Graduate Program FAQs
Why should I choose UD?
There are many excellent departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the nation, with a variety of strengths. Some factors which may help you choose Delaware are:
- University of Delaware Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department consistently is ranked in the top 10 in Graduate Surveys in the U.S.
- The faculty is distinguished — 3 members of the National Academy of Engineers, 16 Presidential/NSF Young Investigators/CAREER Award winners.
- The graduate student to faculty ratio is about 4.2:1.
- The central location on the eastern seaboard to New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore is convenient (both culturally and to the greatest concentration of industrial and government research laboratories in the U.S.)
- Our fiscal year research expenditures were 16.4 million dollars for 2016.
- 2000 National Doctoral Program Survey by the National Association of Graduate – Professional Studies ranked the University of Delaware Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department 3rd in the nation.
What is the size of the graduate program?
In a typical year, 25-30 graduate students enroll in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering program, leading to an average graduate student body size of 140-150 students.
What portions of the GRE exam are required for admission?
Application Process Update: The department is eliminating the GRE requirement for our graduate program. Please enter a future GRE exam date into the application when prompted as a placeholder. Entering any future date will allow your application to be sent on to our review committee where it will receive full consideration. If you wish to submit a GRE score with your application, reporting your scores is entirely optional; however, the submitted GRE score will not be reviewed and will have no bearing on evaluation of your application. If you have any questions regarding this process, email our Graduate Services Coordinator at cheg-graduate-admissions@udel.edu.
What is the deadline for applications?
December 1: To receive priority consideration for admission and full consideration for department funding
June 6: Final deadline to apply
Who are the best individuals to use for reference letters?
Your reference letters should come from professors who know you well from interactions, such as research supervision or coursework. It is not unusual for us to receive recommendation letters from job supervisors as well (e.g., summer internship or co-op).
Is it possible for someone to look at my resume and tell me if I should apply to Delaware?
We have hundreds of applicants every year, with a wide variety of credentials and experiences. Your best source of advice is a professor at your institution. The key factors that we consider in each application are the personal statement, letters of recommendation, undergraduate GPA and (when applicable) undergraduate research experience.
Is it possible to visit the department?
Once the formal admissions offers have been made, each U.S. student will receive an invitation to attend a special recruiting weekend (at our expense) that will introduce you to the program. At this event, the students will have a chance to tour the departmental facilities, meet with all the faculty members, and meet with current graduate students. It is your primary opportunity to gather information about the program. In extenuating circumstances, we can make special arrangements for individual visits, once an admission offer has been given.
What is the cost of graduate school?
Students at the PhD level are fully funded, receiving both a tuition waiver and a stipend. (Our stipend levels are competitive with most major U.S. institutions). The following minimal fees are covered by all students at the University of Delaware:
- Domestic Students: You will be responsible for the following semester fees: Student Health Service, Student Center, Comprehensive, and Registration fees. Fee schedule. All students are required to have health insurance coverage and must verify their coverage at the beginning of each academic year. The cost of this insurance plan is approximately $200 a year for fully funded students as the University subsidizes 86% of the actual cost of the plan. Specific information about the plan and enrollment options can be found at http://www.udel.edu/RM/. Note: Students may process a waiver to be enrolled in the plan if appropriately enrolled in another qualified plan.
- International Students: You will be responsible for the same fees as the domestic students as well as the international student fee. All students are required to have health insurance coverage and must verify their coverage at the beginning of each academic year. The cost of this insurance plan is approximately $200 a year for fully funded students as the University subsidizes 86% of the actual cost of the plan. Specific information about the plan and enrollment options can be found at http://www.udel.edu/RM/. Note: Students may process a waiver to be enrolled in the plan if appropriately enrolled in another qualified plan.
Fee waiver requests
We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to our program, including those from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM and in research areas of great national need. To eliminate potential barriers to applying, requests for waiving the graduate application fee for domestic applicants can be sent to cyounce@udel.edu.
- The email should include i) a brief statement about research interests, ii) rationale for fee waiver request, and iii) a copy of CV including GPA.
- Requests for fee waivers will receive a response within 10 business days; inquiries about original fee waiver request should not be sent until after this period of time has elapsed.
- UD offices will be closed December 23, 2021 – January 2, 2022 and fee waiver requests received during this time will not receive a response until January 7, 2022 or after.
- We are not able to offer fee waivers for international applicants at this time.
At the MS level, there is no financial support for either full time or part-time (coursework) thesis.
Are my chances of admission affected by my planned area of specialization?
Absolutely not. Our applicants are evaluated strictly on the basis of their individual accomplishments. We encourage students to explore all of their options once they arrive on campus, before they select a research advisor.
When do Delaware's students choose PhD advisors and thesis topics?
You select research projects that interest you and matches are made in November of the first year. This gives you a chance meet the faculty and more senior graduate students, and to explore the wide variety of projects offered. No matches are made in advance of this, however, feel free to contact the relevant faculty members about areas you are particularly interested. Also note that during your departmental visit you will be asked if you have any areas of deeper interest, so you will be able to meet with those faculty with related research projects.
What about Qualifiers?
Delaware, like most U.S. graduate schools, requires all students to pass a research-based qualifiers (held in the summer of the first year) to enter the PhD program. Additional details can be found HERE.