What Starts Here Changes the World
Imagine what doors will open to you when you take on graduate studies in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Whether you aspire to join academia, work in national laboratories or industry, or launch your own startup – the possibilities start here.
As part of a undergraduate and graduate programs ranked among the top 10 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report, enhance your technical and teamwork skills. Learn from an award-winning, world-class faculty community. Shape groundbreaking research that addresses challenges in energy, human health, sustainability and more. Engage in collaborative partnerships, advance world-changing ideas and join a vibrant community of inspiring, focused and innovative engineers.
Students select UT for its academic excellence, its commitment to research and teaching, and its location in the heart of a city that is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live, study, and start a career (see About the Department).
The innovative research at the Cockrell School of Engineering spans a wide variety of disciplines, with advancements that aim to improve lives throughout the world. Our work is collaborative and cutting-edge, and our graduate students are at the forefront of it. Chemical engineering is one of seven departments within the Cockrell School, which houses many cross-disciplinary research projects, programs, and centers, offering a graduate experience that is robust and enriching.
We Are Community-Focused, Family-Friendly
- Our students come from 25+ different countries
- Academic milestone extensions for family needs
- Access to lactation rooms on-site and the UT Child Development Center
- 80+ engineering student organizations including groups dedicated to minority interests, the LGBTQ community, and women engineers
World-Class Faculty
- 31 full-time faculty
- 100% of our faculty have been recognized with prestigious or coveted national or international awards in research, teaching, career accomplishments, or all three.
- 85 patents issued in the past five years
- 84% of faculty work in two or more research areas
- 1/3 of faculty hold dual appointments in UT departments including chemistry, physics, pharmacy, mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering
- 1/3 of faculty have founded or co-founded startups in the last decade in fields that include biotechnology, medical therapy, diagnostics and water treatment.
Interdisciplinary Programs
- About 20% of our graduate students have more than one faculty adviser. This collaborative and flexible approach let’s students tailor their research projects to areas they are passionate about.
- 23 cross-disciplinary centers and programs
- 25+ specialized degree portfolios
- Students have access to classes and resources across campus, including the Dell Medical School, McCombs School of Business, and the School of Law.
Career Paths
Our graduates succeed in a wide variety of career paths:
- Academia
- Government
- Consulting
- Industry
- $100,000 average starting salary after graduation
- 125 alumni currently academic faculty
Professional development support
- Certificate in Engineering Education to prepare future faculty
- The Austin Technology Incubator for innovation commercialization
- Professional development workshops
- Student travel funding
Welcome to Austin
Austin, Texas, the state’s vibrant capital city, is one of the nation’s major tech hubs with booming startups and large companies calling the city home, including Dell, Whole Foods, Google, National Instruments, Silicon Labs, Freescale Semiconductor, and others. Austin boasts SXSW, BBQ, and a sunny, temperate climate year-round.
