thinking of chemical engineering...

[mathgal]

Hi all. I am an international student currently pursuing my MS in Applied Math degree (non-thesis) at a decent school in the US, and I am thinking of getting a phd degree in chemical engineering. I just want to know how feasible it is and what are my chances of getting an offer from a top 40 school.

FYI, I got my BS in Math from a so-so school.

Current graduate GPA: 4.0

GRE: Q: 800

V: 390 (I know it is very bad. I'm retaking GRE this August.)

AW: 4.5

Please give me honest advice. Thanks!!

[Jane Galt]

Mathgal,

I'm not claiming to be an expert on this, but I did just apply to chemical engineering PhD programs last fall. Although you do have a technical background, there are a lot of unique chemical engineering courses- things like thermodynamics, kinetics, separations, mass and energy balances, etc. that you will be expected to know to pass the qualifying exams and will need as a foundation for the advanced level chemical engineering courses. I met a student who had a biochemistry major who wanted to do his PhD in chE, and he was taking some of the ChE core classes during his senior year so he could get in. That doesn't mean it's impossible- one of my ChE professors first got a BA in art history. However, you might need to do some prep work first.

Another important thing is research experience- since you are doing a non-thesis masters, I hope you have some undergrad research experience are are in contact with those professors so they can write you letters.

Good luck!

[HassE]

Hi all. I am an international student currently pursuing my MS in Applied Math degree (non-thesis) at a decent school in the US, and I am thinking of getting a phd degree in chemical engineering. I just want to know how feasible it is and what are my chances of getting an offer from a top 40 school.

FYI, I got my BS in Math from a so-so school.

Current graduate GPA: 4.0

GRE: Q: 800

V: 390 (I know it is very bad. I'm retaking GRE this August.)

AW: 4.5

Please give me honest advice. Thanks!!

I think you have a VERY good chance of getting into a top-40 PhD program for chemical engineering. You have a BS/MS in the core of all engineering fields MATH. Your level of math well exceeds the level of math that an engineer has, however you have absolutely no true chemical engineering courses. Most likely what you will need to do is once you get admitted into your PhD, the school is going to make you do a masters in chemical engineering before your "officially" admitted into the PhD. Once your admitted into the PhD the MS courses should be paid for so it's not like you'll have to pay again.

You have a MS degree, you have a perfect score on the GREs and you have a perfect score from your MS degree, whats stopping any school from accepting you? I see nearly nothing. Your lack of research experience will be supplemented when you do your MS degree (they might make you do a MS-thesis) or maybe not.