Why Pursue a Master's in Chemical Engineering at Columbia?

• Research Opportunities

  Engage with research across a broad range of areas in the Department of Chemical Engineering and beyond. Faculty are working on projects in biopolymers, protein engineering, carbon capture, the biochemistry of DNA sequencing, and more, while centers like the multidisciplinary Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center are developing sustainable technologies to address pressing global problems. 

• Holistic Expertise

  Tackle challenges from many angles to find nuanced solutions. Faculty within Chemical Engineering collaborate with experts at Columbia in other areas, like public policy, environmental science, and public health, which will expand your perspective and help you learn to develop responsible technologies that keep the big picture in mind.

• World-Class Facilities

  Enjoy access to state-of-the-art research instrumentation and graduate with confidence to work in any setting. You’ll find specialized equipment in faculty labs and shared facilities in the Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center, the Soft Materials laboratory, and the Columbia Genome Center, as well as in the Department of Chemistry. 
  
   

• Career-Focused Concentrations

  Take advantage of concentrations in Climate Solutions, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals, Data and Computational Science, and Electrochemical Energy to build experience in areas of growth and increasing importance to addressing global challenges. 
• Comprehensive Career Support

  Our dedicated Assistant Director of Graduate Career Placement can provide you with expert advice both during your studies and after graduation. You’ll receive personalized career guidance, application support, tailored workshops, and access to exclusive job opportunities within the chemical engineering sector and beyond.

• MS/PhD Track Option

  If you hold an appropriate bachelor’s degree in Engineering and already know you want to undertake a PhD, you can apply to our MS/PhD Track. You will be considered a doctoral student and will be eligible to receive equivalent funding. If you are not successful, you could still be offered a place on our MS program.

• Entrepreneurship Opportunities

  Considering launching a startup during your studies or after you graduate? Columbia Engineering Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship team can help you develop the business acumen to successfully launch your venture.

  The team offers specialist entrepreneurship courses, bootcamps, networking opportunities and spaces for prototyping and testing. They also organize competitions with opportunities to win seed funding. 

  Explore Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Chemical Engineering Master's Program Details

• Admission Requirements

  To be admitted to our Master of Science program, students must demonstrate B-average or better performance in a science or engineering undergraduate curriculum. 

  Besides undergraduate GPA, the MS admissions committee also considers GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. 

  All MS applicants are expected to have completed General Chemistry I and II, Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III (multi-variable calculus), and an Ordinary Differential Equations Course. 

  While most applicants for the Master of Science program have an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, this is not necessarily a requirement. The field of chemical engineering is broad in scope, so we encourage applicants who hold undergraduate degrees in chemistry, polymer science, physics, materials science, or any engineering discipline to apply. 

  While the exact program for each student is adapted to his or her previous training, students admitted without a chemical engineering undergraduate degree are normally required to participate in the Scientist to Engineer program. This special program saves the MS student both the time and expense of the undergraduate chemical engineering program. 

  A list of application requirements, including materials you will need to submit to be considered for admission into our program, is described here.

  Full Application Requirements
• Scientist to Engineer

  A student who is admitted to the MS program without an undergraduate degree that is equivalent to an ABET accredited chemical engineering baccalaureate degree is given Scientist to Engineer (S2E) status. These students must complete CHEN E4001, Essentials of Chemical Engineering A, and CHEN E4002, Essentials of Chemical Engineering B, in their first semester. These courses cover essentials from the undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum in an intensive, accelerated way in 6 credits. These 6 points of credit must be taken and passed in addition to the 30 points of graduate credit required for the MS itself, so that these students need a total of 36 credits to graduate. Typically this can be accomplished in 3 semesters.

  After completing CHEN E4001 and CHEN E4002, students admitted with S2E status must also take CHEN E4010, Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering, as part of the core requirement, and a graduate-level chemical engineering course with substantial design content as one of their technical electives.

  Chemical Engineering Scientist to Engineer (S2E) FAQ
• Beyond the Master of Science Program

  Students in the Master of Science program who later decide they would like to obtain a PhD in chemical engineering at Columbia would need to formally apply to Columbia’s PhD program after completion of their first term at Columbia. Acceptance into the PhD program would not be assured. As such, students would be in competition with all other applicants to the PhD program.

  Applicants holding a BS in chemical engineering who wish to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering at Columbia should apply directly to the MS leading to PhD program rather than only the Master of Science program. While it is against school policy to allow application to more than one program/department per term, applicants to the MS leading to PhD program may choose to indicate on their application that they would consider admission to the MS only. 

• Program Educational Objectives

  Graduates of the Chemical Engineering Program achieve success in one or more of the following within a few years of graduation:

  1. Careers in industries that require technical expertise in chemical engineering.
  2. Leadership positions in industries that require technical expertise in chemical engineering.
  3. Graduate-level studies in chemical engineering and related technical or scientific fields (e.g. biomedical or environmental engineering, materials science).
  4. Careers outside of engineering that take advantage of an engineering education, such as business, management, finance, law, medicine, or education.
  5. A commitment to life-long learning and service within their chosen profession.
• Important Links

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  • Bulletin
  • Old Chemical Engineering Study Plan*
  • New Chemical Engineering Study Plan*
  • Chemical Engineering Registration Form
  • "Old" Chemical Engineering Technical Electives List
  • "New" Chemical Engineering Technical Electives List
  • Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Concentrations
  • Course Equivalency Form for Combined Plan Students
  • Course Equivalency Form for Transfer Students
  • SEAS Outside/Summer Credit Approval Form
  • Chemical Engineering Senior Thesis Guidelines

  *Note: students in the Classes of 2026 & 2027 may choose to use either the "new" or "old" study plan. Students in the Class of 2028 and later are required to use the "New" study plan.

• Student Outcomes

  Upon graduation, we expect our students to have:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
• Enrollment and Graduation Statistics

  	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
  Sophomores	19	15	11	13	19	25
  Juniors	38	30	23	19	17	22
  Seniors	31	37	29	22	19	16
  Total	88	82	63	54	55	63

  	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
  Graduates	31	39	29	21	20	14

Requirements

• Degree Requirements

  To earn your PhD, you must:

  • Only for students who have not yet earned an MS before their time in our program: Earn satisfactory grades in the four core courses (CHEN E4010 MATH METHODS IN CHEMICAL ENGIN, CHEN E4110 MECHANISMS OF TRANSPORT, CHEN E4330 ADVANCED CHEMICAL KINETICS, CHEN E4130 ADV CHEM ENGI THERMODYNAMICS/CHAP E4120 STATISTICAL MECHANICS AND COMP METHODS);
  • pass a Qualifying Examination;
  • pass a Proposal Examination within 12 months of passing the Qualifying Examination;
  • pass a Dissertation Defense; and
  • satisfy course requirements beyond the four core courses.

Requirements

• Application Requirements

  Mandatory requirements:

  • Online application form
  • MS and BS degrees from accredited institutions in engineering or a related science discipline, such as earth, climate, environmental science, chemistry, biology, physics, or hydrology.
  • Transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Resumé or CV
  • Personal statement
  • $85 non-refundable application fee
  • International applicants, or applicants whose undergraduate and/or master’s degree was received in a country in which English is not the official spoken language, must submit:
    • Results of an English language test. Accepted tests include the Test of English as a Foreign Language iBT (TOEFL) - including TOEFL iBT Home Edition, International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic), or Duolingo English Test (DET). The ETS School Code for the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is 2111.
    • Translation of the official transcript(s) and degree/diploma certificate(s) if the institution(s) attended does not issue transcripts in English. The translation must be conducted by a reputable service provider. 

  Optional Requirements

  • Any publications that you have written. Whilst this is not mandatory research, this experience is valued.
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Scores (School Code: 2111)
  • You may be invited to an interview
• Degree Requirements

  To earn your PhD, you must:

  • Complete 60 credits, with up to 30 credits transferable from previous graduate coursework
  • Pass a qualifying examination
  • Successfully defend your research proposal

Why Get your Master's in Carbon Management at Columbia?

• Impactful Career Opportunities

  This program will provide you with the engineering expertise and strategic vision needed to drive sustainable solutions that tackle the global energy crisis, cut carbon emissions, and ensure long-term ecological stability.

• Additional Certificate in Carbon Management

  You will receive a Certificate in Carbon Management as well as an MS degree from the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering.

• Research Opportunities

  You’ll undertake hands-on research and collaborate with faculty to help develop solutions and technologies that address multiscale carbon capture, conversion, utilization, and storage research.

• Access to the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy

  The MS program is part of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy. As well as access to pioneering research, you’ll have opportunities to attend specialist carbon management events held by the Center, including colloquiums, research conferences and guest lectures.

• Problem-Solving Skills

  Our classes will teach you to critically examine challenging industrial problems and proposed solutions through the application of numerical, experimental, and theoretical frameworks.

• Multidisciplinary and Diverse Cohort

  You will be learning with peers from a wide range of disciplines, professional experiences, and geographic locations. This exposure will help you develop a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of carbon management and its extensive societal implications.

• Comprehensive Career Support

  Our dedicated Assistant Director of Graduate Career Placement can provide you with expert advice both during your studies and after graduation. You’ll receive personalized career guidance, application support, tailored workshops, and access to exclusive job opportunities within the earth and environmental engineering sector and beyond.

Course List

• Core Courses
  • A Better Planet by Design
  • Carbon Capture
  • Carbon Storage
  • CO₂ Utilization and Conversion
  • Introduction to Carbon Management
• Electives
  • Alternative Energy Resources
  • Closing the Carbon Cycle
  • Earth and Environmental Engineering Research
  • Earth and Environmental Engineering Thesis
  • Earth Resources and Sustainable Development
  • Energy Sources and Conversion
  • Energy System Economics and Optimization
  • Humans and the Carbon Cycle
  • Industrial Ecology of Manufacturing
  • Machine Learning for Environmental Engineering
  • Solar Fuels
  • Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
  • Uncertainty/Risk – Civil Infrastructure Systems

Requirements

• Application Requirements

  Mandatory requirements:

  • Online application form
  • A bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field from an accredited institution
  • Transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Resumé or CV
  • Personal statement
  • $85 non-refundable application fee
  • International applicants, or applicants whose undergraduate degree was received in a country in which English is not the official spoken language, must submit:
    • Results of an English language test. Accepted tests include the Test of English as a Foreign Language iBT (TOEFL) - including TOEFL iBT Home Edition, International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic), or Duolingo English Test (DET). The ETS School Code for the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is 2111.
    • Translation of the official transcript(s) and degree/diploma certificate(s) if the institution(s) attended does not issue transcripts in English. The translation must be conducted by a reputable service provider. 

  Optional requirements:

  • Any publications that you have written
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Scores (School Code: 2111)
  • You may be invited to an interview

  See full application instructions

• Degree Requirements

  To graduate from our MS Carbon Management program, you must complete:

  • 30 credits of graduate coursework
  • Additional undergraduate level science courses depending on your academic background
  • The combination of credits can either be:
    • 24 credits of lecture courses and 6 credits of research culminating in a Master’s Thesis.
    • 27 credits of lecture courses, 3 credits of research which involves assisting a faculty member with ongoing analytical or experimental research, and a term paper describing your part in that research.
    • 30 credits of lecture courses approved by the Advisor. However, a thesis is strongly recommended.

  Your academic plan of studies must be approved by the faculty by the second month of your first semester at Columbia.

Why Get your Master's in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia?

• Research Opportunities

  Engage in research that drives real change and addresses global environmental challenges. You’ll have the chance to assist faculty with their research projects and gain firsthand insight into the vital role of earth and environmental engineering.

• Faculty Who Are Leaders in the Field

  Join a department full of active scholars who are pioneering research in areas like energy-efficient desalination, resource recovery from waste materials, and AI-empowered climate modeling.

• Flexible Program Options

  Don’t interrupt your career. We offer full-time and part-time options so you can fit your MS studies around your professional and personal commitments.

• Career-focused Electives

  Focus your studies in one of three elective specializations including Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Mining and Materials, and Water Resources and Climate Risks. You also have the option to design your own elective specialization to reflect your personal interests and career goals.

• Comprehensive Career Support

  Our dedicated Assistant Director of Graduate Career Placement can provide you with expert advice both during your studies and after graduation. You’ll receive personalized career guidance, application support, tailored workshops, and access to exclusive job opportunities within the earth and environmental engineering sector and beyond.

• MS/PhD Track Option

  If you hold an appropriate bachelor’s degree in Engineering and already know you want to undertake a PhD, you can apply to our MS/PhD Track. You will be considered a doctoral student and will be eligible to receive equivalent funding. If you are not successful, you could still be offered a place on our MS program.

What will I learn?

• Sustainable Energy Elective Specialization

  Explore, design and test energy technologies and infrastructure to address environmental and resource challenges.

  Structure:

  • Core courses:
    • A Better Planet by Design
    • Energy Sources and Conversion
    • Energy System Economics and Optimization
    • Introduction to Carbon Management
  • Three-credit research course or six-credit thesis
  • Specialized electives

  Find out more!
• Sustainable Mining and Materials Elective Specialization

  Learn how to develop innovative engineering solutions to ensure the sustainable use and transformation of the Earth’s resources.

  Structure:

  • Core courses:
    • A Better Planet by Design
    • Industrial Ecology of Manufacturing
    • Introduction to Surface and Colloid Chemistry
    • Introduction to Sustainable Production of Earth Mineral and Metal Resources
  • Three-credit research course or six-credit thesis
  • Specialized electives 

  Find out more!
• Water Resources and Climate Risks Elective Specialization

  Tackle the urgent challenges of water quality management on this climate-focused elective specialization.

  Structure:

  • Core courses:
    • A Better Planet by Design
    • Environmental Data Analysis and Modeling
    • Hydrosystems
    • Machine Learning for Environmental Engineering and Science
    • Management of Water Systems
    • Sustainable Water Treatment and Reuse
  • Specialized electives

  Find out more!
• Design your own elective specialization

  You also have the option to design your own elective specialization in consultation with your supervisor. This enables you to focus your studies to reflect your individual research and career interests. 

   

   

Requirements

• Application Requirements

  Mandatory requirements:

  • Online application form
  • A bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field from an accredited institution
  • Transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Résumé or CV
  • Personal statement
  • $85 non-refundable application fee
  • International applicants, or applicants whose undergraduate degree was received in a country in which English is not the official spoken language, must submit:
    • Results of an English language test. Accepted tests include the Test of English as a Foreign Language iBT (TOEFL) — including TOEFL iBT Home Edition, International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic), or Duolingo English Test (DET). The ETS School Code for the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is 2111.
    • Translation of the official transcript(s) and degree/diploma certificate(s) if the institution(s) attended does not issue transcripts in English. The translation must be conducted by a reputable service provider. 

  Optional requirements:

  • Any publications that you have written
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Scores (School Code: 2111)
  • You may be invited to an interview

  See full application instructions
• Degree Requirements

  To graduate from our MS in Earth and Environmental Engineering program, you must complete:

  • 30 credits of graduate coursework
  • Some undergraduate level science courses depending on your academic background
  • The combination of credits can either be:
    • 24 credits of lecture courses and 6 credits of research culminating in a Master’s Thesis.
    • 27 credits of lecture courses, 3 credits of research which involves assisting a faculty member with ongoing analytical or experimental research, and a term paper describing your part in that research.
    • 30 credits of lecture courses approved by the Advisor. However, a thesis is strongly recommended.

  Your academic plan of studies must be approved by the faculty by the second month of your first semester at Columbia.

Why Study Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia?

• Field-Leading Faculty

  Join a department full of active scholars publishing pioneering research in areas like energy-efficient desalination, resource recovery from waste materials, and AI-empowered climate modeling.

• Research Opportunities & Project-Based Learning

  Our curriculum offers the perfect balance of theory and practice.

  From the Art of Engineering course in your first semester to your year-long senior design project, you'll learn how to apply engineering principles to solve real-world problems.

  Opportunities to support faculty with external research projects will complement your studies and expand your theoretical understanding of this diverse and far-reaching field.

• New York City

  Studying in NYC will exposure you to diverse urban and natural environments, offering a perfect living laboratory to engage with issues like urban pollution and coastal management. A hub for research and industry, the city is an ideal place to find internships and make connections for your future.

• Focus on Sustainability

  Engage in problem solving at the intersection of natural and engineered systems by applying technical skills to critical water, energy, minerals, and decarbonization challenges.

• ABET Accreditation

  The BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Environmental Engineering and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

  
  ABET is a nonprofit organization that draws on industry experts to develop standards for education programs in science, computing, and engineering. Accreditation indicates that our program has met its rigorous standards for equipping engineering professionals for the field.

• Comprehensive Career Support

  Our dedicated Assistant Director of Graduate Career Placement can provide you with expert advice both during your studies and after graduation. You’ll receive personalized career guidance, application support, tailored workshops, and access to exclusive job opportunities within the earth and environmental engineering sector and beyond. 

  With strong industry connections, we also facilitate networking events and internships that give you the experience and confidence to stand out in the competitive job market.

• Major or Minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering

  If you are interested in our department but want to major in another field, you can still minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering. Due to our broad and multidisciplinary scope, a number of our courses are already required across other engineering departments. As well as developing interdisciplinary knowledge, this structure will ensure your workload is manageable.

Requirements

• Application Requirements

  What we look for:

  • Transcripts and school reports. We accept all secondary school qualifications (AP, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge A Levels, National School curricula, etc.). We do not have standardized requirements or “cut-off” test scores for first-year admission but we do expect to see coursework in physics and calculus.
  • Teacher recommendations. We would like to learn more about your contributions in the classroom and at school, as well as what you might offer to your Columbia classmates.
  • Responses to our Columbia-specific application questions. Your answers will provide us with insight into your intellectual interests and the way in which your curiosity and sense of community might translate to Columbia’s campus.
  • A personal statement. We review applications in context, taking into account the multiple, intersecting ways that you have been shaped by your family circumstances. Understanding who you are, what your home responsibilities are, whether you have experienced any systemic and situational barriers and advantages will ensure we can review your application fairly and accurately.
  • English language proficiency. If your home language is not English or if your secondary school studies were predominantly in another language, you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. Visit our English Proficiency Requirements for accepted exams and minimum score requirements.

  How to Apply

• Degree Requirements

  BS in Earth and Environmental Engineering

  To graduate from our BS program you must complete:

  • 18 credits (approximately six courses) of technical Earth and Environmental Engineering electives during your final two years.
  • The Columbia liberal arts core. This is typically satisfied during the first two years, although you can undertake non-technical electives during your final two years.

  Minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering

  To earn a minor in Earth and Environmental Engineering, you must complete:

  • Six courses selected from a specified list approved by your undergraduate advisor.

Master of Science Program Pathways

• BS Double Degree: Maths and Physics

  Available Master of Science programs:

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Applied Physics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Data Science
  • Earth and Environmental Engineering
  • Financial Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Operations Research
  • Quantum Science and Technology
• BS Double Degree: Maths and Computer Science

  Available Master of Science programs:

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Data Science
  • Earth and Environmental Engineering
  • Financial Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Operations Research
  • Quantum Science and Technology
• BS Double Degree: Maths and Economics

  Available Master of Science programs:

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Computer Science
  • Data Science
  • Earth and Environmental Engineering
  • Financial Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Operations Research