Undergraduate degree in chemistry, how feasible is it to get into an engineering masters program?

<p>Our offspring has a chemistry degree & is looking at grad schools. How easy is it to get into a master engineering program with no engineering background. This offspring is an excellent math student & took a heavy load of math courses as an undergrad.</p>

<p>What kind of engineering?</p>

<p>Chemical engineering or some other kind?</p>

<p>I think chemical.</p>

<p>You can check chemical engineering graduate program web sites to see what their expectations of preparation are.</p>

<p>For example: <a href=“http://cheme.berkeley.edu/grad_info/prospective_grad_admission.php”>http://cheme.berkeley.edu/grad_info/prospective_grad_admission.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Then ask the departments directly for more information.</p>

<p>I would recommend applying to a Ph.D. program. S/he can drop to a Master’s if s/he decides not to pursue once at the school. I don’t mean to be cryptic, and it is a multi-dimensional decision, not really top-of-your-head. I do want to plant that seed and s/he can really think about the pros and cons from many angles. Migrating from Chem to Chem E is not really askew, and probably more common than you think.</p>

<p>I would think the decision would depend on what the young person wanted to do with a masters in chemical engineering after forgoing that as an undergraduate degree. I’m not clear what a PhD in chemical engineering would be used for in the future. I spent a decade with a global company that had thousands upon thousands of engineers, of which only one had a PhD. At minimum most engineering schools would require some classes, if not taken as an undergraduate, remedially as ucb’s quote from Berkeley points out. </p>

<p>This is not uncommon at all. Many graduate Chem-E, Mechanical E and Materials Science departments say that non-Engineering B.S. holders MIGHT be admitted to their programs. Of course, they will require that the successful applicant satisfy basic/foundational undergraduate engineering course work.</p>

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<p>YMMV as some STEM disciplines have the expectation that even the vast majority of strong students with PhD potential do a masters first and then apply to continue onto the PhD program. While they do admit a few students directly to the PhD, it’s about as good as shooting for the moon unless you’re a tippy top golden child of an applicant with highly glowing LORs, GPA, ugrad research, etc. </p>

<p>And that’s assuming the applicant doesn’t have remedial work which needs to be addressed as in this case. </p>