The Department of Chemical Engineering offers graduate degrees in chemical engineering, with an emphasis on preparing students for future careers in research. Course and research requirements stress a broadly based education in chemical engineering, including materials science and bioengineering. Areas of research specialization include:

  • Biomaterials and bioengineering
  • Energy, catalysis, and reaction engineering
  • Complex fluids and polymers
  • Electronic and optical materials
  • Fluids and transport phenomena
  • Molecular thermodynamics and simulation
  • Process systems engineering
  • Surfaces and interfacial phenomena

The concentration of research activity in these fields reflects a deliberately chosen philosophy of emphasizing interdisciplinary activities that have broad impact. Our graduates find employment in both industry and academia. The typical preparation for graduate studies is an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. With strong justification and motivation, applicants will also be considered from the sciences, mathematics, and other engineering disciplines.

Adress
Mailing Address

Department of Chemical Engineering
University of California, Santa Barbara
Engineering II, room 3357
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080
(USA)

Degree icon Degrees Offered
PhD

Address iconDeadlines

Fall Only:

  • December 10, 2023 (by 11:59 PM PST)

Requirements Icon

Requirements

  • Online application: https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp
  • Statement of Purpose (SOP), Personal History and Diversity Statement (PH&DS), and Resume or CV (submitted in the online application)
  • Three Letters of Recommendation (Submitted online)
  • Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (Submitted online)
  • English Language Exam Scores (if applicable): TOEFL Internet-Based Test (IBT) total score of 83, or TOEFL Paper-Based Test (PBT) total score of 560, or IELTS Overall Band score of 7, or Duolingo English Test total score of 120, or higher
  • Final/Official transcripts will be required for all applicants who are admitted and have indicated their intent to enroll at UC Santa Barbara by submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). UC Santa Barbara reserves the right to require official transcripts at any time during the admissions process, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between uploaded and official transcript(s) are found.

Guidelines for your statements: Your SOP and PH&DS should constitute a professional discussion of your interests, experiences, background, and qualifications. Please elaborate on your educational and career ambitions, technical preparation, honors or distinctions, and research interests as they relate specifically to UCSB. It is particularly useful to discuss research experiences; we encourage you to describe not only your contributions, but also the objectives of the research, nature & importance of the scientific problem, and the significance of your results. We also are interested to hear about: research publications or manuscripts in preparation (include full references), research presentations (poster or oral), advanced coursework (especially graduate courses), awards or scholarships, involvement in professional or scientific organizations, and involvement in educational or outreach activities.

The Department looks for several qualities in successful applicants, and it will be helpful to use your SOP and PH&DS to illustrate these qualities as you discuss your experiences. The Department is interested to learn about an applicant’s: intellectual depth & creativity, initiative, independence, resilience & ability to overcome problems, ambition in taking advantage of the available opportunities, and written & oral communication skills. The Department also appreciates the many different career pathways that students have, and the diversity of experiences that they bring. If you have overcome particular challenges or navigated particularly unique paths, we encourage you to describe these in your statements. Similarly, if your experiences have involved contributions to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion, please tell us about these in your PH&DS essay.

Emphases
 

Computational Science & Engineering, Bioengineering, Neuroengineering

Specializations
 

Biomaterials and bioengineering, Energy, catalysis, and reaction engineering, Complex fluids and polymers, Electronic and optical materials, Fluids and transport phenomena, Molecular thermodynamics and simulation, Process systems engineering, Surfaces and interfacial phenomena