Grades given in graduate engineering courses are A, B, C, D, F, and I. The I (Incomplete) is a temporary grade which is changed to a letter grade when the course requirements have been completed. A grade average of at least B must be kept to remain in good standing. Students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than chemical and biomolecular engineering receiving a grade of C or below in any required undergraduate course will be asked to withdraw. Research is graded S or U.

After completing each semester practicum, the student will receive a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade and an evaluation from the faculty member responsible for the course. The evaluation will be based on the comments of the students taking the course and the observations of the faculty.

There is no foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree.

The examining committee must consist of AT LEAST four (4) University of Pennsylvania faculty members including your research advisor(s). The chair of your committee MUST BE a CBE faculty member who is NOT your research advisor(s).

Please see the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination procedures and instructions for more information.

Ph.D. Candidacy Examination

Oral Thesis Proposal:

• A research proposal before the student’s dissertation committee will determine the research potential and ingenuity of the candidate.
• The exam is to be scheduled and presented before spring semester of your 3rd year.
• The results of the oral examination will be one of the following:
  • Passed
  • Failed with permission to take again
  • Failed without permission to take again.

Oral Thesis Presentation Guidelines:

• You must schedule an oral presentation of your proposal at a time when all committee members may attend.
  • Schedule a 60 minute period.
• The oral proposal will consist of an informal presentation not to exceed 30 minutes; this is a closed meeting.
• A significant portion of the presentation should discuss current and future research.
  • Completed research can be briefly summarized for context.
• An additional 30-minute discussion period involving only the student and the committee will follow the presentation.
• A written thesis proposal must be submitted to all committee members and to the graduate group chair at least two weeks prior to your presentation.
• The length and format of the written proposal is up to your advisor, but it should be at least 5 pages in length

Forms needed:

• Preparation of Oral Thesis – This form must be completed via Penn Grad Forms (This form should be completed no later than two weeks prior to the oral these proposal presentation date)
• Acceptance of Oral Thesis – This form must be completed via Penn Grad Forms once your oral thesis proposal has been approved by your committee.

In order to assure that each student is making satisfactory progress toward completion of the dissertation, the department will require a progress report due in the Fall semester for those students in their fourth year and beyond.

The doctoral dissertation in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is normally based upon the successful completion of a research problem. It should be of a sufficiently novel or original nature as to warrant publication in a recognized journal requiring critical review by one or more referees. While the choice is important, it should not be regarded as committing the student to specialize in that particular area as his or her life’s work. The topic choice should be neither so limited in scope as to leave little room to maneuver as difficulties are encountered, nor so overly ambitious as to waste much time in properly defining the problem.

A Ph.D. Thesis presents results of the candidate’s research for evaluation by his or her dissertation research committee. A copy of the final approved thesis will be presented to the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Faculties. Detailed regulations concerning the writing, format, and presentation of the thesis apply.

Most students admitted to the Ph.D. program who receive fellowship aid from the department must make satisfactory progress toward their degree in order to maintain their support up to the maximum of five years.

Research assistants are formally allowed 2 weeks (10 working days) of vacation each year. In addition, University-observed holidays are paid time off. Unclaimed vacation cannot be carried over to a subsequent year. Any special arrangements must be negotiated with the research advisor.

The Ph.D. program, culminating in a successful defense of the doctoral dissertation, must be completed within a period of 10 years from the year of matriculation as a graduate student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Pennsylvania.

Students may request a Leave of Absence for up to two years or four academic semesters, after which time, students must reapply for admission. Reasons for requesting a Leave of Absence include personal, medical, military, and family leave. Time spent in the military service and medical cases do not count under the time limit. Reinstatement is dependent upon departmental and SEAS approval. While on a Leave of Absence, students may still utilize the library and/or recreational facilities by requesting and paying a special service fee. RAS can help facilitate this process.