Applications for Fall 2025 will open in September 2024. Deadline is December 1, 2024.
Requirements for Ph.D. Program
To be eligible for graduate study (Ph.D. only) in Chemical Engineering, students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:
- Students with bachelor of science in chemical engineering degree typically fulfill requirements for consideration for admission.
- Students with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline, such as chemistry, physics, other engineering sciences, and natural sciences, must have a background the department considers satisfactory for the study of advanced chemical engineering.
- Strong educational preparation includes courses in math (including calculus and differential equations), vector physics, and coursework in thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and chemical kinetics.
- Have a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) for graduate admission.
- TOEFL or IELTS (international students only)
- Submit official transcripts from previous colleges or universities.
- Statement of Purpose – One or two-page essay that explains the unique value you can bring to the department, and it’s a great place to share experiences or qualities that may not be fully communicated in your resume, transcripts, or letters of recommendation.
- Three Letters of Recommendation - Enter the valid e-mail address of each referee you want to submit a recommendation for you when you get to that section on the application. Once you have completed this section, a notice will be sent to each referee showing them where to complete a recommendation for you using our online system. Three is only the minimum number of recommendations required to accompany your application. You are welcome to add more.
Applications to the Ph.D. program in Chemical Engineering no longer requires the submission of GRE scores. The admissions committee always looks at grades holistically, giving consideration to applicants’ experiences, attributes, and academic metrics as well as the value an applicant would contribute to learning, practice, and teaching. Many universities, including UT Austin, implemented a CR/NC grading system for Spring 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. Our committee is fully aware of this change, and it will not have a negative impact on an applicant’s file.
Note: Apart from the requirements above, the department has no set criteria for admission. Applications are viewed comprehensively based on research experience, letters of recommendation, and personal statements as well as GPA and TOEFL/IELTS scores. We view each of these categories as important, and the admission committee ranks applications according to these metrics. Admissions and Enrollment Statistics are published by the University annually, however these quantitative measurements are only one part of the admissions decision.
Fall 2025 Deadline: December 1
To be considered for Fall 2025 admission, applications must be submitted by midnight CST on December 1, 2024. Transcripts, letters of recommendation, official test scores, and any other supporting documents may be accepted after the deadline, but the committee cannot guarantee full consideration of application materials submitted after the deadline.
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to submit their application at least two weeks prior to the deadline to ensure enough time for the application and all supporting documents to be processed by the Graduate School.
Admissions are conducted on a rolling basis, and evaluation of applications begins as early as November. This is a Ph.D. program only. We do not recruit students to complete terminal Masters degrees.
Admissions Timeline
Accepted students will be notified typically by early January and will be invited to a Visit Weekend. We do not offer individualized Visit Weekends for prospective or admitted students. Accepted students must accept or decline their offers by April 15th.
Application Fee Waiver for Graduate Applicants
Domestic students can apply for application fee waivers that is provided by the Graduate School. International students are not eligible for application fee waivers. The McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering does not provide application fee waivers.
Finding Faculty Supervisors
Applicants do not need to contact a faculty member before applying for fall admission. Research supervisors are not selected until after students start in the fall. Applicants are asked to list their areas of interest in the application, and admitted students have the opportunity to speak with faculty supervisors about their research interests before accepting admissions offers.
Masters Degrees
The department does not admit students to complete terminal masters degrees. This is a Ph.D. program only. Most students commence the program without first obtaining a master’s degree.
Transfer Students
The department does not accept transfer graduate students. All interested students must apply following the same application process as an incoming student.
