Biochemical Engineering

Admission Criteria: For applicants with a chemical engineering or related undergraduate degree

For both the master’s degree program and the Certificate programs, you must apply to be admitted, and admission is not automatic. Admission generally requires an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. If you did not receive your undergraduate degree at an accredited U.S. school, you will be required to take the TOEFL exams.

Admission Criteria: For applicants without a chemical engineering or related undergraduate degree

If your undergraduate degree is not in Chemical Engineering, you will be considered for admission into the certificate programs, but admission is not automatic. Further, for admission into the master’s degree Program in Biochemical Engineering, you will need to satisfy the Admission Criteria for applicants without a chemical engineering or related undergraduate degree:

Requirement 1: Undergraduate GPA

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physics, mathematics: ≥ 3.25/4.0
• Bachelor’s degree in CE, ME, or Biomedical Engineering from an ABET accredited institution: ≥ 3.0/4.0
• Bachelor’s degree in another biological or physical science or another engineering discipline: ≥ 3.25/4.0

Requirement 2: Completed Undergraduate courses (with a cumulative GPA ≥ 3.0/4.0)

• Calculus I, Calculus II, Differential Equations
• General Chemistry I, II; Physics I
• 2 upper level science courses appropriate to the student’s undergraduate major 

Requirement 3: GRE scores

• Quantitative Reasoning:  ≥ 155/170 (new scale)  
• Analytical writing: ≥ 4.0/6.0
• Slightly lower GRE scores will be allowed if the undergraduate GPA is higher than the minimum listed.

Requirement 4:  Chemical Engineering Background

• Successful completion of the 3 requirements above and one of the options listed below will ensure admission into the MSBChE program on a probationary basis, once a complete MSBChE application is submitted:
   
• Option 1:  Critical ChE topics covered during UG
  • Student must provide evidence of having learned critical chemical engineering topics (i.e mass balances, fluid flow, diffusive and convective mass transport mass transport, thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, etc.) as an undergraduate.
  • Such evidence can include course syllabi and textbooks.
  • Applicants missing critical topic(s) may be required to take undergraduate course(s) in that topical area before beginning the MS program. See option 2 (Villanova University undergraduate courses) and option 3 (Michigan State bridging courses)

(OR)

• Option 2:  Undergraduate Chemical Engineering courses at Villanova
  • Complete the following 6 core undergraduate chemical engineering courses with a GPA ≥ 3.0 /4.0:
  • Fall semester, 3 courses:
    • CHE 2031 - Intro Chemical Processes
    • CHE 3031 - Heat Transfer
    • CHE 3131 - CHE Thermodynamics II
  • Spring semester, 3 of 4 courses (to be selected based on student background, academic performance and academic advisement)
    • CHE 2032 - Chem Engr Thermo I
    • CHE 2232 - Fluid Mechanics
    • CHE 3032 - Mass Transfer
    • CHE 3332 - ChemE Reactor Engineering I
  • Note: these courses will not earn the student credit toward the completion of the 30-credit MSBChE degree but will represent one of the prerequisite requirements for admission into the program.

(OR)

• Option 3: Michigan State bridging courses
  • Complete CHE 804, 805 Foundations of Chemical Engineering I, II, offered online by Michigan State University
  • Complete each course with a GPA ≥ 3.5/4.0 (repeat if necessary, until the required minimum grade is achieved.)
  • Note: these courses will not earn the student credit toward the completion of the 30-credit MSBChE degree but will represent one of the prerequisite requirements for admission into the program.

Please Note:  Successful completion of Requirements 1, 2, 3 and 4 will ensure admission into the MSBChE program on a probationary basis, once a complete application has been submitted.