The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Chemical Engineering at the UPRM requires an intense program of study and research. As such, the Department requires:
A minimum of 31 / to complete the degree, which are divided as follows: 12 / in chemical engineering core subjects; 1 credit in masters seminar, 6 / in master’s thesis, 6 / in non-core chemical engineering subjects, and 6 / in non-chemical engineering subjects. A maximum of 6 / in advanced undergraduate (i.e., 5000-level) courses is allowed. The discipline of Chemical Engineering covers many diverse areas and, therefore, the Department provides graduate-level subjects to cover those of most relevance. The philosophy of the Department is to encourage students to develop an in-depth understanding of the fundamental concepts of Chemical Engineering and, at the same time, broaden their perspective by sampling other, more specialized subjects. To this end, the following four subjects have been designated as core:
Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (InQu 6001)
Reactor Design (InQu 6005)
Advanced Transport Phenomena (InQu 6016)
Advanced Thermodynamics (InQu 6019)
It is expected that masters students will complete these four core subjects within the first two years of their tenure at the UPRM. The list of core subjects will be periodically reviewed to accommodate modern developments in the discipline. In addition to these core courses, master’s students must enroll each semester in Graduate Seminar (InQu 6029) and after the first year in Master’s Thesis (InQu 6037). A maximum of 6 / of Master’s Thesis (InQu 6037) may be applied to the fulfillment of the master’s credit requirements. To ensure the student’s academic and professional development, the Department requires a minimum of 6 / (typically two courses) in non-core chemical engineering subjects and a minimum of 6 / (typically two courses) in other departments or disciplines, which should be related to the student’s thesis research. These courses should be selected by the student in consultation with his/her thesis advisor.
The purpose of the doctoral qualifying examination is to assess at an early stage if he/she possesses the necessary intellectual skills and knowledge to earn the degree of doctor of philosophy in Chemical Engineering. This assessment is based on the student’s performance in four written subject examinations. The exam is prepared by faculty members and overseen by the Qualifying Exam Coordinator, who is a member of the Graduate Committee. The qualifying examination is offered twice during the first year whenever there at least two students to take it. New students must approve the qualifying exam before the beginning of the second year of full admission into the doctoral program. According to UPRM’s regulations, students have two opportunities to pass the exam. A second failure will result in the student’s dismissal from the UPRM graduate programs. The doctoral qualifying examination consists of four, two-hour subject examinations on the topics of:
Problems included are at the undergraduate level. The four subject examinations are offered in two non-consecutive days, one day apart. Each exam is prepared and graded anonymously by a member of the department faculty. This is a double-blind test, where the student does not know the evaluator’s identity and vice versa. Subject examinations are closed-book. A handout containing standard formulas of the topics examined will be provided.
The unique feature of graduate education is the development of the skills necessary to conduct and present independent research. The PhD thesis should demonstrate that the student has:
The length of the actual thesis, the number of associated publications, and the time required will necessarily depend upon the abilities and effort of the student, the details of the project, and the philosophy of the thesis advisor. It is impossible for the department to determine, a priori, how long any given student will remain in residence. However, it is important to recognize that the PhD program is a transition period, one which provides students with an opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons, to learn how to conduct research, and to be creative. The transitionary nature means that students should move as rapidly as possible towards completion of all of the objectives/requirements associated with the PhD degree.
Each graduate student is associated with a research advisor who plays an important role in the student’s academic and research 
programs. Since research is such a critical component of the graduate program, students need time to gather information about the available projects, to clarify their own personal research interests, and to think carefully about their own long-term objectives. All first-year students are required to go through the process described herein. Students and potential advisors cannot reach agreements prior to this process. Every semester faculty members will present research opportunities in their groups in 20-minute talks. Graduate students are expected to attend all of the thesis topic presentations (even if they are not predetermined toward that particular research area). These presentations are an ideal way for new students to meet the faculty and vice versa. Additionally, students are exposed to the full range of chemical engineering projects offered. Students should then individually interview faculty members and other graduate students to gain a more thorough understanding of possible research topics. As part of the Seminar course students are required to turn in the “Thesis/Advisor Selection Form” where students are expected to present evidence of having interview at least five faculty members and provide a brief descriptive summary of the research project. Students are then asked to provide their preferences. There must be at least four projects spanning at least three advisors listed. The matching of students to topics is a difficult multivariable problem. There are many factors involved in the determination of the final assignments, including current research group sizes, faculty objectives, department objectives, funding, and student preferences. Often the solution does not match everyone’s requests and some students may be asked to meet again with the graduate advisor to discuss options.