Admission Requirements

The departmental deadline for applying for financial aid is March 1st for Fall semester. For admission only, please follow the university deadlines posted at admissions.fsu.edu and/or http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?graduatestudies&Deadlines.

Candidates for the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy programs in Chemical & Biomedical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering must fulfill the general requirements established by either The Florida A&M University or The Florida State University, the College of Engineering requirements and, additionally, the specific requirements set by the Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering. If an applicant satisfies the specified University's requirements but fails to meet the departmental criteria, admission will be denied. The decision of the departmental graduate committee is final in all matters concerning admission.

Florida A&M University and Florida State University Minimum Graduate Admission Requirements:

  1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
  2. Maintenance of a good standing in the institution last attended;
  3. Evidence by ORIGINAL transcript of a satisfactory prior academic record; at least 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 grading scale as an upper division undergraduate student, or a 3.0 for a master's degree from an accredited institution, or have a minimum score of 1000 on the combined verbal and qualitative portions of the general aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A 550 paper-based TOEFL (79 for Internet-based or 213 for computer-based) score is required for international students.

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering General Admission Requirements

The general admission requirements for graduate study at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering are 3.0 GPA in undergraduate study, 1000 on GRE, and 550 paper-based TOEFL or equivalent.

Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Minimum Admission Requirements:

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering

Admission Requirements

  1. A baccalaureate degree in ChE or an allied field from an accredited college or university;
  2. Fulfillment of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. Students may be required to satisfy deficiencies by taking undergraduate courses if they do not have a degree from an accredited chemical engineering degree program;
  3. U.S. students: an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher, and a minimum combined score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE. For the new version of the GRE implemented in Summer 2011, the department looks for applicants to have a preferred GRE percentile of at least 48 on the verbal portion and 75 on the quantitative portion of the test. It is noted that the GRE percentiles of funded graduate students on assistantship are typically higher than these minima.
  4. International students: an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher, a minimum combined score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE exam. For the new version of the GRE implemented in Summer 2011, the department looks for applicants to have a preferred GRE percentile of at least 48 on the verbal portion and 75 on the quantitative portion of the test. It is noted that the GRE percentiles of funded graduate students on assistantship are typically much higher than these minima. In addition, students whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL exam and receive a score of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 80 (Internet-based); and
  5. Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the student's work and background, as well as a statement of professional goals.

Note:

  • All students must present GRE scores prior to admission.
  • Students who do not possess a bachelor's degree in ChE may be required to complete a department-designated sequence of undergraduate courses with a grade of "B" or higher in each course. Up to six (6) semester hours of 4000-level coursework approved by the Department may be counted as graduate electives. Transfer credit from another institution is limited to six (6) semester hours with departmental approval. Typical undergraduate course sequences (in preparation for graduate courses) may include, but are not limited to, the following courses:
    • ECH 3023 - Mass and Energy Balances I (3)
    • ECH 3024 - Mass and Energy Balances II (3)
    • ECH 3101 - Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3)
    • ECH 3301 - Chemical Engineering Process Analysis (3)
    • ECH 3266 - Introductory Transport Phenomena (3)
    • ECH 3418 - Separations Processes (3)
    • ECH 3854 - Chemical Engineering Computations (3)
    • ECH 4267 - Advanced Transport Phenomena (3)
    • ECH 4504 - Kinetics and Reactor Design (3)

Additional courses in subjects including mathematics, chemistry, physics and general engineering also may be required. Departmental financial support is typically not available for graduate students taking undergraduate courses.

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering

Admission Requirements

  1. Fulfillment of the Department's admission and core course requirements for the ChE master's degree or its substantive equivalent (see above);
  2. Maintenance of a high scholastic record at the previous college or university attended.

Students who meet the admission requirements are encouraged to apply for the PhD program. Students who maintain a 3.0 graduate GPA and demonstrate proficiency in conducting research in chemical engineering by passing the departmental PhD qualifying examination (see PhD Qualifying Examination Requirements below for more details) are admitted to PhD candidacy. Students who fulfill these requirements may, upon approval of the graduate committee and major supervisor, proceed directly toward the PhD without first obtaining a master's degree. Students with a thesis-type master's degree in ChE from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering may, with approval of the graduate committee and major professor, take nine (9) additional approved semester hours beyond the master's requirements to satisfy the 30-hour course requirement for the PhD. All other requirements must be fulfilled as stated below. Students with master's degrees in ChE from other institutions will be given a specific course plan by the departmental graduate committee. A maximum of thirty (30) semester hours may be assigned to remedy any deficiencies in the student's background.

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Admission Requirements

  1. A baccalaureate degree in ChE or an allied field from an accredited college or university;
  2. Fulfillment of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. Students may be required to satisfy deficiencies by taking undergraduate courses if they do not have a degree from an accredited chemical engineering degree program;
  3. U.S. students: an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher, and a minimum combined score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE. For the new version of the GRE implemented in Summer 2011, the department looks for applicants to have a preferred GRE percentile of at least 48 on the verbal portion and 75 on the quantitative portion of the test. It is noted that the GRE percentiles of funded graduate students on assistantship are typically higher than these minima.
  4. International students: an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher, a minimum combined score of 1200 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE exam. For the new version of the GRE implemented in Summer 2011, the department looks for applicants to have a preferred GRE percentile of at least 48 on the verbal portion and 75 on the quantitative portion of the test. It is noted that the GRE percentiles of funded graduate students on assistantship are typically much higher than these minima. In addition, students whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL exam and receive a score of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 80 (Internet-based); and
  5. Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the student's work and background, as well as a statement of professional goals.

Note:

  • All students must present GRE scores prior to admission.
  • Students who do not possess a bachelor's degree in ChE or BME may be required to complete a department-designated sequence of undergraduate courses with a grade of "B" or higher in each course. Up to six (6) semester hours of 4000-level coursework approved by the Department may be counted as graduate electives. Transfer credit from another institution is limited to six (6) semester hours with departmental approval. Typical undergraduate course sequences (in preparation for graduate courses) may include, but are not limited to, the following courses:
    • ECH 3023 - Mass and Energy Balances I (3)
    • ECH 3024 - Mass and Energy Balances II (3)
    • ECH 3101 - Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3)
    • ECH 3301 - Chemical Engineering Process Analysis (3)
    • ECH 3266 - Introductory Transport Phenomena (3)
    • ECH 3418 - Separations Processes (3)
    • ECH 3854 - Chemical Engineering Computations (3)
    • ECH 4267 - Advanced Transport Phenomena (3)
    • ECH 4504 - Kinetics and Reactor Design (3)
    • BME 4403c - Quantitative Anatomy and Systems Physiology I (3)
    • BME 4404c - Quantitative Anatomy and Systems Physiology II (3)

In addition, students also should have taken the following courses (if not included in their previous degree program): Biological Sciences I and II, and Biochemistry I and II. Acceptance of equivalent courses is evaluated on a case-by-case basis following petition to Graduate committee.

Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering

Admission Requirements

  1. Fulfillment of the Department's admission and core course requirements for the BME master's degree or its substantive equivalent (see above);
  2. Maintenance of a high scholastic record at the previous college or university attended.

Students who meet the admission requirements are encouraged to apply for the PhD program. Students who maintain a 3.0 graduate GPA and demonstrate proficiency in conducting research in chemical engineering by passing the departmental PhD qualifying examination (see PhD Qualifying Examination Requirements below for more details) are admitted to PhD candidacy. Students who fulfill these requirements may, upon approval of the graduate committee and major supervisor, proceed directly toward the PhD without first obtaining a master's degree. Students with a thesis-type master's degree in BME or ChE from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering may, with approval of the graduate committee and major professor, take nine (9) additional approved semester hours beyond the master's requirements to satisfy the 30-hour course requirement for the PhD. All other requirements must be fulfilled as stated below.

Students with master's degrees in ChE or BME from other institutions will be given a specific course plan by the departmental graduate committee. A maximum of thirty (30) semester hours may be assigned to remedy any deficiencies in the student's background.