules. Fundamentals of the thermodynamics of polymers in solution and in the melt. Topics of polymer self-assembly, polymer-surfactant interactions, and polymer nanocomposites are incorporated in the course. Students will learn methods of characterization of polymer thermodynamics using spectroscopy, microscopy and scattering techniques.

CENG 715 Advanced Reactor Design (3) Lecture 3.
Coupled reaction and transport phenomena as they are involved in major reactor configurations are studied with attention to data resources and computational capabilities.

CENG 752 Applied Statistical Mechanics (3) Lecture 3.
The course covers the fundamental principles and methods of statistical mechanics. Emphasis is placed on applications to thermodynamics, phase behavior, polymer science and self-assembly phenomena.

CENG 781, 782 Advanced Independent Research (3).
Research studies performed under faculty tutelage by prior arrangement.

CENG 788 Polymer Rheology (3) Lecture 3.
Non-Newtonian phenomena, material functions and generalized Newtonian fluids, rheometry, linear viscoelasticity, multiphase systems and mixing.

CENG 789 Adv Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials (3) Lecture 3.
This course will cover various topics on the design, synthesis and applications of polymers and nanocomposites. The goals of this course is to teach the students basic polymer science, in particular, polymer synthesis and characterization, and to expose the students to the current-state-of-art polymer research. The representative topics include basic polymer synthesis and characterization, supramolecular assembly, functional polymers, polymeric nanocomposites, biopolymers, and polymeric devices.

CENG 791-794 Master's Level Research Orientation and Methods (1,1,1,1)

CENG 891, 892 Doctoral Level Research Seminar (1,1)

CENG 998 Master's Research

CENG 999 Dissertation Research

Master of Science Degree

The M.S. degree emphasizes the enhancement of knowledge in the field of chemical engineering, above what is gained in the undergraduate curriculum.

For students completing a thesis, 24 hours of approved graduate course work are required (students who receive a graduate fellowship must complete a thesis). The full-time M.S. normally requires two years of full-time graduate study beyond the B.S. degree. With the approval of the department, part-time students may also select a non-thesis option which requires 30 credits of approved graduate course work. These courses must include three of the core graduate chemical engineering courses: Transport Phenomena I; Transport Phenomena II; Advanced Reactor Design; Applied Thermodynamics, and Applied Statistical Mechanics. Master's candidates are also allowed 6 independent study credits toward the 24/30 credit requirement.

Frequently, students without an undergraduate chemical engineering degree will enroll in the graduate program. To ensure that all students are familiar with the fundamental principles required of chemical engineers, students entering the graduate program with a bachelor's degree in an area other than chemical engineering will be required to take four undergraduate courses, Unit Operations I, II and III, and one of either Reactor Design, Process Control or Process Design. On the recommendation of the Graduate Committee, these requirements can be modified based on each student's specific background. These undergraduate courses do not count toward the total graduate-level credit requirement for the advanced degree. Graduate students may take these courses out of sequence and/or concurrently in order to expedite completion of this requirement.

The Department provides financial aid only for students who have stated the intent of continuing towards the Ph.D. Full time students in the MS program are encouraged to continue towards this terminal degree that designates their role as a scholar.