Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I check the status of my application?

All students will apply and check the status of their application online through the EngineeringCAS portal. Admitted students will receive an email from the department as soon as a decision has been made.

On what basis are admissions decisions made?

Admissions decisions are based on the evaluation of your complete undergraduate (and graduate) record and letters of recommendation. Generally, a minimum GPR of 3.3 is required to be considered for admission into the graduate program. However, note that the average GPR for admitted students in previous years was 3.65. Each candidate is evaluated individually by the departmental graduate admission and recruiting committee that makes admission recommendations to the graduate school. International students should be in the top 10 percent of their class

Is it possible to tell me what my chances are of being accepted before I apply?

Regrettably, the department does not have the resources to offer pre-screening of applications. It is recommended that you contact the advising staff at your own undergraduate institution for an evaluation of your current record and suggestions regarding where to apply for graduate school. Your undergraduate record, any undergraduate research experience, letters of recommendation, and your personal statement are all considered in our decision regarding admission.

Can I receive a fee waiver?

International students must pay a $90 application fee plus the EngineeringCAS processing fee of $58. International Ph.D. applicants may request a waiver of the $58 EngineeringCAS fee by submitting an online waiver form. Submissions received by the Dec. 1 deadline will receive primary consideration; however, submission does not guarantee approval. Fee waiver requests are only considered for Fall Ph.D. applicants.

What is the deadline for applying?

Fall

• Dec. 1 for international applicants
• Dec. 15 for domestic applicants

Rolling admission. Fall applications submitted before the deadlines will receive priority review and primary consideration for application-fee discounts.

Spring

• Oct. 1 for all applicants
• Dec. 15 for Quick admit applications

The spring deadlines are strictly enforced. This is to enable adequate time for the completion of reviews, for international students to obtain visas, and for the department to plan financial aid for all students. 

These deadlines apply to all students applying for financial aid from the department. Applications received after the deadline can be considered for the next full semester.

If not admitted to the degree I applied for, will I be reviewed for other degrees? Can I apply for more than one degree? 

No, students are reviewed for the degree they applied for and can only apply to one degree per semester cycle.

Where do I send my test scores?

If you would like to report your score, you may self-report in the Academic History section of the application.

International students will need to submit official scores to the University if they wish to meet the English Language requirement with the verbal section score. Test scores should be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to EngineeringCAS (use code 4119). Test scores should be from a test date within five years of the date of the application.

Note: Students who have had their official GRE test scores sent to the Texas A&M Office of Admissions prior to submitting their application through EngineeringCAS WILL NOT be required to send the scores again to EngineeringCAS. 

TOEFL official test scores must be sent directly from the testing center to EngineeringCAS (use code B887) to be considered official.

IELTS official test scores must be submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. Please contact the test center where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically to Texas A&M University (College Station and Galveston). Please note: there may be multiple instances of Texas A&M University.

To get a doctoral degree, must I first get a Master of Science degree?

No, the M.S. degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D. degree. In fact, there are more students who enter the Ph.D. program with a B.S. than with an M.S.

What if I have a non-chemical engineering undergraduate degree?

The department offers a science majors program that is available and is described in our graduate handbook for those who have undergraduate degrees in science or engineering, but not in chemical engineering. These students may be required to take selected undergraduate courses in the chemical engineering department and possibly additional chemistry courses, depending on their background. Admission to the department and the science major program is made on a case-by-case basis.

What is the deadline for accepting an offer of admission?

The standard deadline for accepting an offer of admission is April 15. However, we would appreciate your letting us know of your acceptance decision as soon as possible. This will enable us to equitably distribute our financial aid to all qualified applicants.

Is spring semester admission possible?

Spring admissions are possible. However, the overwhelming majority of newly admitted graduate students will enter the program in the fall semester.

Can a recommender send a letter after the admissions deadline? 

Recommenders are encouraged to submit their letters as close as possible to the application due date.  Once the Admissions Committee starts to review applications, they will only review what is currently in a student’s application. 

What kind of funding will I receive as a Ph.D. student?

Ph.D. students currently receive a stipend of $2,833.34 per month.  In addition to a stipend, the cost of tuition, all fees and health insurance are provided.  On average a Ph.D. student is responsible for a few one-time fees their first semester plus any optional services selected (parking, sports pass, etc.) in future semesters. 

Support for Ph.D. students is provided by the department through a TA position until a research advisor is chosen during the first semester.  The research advisor then continues the support.

During the first semester, a Ph.D. student can expect to pay several one-time fees such as the New Graduate Student Fee, International Orientation fee, and Deposit.  International Students may also be expected to cover Health Insurance during the first month.  More information can be found on the International Student & Scholar Services website.

As a Master of Science student, are there any opportunities for TA positions?

Masters students typically do not receive funding.  TA opportunities are not guaranteed and availability depends on funding and/or need.  The decisions are made semester to semester, so Students should make appropriate plans to cover the cost of their program.

Do I need to contact Faculty before I am admitted?

Students do not need to contact Faculty prior to being admitted or arriving.  All students (who are not assigned to a research group at the time of admission) will participate in the Advisor Selection Process.

How do I select my research advisor?

Advisor selection is the process for all new students (who are not pre-assigned to a research group at the time of admission) to find and join a Research Group.  It is held in the Fall semester each year.  Faculty who are accepting students will present in 30-minute slots during seminars four to six times a week.  Presentations will continue until all have been presented.

Students should remember funding is determined each year and there is no guarantee that a particular Faculty member will have an opening.  Potential funding opportunities are taken into consideration during the Admissions process.

Can I participate in an internship during my degree?

Students are able to complete an internship during their degree.

What is the first-year experience like?

Our first-year students study two core courses during the first semester (thermodynamics and mathematics) and may have teaching/grading responsibilities during this semester. The most important decision that students have to make during their first semester is which research advisor to work for. The choice of a research advisor usually determines the field of research and the research project and the research supervisor will serve as the primary contact person for the student from then on. In the second semester, students usually take the last two core courses (transport and kinetics) and spend a significant portion of their time working on their research projects.

How long does it take to get a graduate degree?

The answer depends primarily on the student. A Master of Science degree typically takes two years to complete. A Ph.D. degree typically requires three to six years beyond the Bachelor of Science, with five years being the average.

 When do I take the qualifying exam?

Students take the Qualifying exam once every year in January. All Ph.D. students are expected to take the exam after their first fall semester in residency. If necessary, the second round of exams will be held later in the Spring semester.

The qualifying exam will consist of an oral exam and a written abstract. As part of this exam, they will choose a paper and critique it for 15 min., followed by open-ended questions on the paper/topic and chemical engineering fundamentals for 15 min. Students will be randomly assigned a paper. The papers will be on core chemical engineering subjects and will be selected from Journals such as AIChE Journal, IECR Research, J Heat Transfer, Soft Matter, Journal of Fluids, J Applied Physics, etc. Students will not have the option of returning it to the pile and picking a different paper. Students will select their papers before the holidays start in December and will have ~ 6 weeks to prepare for the exam.