Graduate

We will look over your materials when you apply, but do not offer a pre-admission evaluation.

Fall is the best time to apply to the ChE MS or PhD program. We rarely make Spring offers. 

The deadline for a Fall application to the Virginia Tech Department of Chemical Engineering is January 15 and the deadline for Spring application is September 1.

To receive full consideration for admission and financial assistance, all application materials should be received by the Graduate School deadlines found here: Deadlines | Graduate School | Virginia Tech (vt.edu). For further application instructions, please go to:  How to Apply | Graduate School | Virginia Tech (vt.edu). You can access an application on-line and Graduate School application information at:  Virginia Tech Graduate School Application Management (vt.edu). 

While we understand the financial burdens many of our prospective students face, the $75 application fee cannot be covered by the department for all applicants. Occasionally we offer fee waivers to applicants who have attended a conference or recruiting event. Please indicate the event you attended and we will consider an application fee waiver. There are also fee waivers offered by the VT Graduate School. To learn find more about VT Graduate School waivers, please go here: Application Fees | Graduate School | Virginia Tech (vt.edu)

Applicants should submit copies of their transcripts with the online application. Unofficial copies are acceptable for review by the department and Graduate School. Upon admission, official transcripts should be sent to the Virginia Tech Graduate School. If the official transcript submitted for admission does not show bachelor's degree completion, you will need to later supply another official transcript showing that the degree has been awarded/conferred.

Letters of reference (preferably 3).  

Personal statement/academic and professional goals

CV or Resume 

Programs are also available for students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than chemical engineering. Chemistry majors, especially those with thorough backgrounds in physical chemistry and mathematics, as well as graduates in biochemistry and microbiology, can re-orient their studies.

International students make up nearly 40% of our graduate population in Blacksburg and over 30% of the graduate population across all campuses. International students seeking F-1 or J-1 status may apply only to the Blacksburg and Greater Washington DC area campuses and may not enroll in executive master's and virtual programs.  The Chemical Engineering graduate programs are offered at the Blacksburg Campus only. For assistance with immigration questions, contact the Cranwell International Center if applying to a Chemical Engineering graduate program. 

All international students must hold valid non-immigrant visa status to enroll at Virginia Tech. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of eligibility to apply for the appropriate visa (I-20 or DS-2019 form), all international students must submit documentation of funding and demographic information. The following link provides information about what and how to submit: https://international.vt.edu/Immigration-Services/new-students.html.

The Cranwell International Center will collect (1) information required for issuance of visa eligibility documents and (2) information that demonstrates that a student has sufficient financial resources for at least the first year of education. International students in F-1 and J-1 visa status and their accompanying dependents are required to carry health and accident insurance approved by Virginia Tech. International students who have been admitted and have shown proof of having sufficient funds to cover their educational and living expenses for at least one year are issued visa eligibility documents (I-20 or DS-2019 forms) by the Cranwell International Center.

We do not require GRE scores, but non-U.S. citizen applicants must have minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language, (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System, (IELTS) scores. For more information, contact our graduate program coordinator.

A TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test score is required for all non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. permanent residents. The VT code for TOEFL scores is 00589. A minimum TOEFL score of 90 (IBT) or IELTS score of 6.5 is required for admission, with exceptions granted in rare cases. 

***Please note we do not accept electronic score delivery from IELTS. Please mail paper scores to: 

Graduate Admissions

Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown

Graduate School, Virginia Tech

155 Otey Street 

Blacksburg Virginia

24061

Yes, English proficiency can be demonstrated through a conferred bachelor’s degree from an accredited university where English is the medium of instruction. If this applies to you, we will code a waiver of the English proficiency requirement into your application once we receive and review your transcript showing degree conferral and medium of instruction as English.

PhD applicants, if offered admission, are typically provided a multi-year financial offer which will cover tuition and stipend based on assistantship funding. MS students, if offered admission, are not financially supported by the department and will need to be self-funded or secure external funding. 

There is no requirement to secure a supervisor/advisor prior to applying to our graduate program. To learn more about assistantships and fellowships: Funding for Graduate Students | Engineering | Virginia Tech (vt.edu)