Grad Program FAQ'S

1. Why do you think I should choose this school over any other for graduate study in Chemical Engineering?
2. What is the size of the graduate program in Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware?
3. What portions of the GRE exam are required for admission?
4. What is the deadline for applications?
5. Who are the best individuals to use for reference letters?
6. Is it possible for someone to look at my resume and tell me if I should apply to Delaware?
7. Is it possible to visit the department?
8. What is the cost of graduate school?
9. Are my chances of admission affected by my planned area of specialization?
10. When do Delaware's students choose PhD advisors and thesis topics?
11. What about Qualifiers?

1. There are many excellent departments of chemical engineering in the nation, with a variety of strengths. Some factors which may help you choose Delaware are:
• University of Delaware Chemical 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, 11 Presidential/NSF Young Investigators/CAREER Award winners.
• The graduate student to faculty ratio is about 4:1.
• 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 2004-2005 research expenditures were > 8 million dollars.
• 2000 National Doctoral Program Survey by the National Association of Graduate - Professional Studies ranked the University of Delaware Chemical Engineering Department 3^rd in the nation.
• Current ChE News Bulletin Board.
2. In a typical year, 15-25 graduate students enroll in the chemical engineering program, leading to an average graduate student body size of 100-120 students.
3. The Verbal, Analytic, and Quantitative components of the GRE are required (but not the Subject exams). Typically in recent years, successful candidates achieve scores above 700 in quantitative over 650 in analytical.
4. The formal deadline for application to the graduate program is March 15; however, decisions are made on a rolling basis before that, so it is best to send your completed application as early as possible.
5. 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).
6. We have hundreds of applicants every year, with a wide variety of credentials and experiences. Your best source of advice for such information is a professor at your institution. The key factors that we consider in each application are the GRE scores, the undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and (when applicable) undergraduate research experience.

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7. 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.
8. 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:
   U.S. Students: You will be responsible for the following semester fees: Student Health Service, Student Center, Comprehensive, and Registration fees. Click HERE for the most up-to-date fee schedule.
   
   Foreign Students: You will be responsible for the same fees as the U.S. students, but you must also obtain additional medical insurance coverage. The insurance is offered to students who have department financial support at approximately 75% of the cost of the plan. Specific details about the coverage options and costs are available HERE.
   
   At the MS level, there is no financial support for either full time or part-time (coursework) thesis.
   

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9. 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.
10. 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.

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11. Delaware, like most U.S. graduate schools, requires all students to pass a qualifier exam (held in the summer of the first year) to enter the PhD program. For more information, please see our link HERE.

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