Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Sean Kelly
Lin Lin
Department Leadership:
Interim Department Chair: Shikha Nangia (snangia@syr.edu)
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program Director: Shikha Nangia (snangia@syr.edu)
Chemical Engineering Graduate Program Director: Jesse Bond (jqbond@syr.edu)
Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Program Director: Pun To (Douglas) Yung (ptyung@syr.edu)
Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Program Director: Katie Cadwell (kdcadwel@syr.edu)
Department Office:
329 Link Hall
Business Hours: 8:30 am-5:00 pm (academic year)
8:00 am-4:30 pm (summer)
Department Staff:
BMCE promotes flexible work policies for staff, please check below for more information:
Works remotely on Thursday and Friday typically (skreding@syr.edu)
Job primary responsibilities:
- Manage the financial resources for BMCE including department operating funds, restricted funds, and startup funds.
- Process and maintain faculty, staff, and student payroll appointments.
- Review and approve all requests for orders relating to BMCE.
- Review and approve all requests for reimbursement of expenses or travel related to BMCE.
- Assist faculty with all aspects of proposal budget preparation and submission of required documents to the Office of Sponsored Programs.
- Interpret both agency and university policies and procedures.
- Manage the sponsored portfolio for faculty in BMCE, manage fiscal reports, account receivables, and assist the faculty in determining funds available and timing of Human Resources payroll appointments to ensure continued support for grant employees.
Works remotely on Monday and Wednesday typically (emstojan@syr.edu)
Job primary responsibilities:
- Responsible for graduate student processes, faculty and post doc hiring, and curricula support/scheduling for the department.
- Manage the processing of graduate student forms including petitions, independent study proposals, degree certifications and OPT/CPT recommendations.
- Handle the graduate admissions process for the department, research/teaching assistantship appointments, as well as the 4+1 program application and admission process.
Works remotely on Wednesday and Friday typically (aforbes@syr.edu)
Job primary responsibilities:
- Place orders for the department and departmental labs and courses.
- Reconcile the faculty procards.
- Maintain the department’s key log and processing key requests.
- Request BMCE student, faculty, and staff card access to ECS spaces.
- Help BMCE students and faculty with reserving space as needed.
- Assist with the planning and coordination of departmental seminar and speaker visits.
- Assist with the planning and coordination of faculty candidates interviews and campus visits.
Email: dstablei@syr.edu
Job primary responsibilities:
- Program coordinator for ESTEEMED LEADERS.
- Manage the day-to-day operations of the program:
- Serve as the primary contact for ESTEEMED LEADERS students.
- Hold one-on-one meetings with students.
- Schedule program meetings.
- Schedule and develop the Summer Bridge program for ESTEEMED LEADERS, communicate information, track student development.
- Manage purchases for the program.
- Support the recruitment of ESTEEMED LEADERS:
- Schedule informational events with high schools.
- Prepare advertisements, promote the program via social media.
- Compile student applications and provide information to prospective students and their families.
- Manage the day-to-day operations of the program:
- Perform routine office work for the department such as maintaining office supplies, processing orders and maintaining public spaces within the department suite.
- Manage the department's social media.
Links:
Commonly Used forms:
- Petition to Faculty
- Proposal for Independent Study Course
- Certification of Full-Time Status for Matriculated Graduate Students
- Request for Examination (MS Thesis or PhD Dissertation)
- Qualifying Exam Scheduling Form
- Key Request Form
- Space Reservation Form
Course Lists:
Introduction to cell types and structure, nucleic acids, proteins and enzyme kinetics. Gene expression including transcription, translation and post-translational modification. Introduction to genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics. Genetic engineering and tissue engineering. Applications to biotechnology.
Introduction to material, energy, charge, and momentum balances in biological systems. Overview of the field of bioengineering. Technological bases for established and emerging subfields.
Fluid statics. Shear stress and viscosity. Energy and momentum balances for flow systems. Dimensional analysis. Friction and drag coefficients. Turbulent flow of compressible and incompressible fluids. Non-Newtonian fluids.
PREREQ MAT 397 AND (PHY 212 OR PHY 216)
Students will analyze the human health impact of exposure to toxic chemicals in air, water, and soil according to USEPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund. Additional work required of graduate students.
Basics of imaging techniques useful for biological and medical applications. Microscopy, electron microscopy, acoustic microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging. Discussion of images and literature. MRI laboratory exercises.
Students learn the governing principles of conventional and advanced manufacturing techniques, which are adapted/modified to engineer living tissues/organs, biomedical products and test-platforms for investigating fundamental cell biology. Additional work required for grad students.
Measurement and analysis of biological signals in the time and frequency domain. Operational amplifiers, analog, and digital signal processing; sensors and sources of biopotentials; biopotential electrodes. Matlab, Labview and C programming.
PREREQ ELE 231 AND ELE 251
Measurement and analysis of biological signals in the time and frequency domain. Operational amplifiers, analog, and digital signal processing; sensors and sources of biopotentials; biopotential electrodes.
COREQ BEN 465 AND BEN 481
Bioengineering design experience. Lecture, discussion, active learning components. Team design of biomedical system, device, or process from concept through prototype production. Includes design strategy, reliability, FDA regulations, patents, oral, and written presentations.
Covers wide-ranging topics related to stem cell and regenerative biology, including: introduction of cell and developmental biology, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and the political and ethical issues surrounding the stem cell debate.
Polymer structure, physical properties, and applications of polymers. Polymer synthesis, characterization of molecular structure, and copolymerization and blending. Unique physical properties of polymeric materials. Processing and applications of polymers.
Functions and mechanical properties of cells and tissues, how those cells and tissues combine to form structures, the properties and behaviors of those structures, and biomechanical techniques to analyze the structures and individual components.
PREREQ ECS 221 AND MAT 485 AND BEN 364
Bioengineering solution development experience. Team development of a bioengineering innovation. Brainstorm, design, iterate and test hypotheses. Lecture and experiential learning. Hands on concept development and evaluation, bioengineering industry exposure, visual management, oral, and poster presentations.
Material balances for single units and multistage processes. Recycle and bypass streams. Introduction to phase equilibrium. Energy balances including latent and sensible heat effects, heats of reaction.
Thermodynamics of homogeneous mixtures and mixing processes. Phase equilibrium for nonideal solutions. Equilibrium stage separations with applications including distillation and extraction. Chemical reaction equilibria.
PREREQ CEN 252
Report writing and laboratory safety. Statistical analysis and experimental design. Experiments on distillation, diffusion, and convective mass transfer. Engineering reports, summary reports, and oral presentations required. One four-hour laboratory a week.
PREREQ CEN 341 and CEN 311
Establish working knowledge of experimental tools to characterize solid materials (catalysts, metals, semiconductors). Theory for each technique, information provided for various research topics, experimental parameters, and data interpretation will be discussed. Additional work required of graduate students.
Selected topics in heat and mass transfer. Application of transport principles to analysis & design of unit operations.
PREREQ CEN 341
Conversion and reactor sizing, isothermal reactor design for flow and batch systems, rate laws and stoichiometry, analysis of rate data, multiple reactions, introduction to heterogeneous reactor design.
PREREQ CEN 341
Use of fundamental physical, chemical and mathematical principles involving chemical engineering problems. Problems associated with transport theory and chemical kinetics requiring the solution of partial differential equations using orthogonal function expansions. Duhammel's theorem and other techniques.
Statistical analysis and presentation of experimental data. Parameter estimation. Design of experiments. Hardware and software for computer interfacing. Collection, analysis, and reporting of laboratory data.
PREREQ MAT 296 AND ECS 104
Principles of heat and mass transfer. Conduction, convection, and radiation. Thermal properties of materials. Solutions of steady state and transient heat and mass transfer problems. Diffusion with chemical reaction. Convective mass transfer.
PREREQ CEN 333 OR BEN 333
Introduction to mammalian physiology from an engineering perspective. Each of the major systems of the body will be addressed, with an emphasis on electrical, mechanical, and thermodynamic principles Lecture and laboratory. Additional work required of graduate students.
PREREQ BEN 201
Basic analysis and design techniques for signals and linear systems in bioengineering. Laplace and Fourier Transforms, time-frequency analysis. PID and fuzzy to optimal control. Applications include signals and noise, ECG processing, mathematics of imaging.
Practical experience in the design, execution and analysis of experiments related to biomechanics and bioinstrumentation. Technical writing skills will also be emphasized.
COREQ BEN 364
Study of engineering principles involved in sports: body systems in human motion, analysis of gait, basic performance patterns in athletic movements, performance improvements, and design of sports equipment. Additional work required of graduate students.
An introduction to Global Regulatory Affairs. Providing a foundational understanding of how regulatory and health authorities regulate products to bring safe and effective solutions to patients and consumers. Additional work required of graduate students.
Strategies and technologies to modulate and deconvolute the immune process for therapeutic purposes. Fundamentals of immunology, tools and methods, engineering strategies for vaccination, immunotherapy, and immunomodulation.
Integration of biology, chemistry, and engineering to understand how pharmaceuticals are delivered to, and behave within, the body. Includes drug formulation, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, controlled release, and targeted delivery. Additional work is required of graduate students.
Discussion of the complex issues related to biomedical-device infections. Investigation of the impact of biomaterials, microbiology, detection, and device regulation to reduce biomedical-device infections.
Materials science and biological issues associated with medical devices and biomaterials are discussed. Bulk and surface materials science, tissue engineering, degradation and biocompatibility are addressed and related to medical device design and regulatory issues.
Introductory medical image processing and analysis. An open source software that has been developed for this purpose will be used. Additional work required of graduate students.
Bioengineering design experience. Lecture, discussion, active learning components. Team design of biomedical system, device, or process from concept through prototype production. Includes design strategy, reliability, FDA regulations, patents, oral, and written presentations.
Cellular and biomaterials principles relevant to tissue engineering, focusing on cellular and tissue organization; regulation of cell behavior; biomaterials for tissue regenerations; tissue engineering applications in cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal and other organ systems.
Review of first law. Second law and thermodynamic analysis of processes. Power and refrigeration cycles. Thermodynamic properties of pure substances and homogeneous mixtures. Phase behavior of ideal solutions.
PREREQ CEN 231
Introduction to report writing and laboratory safety. Experiments on fluid mechanics, heat conduction, and convective heat transfer. Analysis of experimental data. Engineering reports, summary reports, and oral presentations required. One three-hour laboratory each week.
COREQ CEN 341
Classical and molecular thermodynamics in chemical equilibrium, with applications. Emphasis on concepts of statistical mechanics and correlation with properties of gases and condensed matter. Additional work required of graduate students.
PREREQ CEN 353CEN 474
Modeling and linearization of process dynamics. Transfer functions. Performance and stability of feedback control loops. Introduction to multivariable and digital controls.
PREREQ MAT 485
Tensor analysis. Reynold’s transport theorem. Constitutive equations for stress. Momentum transport equations. Creeping flow, nonviscous flow, boundary layer flow. Flow through porous media. Turbulence. Energy transport equation. Conduction, natural and forced convection solutions. Boundary layer heat transfer.
PREREQ CEN 542, CEN 671
Homogenous reactions: tubular and stirred reactors, axial and radial transport. Residence time distribution. Heterogenous reactions-catalytic: rates, pores, transport, in fixed and fluid beds, non-catalytic reaction and growth of new phases.
PREREQ CEN 587, CEN 651, CEN 671
Elementary numerical techniques for root finding, sets of equations, curve fitting, differentiation, integration. Programming concepts: conditional branching, loops, etc. Examples of engineering calculations. Use of spreadsheets and interpreted programming languages.
COREQ MAT 295
Explores the application of professional norms to ethical decision making in engineering and scientific research. Includes examination of cases in light of the requirements of the Responsible Conduct of Research.
Introduction to cell types and structure, nucleic acids, proteins and enzyme kinetics. Gene expression including transcription, translation and post-translational modification. Introduction to genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics. Genetic engineering and tissue engineering. Applications to biotechnology.
Introduction to material, energy, charge, and momentum balances in biological systems. Overview of the field of bioengineering. Technological bases for established and emerging subfields.
Fluid statics. Shear stress and viscosity. Energy and momentum balances for flow systems. Dimensional analysis. Friction and drag coefficients. Turbulent flow of compressible and incompressible fluids. Non-Newtonian fluids.
PREREQ MAT 397 AND (PHY 212 OR PHY 216)
Students will analyze the human health impact of exposure to toxic chemicals in air, water, and soil according to USEPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund. Additional work required of graduate students.
Basics of imaging techniques useful for biological and medical applications. Microscopy, electron microscopy, acoustic microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging. Discussion of images and literature. MRI laboratory exercises.
Functions and mechanical properties of cells and tissues, how those cells and tissues combine to form structures, the properties and behaviors of those structures, and biomechanical techniques to analyze the structures and individual components.
PREREQ ECS 221 AND MAT 485 AND BEN 364
Students learn the governing principles of conventional and advanced manufacturing techniques, which are adapted/modified to engineer living tissues/organs, biomedical products and test-platforms for investigating fundamental cell biology. Additional work required for grad students.
Measurement and analysis of biological signals in the time and frequency domain. Operational amplifiers, analog, and digital signal processing; sensors and sources of biopotentials; biopotential electrodes. Matlab, Labview and C programming.
PREREQ ELE 231 AND ELE 251
Measurement and analysis of biological signals in the time and frequency domain. Operational amplifiers, analog, and digital signal processing; sensors and sources of biopotentials; biopotential electrodes.
COREQ BEN 465 AND BEN 481
Bioengineering design experience. Lecture, discussion, active learning components. Team design of biomedical system, device, or process from concept through prototype production. Includes design strategy, reliability, FDA regulations, patents, oral, and written presentations.
Covers wide-ranging topics related to stem cell and regenerative biology, including: introduction of cell and developmental biology, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and the political and ethical issues surrounding the stem cell debate.
Polymer structure, physical properties, and applications of polymers. Polymer synthesis, characterization of molecular structure, and copolymerization and blending. Unique physical properties of polymeric materials. Processing and applications of polymers.
Bioengineering solution development experience. Team development of a bioengineering innovation. Brainstorm, design, iterate and test hypotheses. Lecture and experiential learning. Hands on concept development and evaluation, bioengineering industry exposure, visual management, oral, and poster presentations.
Material balances for single units and multistage processes. Recycle and bypass streams. Introduction to phase equilibrium. Energy balances including latent and sensible heat effects, heats of reaction.
Thermodynamics of homogeneous mixtures and mixing processes. Phase equilibrium for nonideal solutions. Equilibrium stage separations with applications including distillation and extraction. Chemical reaction equilibria.
PREREQ CEN 252
Report writing and laboratory safety. Statistical analysis and experimental design. Experiments on distillation, diffusion, and convective mass transfer. Engineering reports, summary reports, and oral presentations required. One four-hour laboratory a week.
PREREQ CEN 341 and CEN 311
Selected topics in heat and mass transfer. Application of transport principles to analysis & design of unit operations.
PREREQ CEN 341
Conversion and reactor sizing, isothermal reactor design for flow and batch systems, rate laws and stoichiometry, analysis of rate data, multiple reactions, introduction to heterogeneous reactor design.
PREREQ CEN 341
Use of fundamental physical, chemical and mathematical principles involving chemical engineering problems. Problems associated with transport theory and chemical kinetics requiring the solution of partial differential equations using orthogonal function expansions. Duhammel's theorem and other techniques.
Gateway course: Discussion of disciplines within the college, technical communication, presentation of technical results, professional behavior, ethics, problem solving, modeling, and data analysis. Laboratory topics: computers, computer language, and software packages.
Introduction to the properties and applications of engineering materials with emphasis on structure-property-processing relationships; fundamentals of structure, properties, and processing; materials selection for design; case studies of specific engineering applications.
BMCE Graduate Programs:
The BS/MS program allows high performing undergraduates the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree at Syracuse University at an accelerated pace, typically within 5 years (4 years of undergraduate + 1 year of graduate study).
Students accepted into the program may carry over up to 12 credits completed as an undergraduate student into their graduate degree. Of those 12 credits, up to 6 may be shared toward the completion of both the BS and MS degrees. The remaining 6 credits are graduate-level courses that are flagged and removed from the undergraduate degree to be used exclusively toward the completion of the graduate degree.
Shared coursework counts normally towards the completion of your undergraduate degree. It is allocated in DegreeWorks toward the completion of coursework requirements and is calculated into your undergraduate GPA. Upon completion of your undergraduate degree, shared coursework will then be transferred and applied toward the completion of your graduate degree.
You must earn at least a B in a course in order share it. Courses with a grade of B- or lower are not eligible to be shared.
Please note that a single course may not be used more than twice to complete degree requirements. Therefore, shared coursework may not be used again to complete any other degree or certificate.
Flagged coursework is graduate-level coursework completed as an undergraduate student that is reserved exclusively for the completion of the graduate degree. These courses are flagged by petition so that they are not allocated in DegreeWorks and not included in the undergraduate GPA.
You must earn at least a B in a course in order transfer it. Courses with a grade of B- or lower are not eligible to be transferred.
Since flagged credit is only being used to complete the graduate degree it is free to also be used toward the completion of another degree or certificate.
This program is open to all juniors and seniors in good academic standing who have performed well enough academically to be a candidate for a graduate program.
Students are typically admitted during the second semester of their junior year.
Students may be accepted into the program at any point prior to the certification of their undergraduate degree. However, the later a student is accepted the less opportunity they will have to flag coursework and take full advantage of this program.
Students may change what courses are shared or flagged by emailing revisions to bmce@syr.edu. The department will then provide revised petitions. Please note that all petitions must be completed prior to the certification of the undergraduate degree.
Graduate advisors will be assigned after undergraduate degree certification. A graduate advisor cannot be assigned while a student is still an active undergraduate.
No. All shared and flagged coursework is brought over as transfer credit. The grade will be recorded as TR in DegreeWorks and it will not be included in graduate GPA calculations.
Undergraduates cannot directly register for 600+ level coursework via MySlice. Such registration must be done via petition. Students can work with the department Academic Operations Specialist to initiate the registration petition, and it must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the Add deadline for the respective semester. You can find petition forms on the Graduate School's website, or from your department staff.
The Master of Science is a flexible and individually-structured program, planned by the student and their advisor to help students develop careers in their chosen field. The MS can be a terminal degree or an introduction to research before pursuing the PhD. All plans are designed to be completed within three to four semesters.
No fewer than 30 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 15 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 3 credits of Ethical Issues in Engineering (BEN 602); and
- 15 credits of additional Bioengineering (BEN) coursework.
- Completion of MS Comprehensive Exam
- 3 credits of Advanced Bioengineering Design (BEN 687); and
- Successfully pass Masters Project (BEN 996) in the same semester.
- 9 credits of approved electives.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is the cumulating event of the Advanced Design course required of students in a non-thesis plan. Students will prepare and present the outcomes of their projects to the committee faculty and respond to questions.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is held in conjunction with BEN 687 at the end of Fall semester. Students who fail the Comprehensive Exam may be allowed to repeat the exam.
The examination committee will be composed of at least two department faculty. Committee members will meet separately to determine if the student has passed the examination, and the student will be informed of the decision in writing by the department.
All non-thesis MS students must register for both the appropriate Advanced Design course (BEN 687) and the Comprehensive Exam component (BEN 996). These are only offered in the Fall semester.
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
No fewer than 30 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 15 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 3 credits of Ethical Issues in Engineering (BEN 602); and
- 15 credits of additional Bioengineering (BEN) coursework.
- 3 credits of Introduction to Graduate Research (BEN 991)
- 3 credits of Thesis for the MS Degree (BEN 997)
- 6 credits of approved electives; and
- Successful oral defense of a thesis.
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
The Oral Thesis Defense and submission of the thesis document to the Syracuse University Graduate School are the final requirements for students in a thesis plan.
Defense paperwork must comply with Graduate School policy, including formatting.
The official Request for Examination form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School at least three full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
A copy of the thesis document must be delivered to all members of the defense committee at least two full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
The thesis defense committee will consist of four members, including:
- the thesis advisor;
- two tenured or tenure-track faculty members from the department; and
- the Chair of the Oral Examination Committee
The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure- track faculty member from outside the department and program.
Committee members from outside Syracuse University may be allowed by petition.
Extra committee members beyond the required four members may be allowed, at the discretion of the advisor and student, providing the above listed minimums are met.
No fewer than 36 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 18 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 3 credits of Ethical Issues in Engineering (BEN 602);
- Completion of MS Comprehensive Exam
- 3 credits of Advanced Bioengineering Design (BEN 687); and
- Successfully pass Masters Project (BEN 996) in the same semester.
- 12 credits of additional Bioengineering (BEN) coursework; and
- 6 credits of approved electives;
- 12 credits of non-technical coursework in one of the following concentrations:
- Engineering Management;
- Technology & Public Policy;
- Technology Transfer & Law
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is the cumulating event of the Advanced Design course required of students in a non-thesis plan. Students will prepare and present the outcomes of their projects to the committee faculty and respond to questions.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is held in conjunction with BEN 687 at the end of Fall semester. Students who fail the Comprehensive Exam may be allowed to repeat the exam.
The examination committee will be composed of at least two department faculty. Committee members will meet separately to determine if the student has passed the examination, and the student will be informed of the decision in writing by the department.
All non-thesis MS students must register for both the appropriate Advanced Design course (BEN 687) and the Comprehensive Exam component (BEN 996). These are only offered in the Fall semester.
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
Students in the Bioengineering MS may choose to complete a 36 credit cognate in one of three specific non-technical areas described below. Cognates are official subplans and will appear on the graduate transcript.
All of the following courses are approved for the Engineering Management Cognate option. Additional coursework may be allowed by petition.
Course | Title | Prerequisite |
CEE 601 | Construction Engineering and Project Management | |
CEE 663 | Introduction to Sustainable Engineering | |
CSE 581 | Introduction to Database Management Systems | |
CSE 682 | Software Engineering | |
ECS 511 | Sustainable Manufacturing | |
ECS 621 | Corporate Entrepreneurship | |
ECS 625 | Venture Capital | |
ECS 650 | Managing Sustainability: Purpose, Principles, & Practice | |
ECS 651 | Strategic Management and the Natural Environment | ECS 650 |
MBC 603 | Creating Customer Value | |
MBC 604 | Managing the Market Mix | MBC 603 |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics | |
SCM 656 | Project Management | |
SCM 721 | Supply Chain Systems | |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
All of the following courses are approved for the Technology and Public Policy Cognate option. Additional coursework may be allowed by petition.
Course | Title | Prerequisite |
PRL 608 | Public Relations Writing | |
PRL 602 | Introduction to Public Diplomacy & Communications | |
PRL 607 | Advanced Public Diplomacy | PRL 602 |
PRL 604 | Writing for News and Public Relations | |
PRL 611 | Public Relations Research | PRL 611 |
PRL 614 | Advanced Public Relations Writing for Digital Platforms | PRL 604 |
MND 642 | Using Data to Tell Stories | |
MND 630 | Topics in Multimedia Reporting of Science | |
ECN 776 | Economics of Science and Technology | PAI 723 |
PAI 723 | Economics of Public Decisions | |
ECN 776 | Economics of Environmental Policy | PAI 723 |
GEO 662 | Water: Environment, Society, and Politics | |
GEO 730 | Political Economy of Nature | |
GEO 752 | Climate Change: History, Geography, Politics | |
PAI 772 | Science, Technology, and Public Policy | |
PAI 773 | Technology and Its Processes | |
PAI 775 | Energy, Environment, and Resources Policy | |
SOC 704 | Science, Technology, and Society |
All of the following courses are approved for the Technology Transfer and Law Cognate option. Additional coursework may be allowed by petition.
Course | Title | Prerequisite |
LAW 726 | Intellectual Property | |
MBC 643 | The Legal and Ethical Environments of Business | |
LPP 757 | Law of Commercial Transactions | |
LPP 758 | Environmental Law & Public Policy | |
LPP 759 | The Law of Global Business | |
PAI 770 | Climate Change: Science, Perception, and Law | |
LAW 609 | Legal Communications and Research I & II | |
LAW 716 | Environmental Law | |
LAW 765 | Patents and Trade Secrets | |
LAW 868 | Smart Grid: Sec. Prov. & Ecn | |
LAW 891 | Climate Change: Science, Perception, and Policy |
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research-based degree program involving a high level of advanced training in the chosen field. A dissertation consisting of original research in a specialty area within the field is required.
A minimum of 42 credit hours of coursework are required. No dissertation credits are required. A student entering the program with a prior MS degree may petition to transfer in a maximum of 30 graduate-level credits as approved by the program director. Up to 6 of the transfer credits may come from a prior MS thesis, and those credits will transfer as approved electives.
No fewer than 42 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 14 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 3 credits of Ethical Issues in Engineering (BEN 602);
- 15 credits of additional Bioengineering (BEN) coursework;
- 24 credits of approved electives;
- Successful completion of a qualifying examination; and
- Successful defense of a dissertation in an oral examination
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
All PhD students must complete a qualifying examination to be entered into doctoral candidacy. This examination has two components: a written outline of the student’s research and oral presentation before the examination committee.
Students are expected to outline and present their research to a faculty examination committee by the end of their third semester of study.
The written outline will consist of two parts: a concise summary of the student’s research since entering the program (the Research Update), and a description of future plans for the duration of PhD study based on the current research topic (the Research Plan).
The Research Update should include sections for Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. The Research plan should include sections for Significance, Rationale, Proposed Research, and Potential Pitfalls.
The document should be from the student’s own writing, but students are encouraged to consult with their advisor on how to best summarize research results and design future studies.
Font | Type | Space | Margins | Length |
Times New Roman | 12 pt. | Single | 1 inch on all sides | 10 pages total, including cover page |
The examination committee will consist of four members; three tenured or tenure-track faculty members, one of whom will serve as committee chair, and the dissertation advisor.
The student must work with their advisor to select the members of their exam committee, and to identify which committee member will serve as exam chair, and to determine the date and time of the presentation.
The outline of the student’s research and future plans should be submitted to the exam committee at least two weeks prior to the presentation date.
Students must contact the department’s office coordinator at least three weeks prior to the presentation date to reserve space.
Please fill out Qualifying Exam Scheduling Form to schedule the exam.
There are three potential outcomes:
1. Pass;
2. Conditional Pass; or
3. Fail
The outcome will be communicated to the student by the committee at the time of the exam.
Pass
A student who passes the exam is entered into Doctoral Candidacy and may continue their PhD studies.
Conditional Pass
A student who conditionally passes may continue their PhD studies but may not enter Doctoral Candidacy until the specified conditions are completed.
Failure
A student who fails their Qualifying Exam may be released by their advisor, at the discretion of the advisor. Any student failing the Qualifying Exam may be allowed a second attempt providing that:
1. They are not released by their current advisor; or
2. They are accepted by a new advisor.
Students who fail their second attempt, or who are unable to make a second attempt, will have their matriculation revoked.
The Oral Dissertation Defense and submission of the dissertation document to the Syracuse University Graduate School are the final requirements of the PhD program.
Defense paperwork must comply with Graduate School policy, including formatting.
It is recommended that the student meets with their defense committee to review dissertation progress at least three to six months in advance of the defense.
Please review Graduation Deadlines and check Thesis/Dissertation Defense Checklist for defense preparation.
The official Request for Examination form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School at least three full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
A copy of the dissertation document must be delivered to all members of the defense committee at least two full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
The dissertation defense committee will consist of four members, including:
- the research advisor;
- two tenured or tenure-track faculty members from this department; and
- the Chair of the Oral Examination
The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure- track faculty member from outside the department and program.
The student may substitute one committee member based on subject-matter expertise who is external to Syracuse University. Additional external committee members may be substituted by petition.
Extra committee members beyond the required four members may be allowed, at the discretion of the advisor and student, providing the above listed minimums are met.
The BS/MS program allows high performing undergraduates the opportunity to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree at Syracuse University at an accelerated pace, typically within 5 years (4 years of undergraduate + 1 year of graduate study).
Students accepted into the program may carry over up to 12 credits completed as an undergraduate student into their graduate degree. Of those 12 credits, up to 6 may be shared toward the completion of both the BS and MS degrees. The remaining 6 credits are graduate-level courses that are flagged and removed from the undergraduate degree to be used exclusively toward the completion of the graduate degree.
Shared coursework counts normally towards the completion of your undergraduate degree. It is allocated in DegreeWorks toward the completion of coursework requirements and is calculated into your undergraduate GPA. Upon completion of your undergraduate degree, shared coursework will then be transferred and applied toward the completion of your graduate degree.
You must earn at least a B in a course in order share it. Courses with a grade of B- or lower are not eligible to be shared.
Please note that a single course may not be used more than twice to complete degree requirements. Therefore, shared coursework may not be used again to complete any other degree or certificate.
Flagged coursework is graduate-level coursework completed as an undergraduate student that is reserved exclusively for the completion of the graduate degree. These courses are flagged by petition so that they are not allocated in DegreeWorks and not included in the undergraduate GPA.
You must earn at least a B in a course in order transfer it. Courses with a grade of B- or lower are not eligible to be transferred.
Since flagged credit is only being used to complete the graduate degree it is free to also be used toward the completion of another degree or certificate.
This program is open to all juniors and seniors in good academic standing who have performed well enough academically to be a candidate for a graduate program.
Students are typically admitted during the second semester of their junior year.
Students may be accepted into the program at any point prior to the certification of their undergraduate degree. However, the later a student is accepted the less opportunity they will have to flag coursework and take full advantage of this program.
Students may change what courses are shared or flagged by emailing revisions to bmce@syr.edu. The department will then provide revised petitions. Please note that all petitions must be completed prior to the certification of the undergraduate degree.
Graduate advisors will be assigned after undergraduate degree certification. A graduate advisor cannot be assigned while a student is still an active undergraduate.
No. All shared and flagged coursework is brought over as transfer credit. The grade will be recorded as TR in DegreeWorks and it will not be included in graduate GPA calculations.
Undergraduates cannot directly register for 600+ level coursework via MySlice. Such registration must be done via petition. Students can work with the department Academic Operations Specialist to initiate the registration petition, and it must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the Add deadline for the respective semester. You can find petition forms on the Graduate School's website, or from your department staff.
The Master of Science is a flexible and individually-structured program, planned by the student and their advisor to help students develop careers in their chosen field. The MS can be a terminal degree or an introduction to research before pursuing the PhD. All plans are designed to be completed within three to four semesters.
No fewer than 30 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 15 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 12 credit Chemical Engineering Core consisting of:
- Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (CEN 651);
- Chemical Engineering Methods I (CEN 671);
- Kinetics (CEN 786); and
- Choice of:
- Transport Phenomena I (CEN 741); or
- Fluid Dynamics (CEN 643);
- 12 credits of approved electives;
- Completion of MS Comprehensive Exam
- 3 credits of Advanced Chemical Design (CEN 687); and
- Successfully pass Masters Project (CEN 996) in the same semester.
- 03 credits of additional Chemical Engineering (CEN) coursework.
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is the cumulating event of the Advanced Design course required of students in a non-thesis plan. Students will prepare and present the outcomes of their projects to the committee faculty and respond to questions.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination is held in conjunction with CEN 687 at the end of Fall semester. Students who fail the Comprehensive Exam may be allowed to repeat the exam.
The examination committee will be composed of at least two department faculty. Committee members will meet separately to determine if the student has passed the examination, and the student will be informed of the decision in writing by the department.
All non-thesis MS students must register for both the appropriate Advanced Design course (CEN 687) and the Comprehensive Exam component (CEN 996). These are only offered in the Fall semester.
No fewer than 30 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 15 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 12 credit Chemical Engineering Core consisting of:
- Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (CEN 651);
- Chemical Engineering Methods I (CEN 671);
- Kinetics (CEN 786); and
- Choice of:
- Transport Phenomena I (CEN 741); or
- Fluid Dynamics (CEN 643);
- 12 credits of approved electives;
- 3 credits of Introduction to Graduate Research (CEN 991);
- 3 credits of Masters Thesis (CEN 997); and
- Successful oral defense of thesis
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
The Oral Thesis Defense and submission of the thesis document to the Syracuse University Graduate School are the final requirements for students in a thesis plan.
Defense paperwork must comply with Graduate School policy, including formatting.
The official Request for Examination form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School at least three full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
A copy of the thesis document must be delivered to all members of the defense committee at least two full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
The thesis defense committee will consist of four members, including:
- the thesis advisor;
- two tenured or tenure-track faculty members from the department; and
- the Chair of the Oral Examination Committee
The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure- track faculty member from outside the department and program.
Committee members from outside Syracuse University may be allowed by petition.
Extra committee members beyond the required four members may be allowed, at the discretion of the advisor and student, providing the above listed minimums are met.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research-based degree program involving a high level of advanced training in the chosen field. A dissertation consisting of original research in a specialty area within the field is required.
A minimum of 42 credit hours of coursework are required. No dissertation credits are required. A student entering the program with a prior MS degree may petition to transfer in a maximum of 30 graduate-level credits as approved by the program director. Up to 6 of the transfer credits may come from a prior MS thesis, and those credits will transfer as approved electives.
No fewer than 42 total credits of coursework, including
- No more than 14 credits of 500-level coursework;
- Satisfactory academic performance;
- 12 credit Chemical Engineering Core consisting of:
- Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (CEN 651);
- Chemical Engineering Methods I (CEN 671);
- Kinetics (CEN 786); and
- Choice of:
- Transport Phenomena I (CEN 741); or
- Fluid Dynamics (CEN 643);
- 12 credits of additional Chemical Engineering (CEN) coursework;
- 18 credits of approved electives;
- Successful completion of a qualifying examination; and
- Successful defense of a dissertation in an oral examination.
Graduate students at Syracuse University are able to take courses at both SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Students may register for SUNY Upstate Medical University coursework using the Inter- Institutional Graduate Course Registration Form, which is available from the department’s administrative assistant.
All coursework taken at SUNY Upstate Medical University must be approved by petition. Students may register for SUNY ESF coursework normally using MySlice.
Please contact the department if you are interested in an elective that is not included on one of the approved lists below.
Additional coursework at Syracuse University or SUNY ESF may be approved by petition.
The following courses cannot normally be counted toward the completion of any graduate degree.
Course | Title | Restricted to |
CEN 587 | Chemical Reaction Engineering | Students without a Chemical Engineering BS |
Additionally, the following specific courses offered by Syracuse University are approved as electives for all graduate-level programs of study.
Course | Title |
CRS 625 | Oral Communication Skills for PhD |
FOR 694 | Writing for Scientific Publications |
IST 687 | Introduction to Data Science |
IST 719 | Information Visualization |
SCM 651 | Business Analytics |
SCM 755 | Lean Six Sigma |
Unless otherwise prohibited or restricted, all courses offered by either Syracuse University or SUNY ESF that are numbered 500:899 with one of the following prefixes are approved as electives for all MS & PhD programs of study.
Prefix | Department |
AEE | Aerospace Engineering |
APM | Applied Mathematics |
BCM | Biochemistry |
BEN | Bioengineering |
BIO | Biology |
BPE | Bioprocess Engineering |
CEE | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
CEN | Chemical Engineering |
CHE | Chemistry |
CIS | Computer and Information Science |
CPS | Computational Science |
CSE | Computer Engineering |
EAR | Earth Science |
ECS | Engineering and Computer Science |
ELE | Electrical Engineering |
FCH | Forest Chemistry |
MAE | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
MAT | Mathematics |
MCR | Microscopy |
MEE | Mechanical Engineering |
MFE | Manufacturing Engineering |
MTS | Materials Science |
NUC | Nuclear Energy |
PHY | Physics |
PSE | Paper Science Engineering |
All PhD students must complete a qualifying examination to be entered into doctoral candidacy. This examination has two components: a written outline of the student’s research and oral presentation before the examination committee.
Students are expected to outline and present their research to a faculty examination committee by the end of their third semester of study.
The written outline will consist of two parts: a concise summary of the student’s research since entering the program (the Research Update), and a description of future plans for the duration of PhD study based on the current research topic (the Research Plan).
The Research Update should include sections for Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. The Research plan should include sections for Significance, Rationale, Proposed Research, and Potential Pitfalls.
The document should be from the student’s own writing, but students are encouraged to consult with their advisor on how to best summarize research results and design future studies.
Font | Type | Space | Margins | Length |
Times New Roman | 12 pt. | Single | 1 inch on all sides | 10 pages total, including cover page |
The examination committee will consist of four members; three tenured or tenure-track faculty members, one of whom will serve as committee chair, and the dissertation advisor.
The student must work with their advisor to select the members of their exam committee, and to identify which committee member will serve as exam chair, and to determine the date and time of the presentation.
The outline of the student’s research and future plans should be submitted to the exam committee at least two weeks prior to the presentation date.
Students must contact the department’s office coordinator at least three weeks prior to the presentation date to reserve space.
Please fill out Qualifying Exam Scheduling Form to schedule the exam.
There are three potential outcomes:
1. Pass;
2. Conditional Pass; or
3. Fail
The outcome will be communicated to the student by the committee at the time of the exam.
Pass
A student who passes the exam is entered into Doctoral Candidacy and may continue their PhD studies.
Conditional Pass
A student who conditionally passes may continue their PhD studies but may not enter Doctoral Candidacy until the specified conditions are completed.
Failure
A student who fails their Qualifying Exam may be released by their advisor, at the discretion of the advisor. Any student failing the Qualifying Exam may be allowed a second attempt providing that:
1. They are not released by their current advisor; or
2. They are accepted by a new advisor.
Students who fail their second attempt, or who are unable to make a second attempt, will have their matriculation revoked.
The Oral Dissertation Defense and submission of the dissertation document to the Syracuse University Graduate School are the final requirements of the PhD program.
Defense paperwork must comply with Graduate School policy, including formatting.
It is recommended that the student meets with their defense committee to review dissertation progress at least three to six months in advance of the defense.
Please review Graduation Deadlines and check Thesis/Dissertation Defense Checklist for defense preparation.
The official Request for Examination form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School at least three full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
A copy of the dissertation document must be delivered to all members of the defense committee at least two full weeks prior to the oral defense date.
The dissertation defense committee will consist of four members, including:
- the research advisor;
- two tenured or tenure-track faculty members from this department; and
- the Chair of the Oral Examination
The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure- track faculty member from outside the department and program.
The student may substitute one committee member based on subject-matter expertise who is external to Syracuse University. Additional external committee members may be substituted by petition.
Extra committee members beyond the required four members may be allowed, at the discretion of the advisor and student, providing the above listed minimums are met.
The following policies apply to all graduate students, both international and domestic, unless otherwise noted.
Please contact the department’s administrative assistant with any questions.
All graduate students are required to maintain a satisfactory level of academic performance which includes but is not limited to:
- maintaining status as a registered student;
maintaining the minimum required grade point averages (GPA); and
- maintaining continuous progress toward the completion of
The department will provide the student with written notice should a student’s performance
become unsatisfactory.
The department may cancel matriculation if these requirements are not met.
All graduate students are expected to attend the graduate research seminars. The seminar scheduling information will be announced through email.
PhD students may use independent study credits taken at Syracuse University to satisfy coursework requirements up to the following maximums:
Entered PhD | Max Credits |
Post-BS | 6 |
Post-MS | 3 |
A student’s dissertation advisor may not supervise independent study credits used to satisfy coursework requirements.
Graduate students must achieve a minimum 3.000 GPA in all coursework used toward the completion of degree requirements.
Graduate students must maintain a minimum 2.800 GPA, cumulative for all coursework.
Some courses are double-numbered and have both undergraduate- and graduate-level sections available (typically as 400-/600-level courses). This allows both undergraduate and graduate students to take the same course, with additional coursework required of graduate students.
Students are prohibited from taking both levels of a double-numbered course. A student that completes the undergraduate-level section may not later complete the graduate-level section.
If you have a tuition discount as a MS student it will not automatically apply to Winterlude courses. You must notify the department in order to have the discount reflect in your bill.
Graduate students must register for at least 0 credits of coursework each semester that they attend Syracuse University. Students who do not register in a timely manner will lose access to buildings and labs.
A student who is not taking at least 1 credit of coursework in a semester must register for 0 credits of Degree in Progress (GRD 998).
Any graduate student receiving income from an assistantship, fellowship, hourly lab work, or other on-campus source during the summer should register for 0 credits of GRD 998 (Degree in Progress).
Students who are not registered for at least 0 credits of coursework during the summer may have FICA taxes withheld from their paycheck during that period.
Please contact the department’s budget manager if you believe FICA taxes are being withheld from your paycheck in error.
The following policies apply to all international graduate students.
Please contact the department’s administrative assistant with any questions.
International students with an F-1 visa who would like to pursue an internship (paid or otherwise) may file for CPT through the Slutzker Center.
The Slutzker Center offers Curricular Practical Training seminars multiple times per month. Any student interested in CPT should speak with an advisor at the Slutzker Center for International Services.
To be eligible for CPT, a student in this department must:
- Be in good academic standing with the department;
- Have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 800;
- Have completed no fewer than 15 credits towards their degree; and
- Have been a full-time student for at least one full academic
The department will allow one semester of CPT per student. A second semester may be granted by petition, at the discretion of the department chair.
The department’s administrative assistant will provide a recommendation letter upon request. All requests must include a copy of the job offer letter.
International students with an F-1 visa may be eligible for a 12-month temporary employment authorization.
The department’s administrative assistant will provide a recommendation letter upon request. For details, please contact the Center for International Services.