Graduate Student Applicant Criteria

Applications to the Ph.D. program received by January 15^th can be considered for fellowships and assistantships that include full stipend and full tuition remission. In addition, the program is a hub for an NIH sponsored Biotechnology training program, a Colgate-Palmolive experiential learning opportunity program, and an NSF REU in Advanced Materials (https://cbe.rutgers.edu/research/research-traineeships) as well as centers in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Catalyst manufacture (https://cbe.rutgers.edu/research/research-centers-and-labs). Rutgers University fosters diversity through several special fellowship and training programs and encourages applications from students with backgrounds underrepresented in chemical engineering and academia.

All admitted full-time Ph.D. students receive funding through either teaching assistantships (TA), graduate assistantships (GA) or fellowships and can expect funding for at least five years subject to satisfactory progress. TA and GA positions are reserved for Ph.D. students, and we only hold a Fall admissions cycle for Ph.D. admissions..  

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Application to the Master’s program is done on a rolling basis. We offer both Fall and Spring admissions cycles. The application deadline is August 1^stfor Fall admissions and December 1^stfor Spring admissions.

A number of our Master’s students seek out and find paid positions on campus on their own, including as graders, learning assistants, and part-time lecturers. Departments such as Chemistry, Math and Physics serve a large undergraduate population and routinely recruit CBE Master’s students for such positions. We also have a number of grader positions in our department, depending on course enrollment.

Many of our Master’s students have been successful in obtaining summer internships/co-ops in the relevant chemical or pharmaceutical industries, which can be accommodated in the form of CPT (curricular practical training) for international students.

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This program is only open to students receiving their BS degrees from Rutgers-New Brunswick. Non-CBE majors are welcome and should be in contact with the graduate program director for guidance.

• Online application form
• Brief (one page) personal statement outlining your professional goals, attached to the application form
• At least one recommendation letter, e-mailed to the graduate program director
• Send an e-mail to the Graduate Program Director indicating that your application has been submitted for faster response

US citizens and permanents residents and international applicants with a minimum of three years undergraduate studies or a master’s degree with the mode of instruction being English are exempt from submitting TOEFL or IELTS scores. Your scores must be current within 2 years of the semester you are applying to. The minimum IBT-internet based TOEFL is Writing 22, Speaking 23, Reading 21, Listening 17. An acceptable IELTS score is bandwidth 7.

For more information on language exam requirements, visit the School of Graduate Studies.

The Graduate Program in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering regularly welcomes students with diverse educational backgrounds into our department for advanced study. More information can be found here.

All US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for part-time study and non-matriculated/non-degree study.

Part-time study is very popular with many of our Master's students who are employed full-time in local industry. Our graduate courses are offered in the evening which makes it convenient for part-time students to take one or two classes per semester.

Non-matriculated/non-degree study is an option to take up to four courses without being enrolled in a graduate degree program. After completing four courses, a student must then enroll in a degree program should they wish to continue study. All coursework previously completed is transferred to the degree at that point

The application fee is managed by the School of Graduate Studies, and not by CBE. CBE can not give out a fee waiver, but the graduate school has given the following information about waivers at this link as well as this link.

• If you are a Scholar in one of the following programs, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. Select your scholar program name from the list under the “Academic Honors, Awards, or Publications” field in the “Aid” section of the graduate application. If you don't see your program listed, contact the graduate program director.
  • ACS Scholars Program
  • Graduate Engineering and Science Fellowships for Minorities (GEM)
  • Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
  • Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
  • McNair Scholars Program
  • Meyerhoff Scholars Program
  • National Name Exchange (NNE)
  • National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
  • Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP)
  • Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP )
  • Project 1000
  • Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) at Rutgers, and some other Rutgers summer programs
  • Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program
  • Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineering (SHPE)
  • Society for Women Engineers (SWE)
• The FreeApp Program provides fee waivers for Ph.D. program applicants at Rutgers who meet these criteria. FreeApp is a collaborative program for students traditionally underrepresented in graduate education, including racial and ethnic minorities, women in STEM, first-generation college students, and individuals who have faced adversity, such as societal, economic, or academic disadvantages. 
• Attendees at selected recruitment events receive waivers. Contact us if you need to confirm your event code.
• Applicants who are currently serving in the U.S. Military or are Military Veterans who plan to apply for educational benefits under the GI Bill, receive a waiver of the application fee.