Common CHE Questions for the VEO ME Program

How many courses/credits are required? Our program is 10 courses/30 credits. You must take the 5 “core” courses for a Chemical Engineering ME (more info in link on note at top). You must also take 5 electives. The electives can be from CHE, but do not have to be. In general, a graduate-level (at UVA this is 5000-course number or higher) graded course in science or engineering can satisfy electives. Electives can be transferred from another program, so long as they are graduate level, have not been used towards another degree, and are science or engineering courses.

Are there summer courses offered? Chemical Engineering has not previously offered VEO summer courses and does not have plans to add summer offerings. There are other University of Virginia Engineering programs that have in the past offered summer courses that could be used to satisfy elective requirements for the Chemical Engineering ME degree.

How long will it take to complete the program? It depends on how many courses you can handle in a semester and the course sequencing. During non-pandemic times, the department has offered either one or two courses per semester (2 since Fall 2019, though the number offered is at the discretion of the program/chair). At 1 course per semester, the program would take 5 years. While at 2, it would take half that amount of time. It is important to take “core” courses when available because they are not offered every semester or year due to the way courses are rotated. Note: during the pandemic in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 all CHE graduate courses were made available to VEO students, however, it should not be assumed that this will be the case for any additional semesters. Course offerings for an upcoming semester and future projections for long-range planning for the CHE program can be found on the VEO website (“Online Class Schedule” tab and “Chemical Engineering” for the coming semester, and “Prospective Students” tab “Degree Programs” and “Chemical Engineering” for the long-range course planning). VEO main website is here: HTTPS://ENGINEERING.VIRGINIA.EDU/VEO

Can I transfer credits from other schools? We frequently have students transfer credits to complete their ME, both from courses they took prior to joining the VEO ME program and after starting the VEO ME degree. Generally, the maximum number of credits that can be applied to the degree is 15. For courses to be transferred they must be graduate-level science and engineering courses that were not applied towards another degree. It is best to confirm a course will transfer before taking it. The transfer credit will either be awarded for an equivalent UVA course or as a general elective. “Core” courses from CHE cannot be transferred and must be taken from UVA. If it is awarded as a UVA course, that equivalent course from UVA cannot be taken. Minimum transfer course grade requirements are set by SEAS.

How many students are in the program? The overall numbers fluctuate, but in a “core” course the number of VEO students is typically in the range of 2-8. There will also be our PhD students in core courses participating synchronously/in person, and there are typically 12-18 PhD students per year.

What do students do after or with their VEO degree? Most of our VEO students are currently working in industry with companies that employ chemical engineers, and are either students with a chemical engineering undergraduate background that want to add more depth and breadth to their knowledge with graduate level material, or are students who did not have a chemical engineering undergraduate degree and want to learn chemical engineering principles (e.g., a chemist or mechanical engineer who now works in a position that involves a lot of chemical engineering principles).

How much is the tuition and total cost? Please see the tuition and fees page here. For additional information, you may contact Student Financial Services.

Is there financial aid/funding? The Department of Chemical Engineering does not provide financial support for VEO students, or in general to students pursuing an ME degree. Any other support (UVA, SEAS, state, federal, employer, etc.) is outside of any expertise of the Department of Chemical Engineering faculty or staff.

Are courses asynchronous? In general, the format of courses at UVA is at the discretion of the specific instructor for that offering. The most common format for CHE courses that have VEO sections is that there will be students on campus taking the course synchronously and that the course session will be recorded. Often (but not necessarily always so it should be confirmed with the instructor) the VEO students will be able to complete the course watching the lectures asynchronously and submitting assignments electronically within a window. In some cases, VEO students attend the course virtually and synchronously, and in some cases, this type of participation may be required on specific days such as for an exam or presentation. The specific format for a given course should always be confirmed with the instructor before the semester begins.

When does the semester start? Semester start/end dates are set by the UVA Registrar (CALENDARS | UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR (VIRGINIA.EDU).

When do I need to apply? All chemical engineering graduate program applications, including VEO, are reviewed and assessed by our admissions committee. VEO applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, however, it is recommended to apply at least 4 weeks before the start of a semester to ensure adequate time to review. After submitting your application, it is recommended you follow up with the Graduate Online Programs Administrator to confirm all of your application materials have been received and that it is being transferred to the admissions committee. The admissions committee does not automatically receive notice that new applications are in the system, thus if you have confirmed all application materials have been submitted and it has been at least 3 weeks make sure to contact the Graduate Online Programs Administrator to confirm the admissions committee has received you application.

What are the prerequisites? Do I need an undergraduate chemical engineering degree?  In general, if you have a chemical engineering undergraduate degree from an ABET-accredited institution you will have the necessary prerequisites for CHE graduate courses. Students with other undergraduate backgrounds also have successfully completed the VEO ME in CHE. To be successful, generally, students need to have completed a complete calculus sequence (differential, integral, and multivariable) and differential equations. Evidence of completing a course that includes thermodynamics (does not necessarily have to be CHE thermo, for example, mechanical engineering thermodynamics or physical chemistry statistical mechanics) and transport (again does not have to be CHE transport, but at least some form of fluid mechanics, heat transport, or mass transport) will be needed to be successful in graduate CHE coursework. If these prerequisites have not been completed when the application is submitted, the personal statement should detail the plan to achieve the necessary background proficiencies. Note that the training from taking these background courses is not offered as VEO graduate electives.

Is there a minimum GPA for admission to the program? There is no set minimum GPA, and all graduate program applications are reviewed holistically in chemical engineering. However, course preparation especially in math courses and engineering courses of direct relation to the core graduate coursework (in particular transport, thermodynamics, and reaction engineering) need to demonstrate proficiency that would suggest the student will be successful in the graduate program and/or the student should in the personal statement define their plan to reach that level of preparation/proficiency. 

This information was updated 2023 by Gary Koenig