M.Eng. Admissions
Applications now open for Fall 2023 enrollment.
Applications for the Fall 2023 cohort are being accepted through June 1, 2023. We will also accept applications for Spring 2024 enrollment by November 1 and for Summer 2024 enrollment by February 1.
Start Your Application
Not ready to apply?
Connect with us and find out more.
The "Master of Engineering in Engineering with a concentration in Chemical Engineering Leadership" degree is designed for early to mid-career engineers who aspire to become industry leaders. Our M.Eng. program leverages the expertise of The Grainger College of Engineering and the Gies College of Business — which are both top 10 ranked schools by U.S. News and World Report — to equip graduates with the technical knowledge and business acumen to advance the industry and deliver success in a dynamic environment.
Apply now to our flexible program and catalyze your career.
Why should you choose an M.Eng. degree?
Today's challenges are more complex, dynamic, and multi-disciplined in nature than ever. Climate change, sustainability, aging infrastructure, food and water insecurity, supply chain disruptions, and cybersecurity are just a few of the major challenges facing the global society both today and well into the future. Engineers will play a critical role, but it will take more than technical skills and innovation to solve these complex and dynamic issues.
Our industry requires leaders who are capable of fulfilling three critical roles: (1) an innovative engineer, (2) a global businessperson, and (3) an effective manager of diverse teams. At the intersection of the three roles, high-value solutions to the world’s most difficult challenges will emerge. Our Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering Leadership program is designed to develop the skills needed to fulfill these roles through graduate-level courses, exclusive industry-led workshops, and capstone opportunities to apply what you have learned to tackle high-value problems.
Ultimately, this professional degree program trains students to become engineers with advanced technical knowledge of chemical engineering and communication, leadership, and management skills.
Differentiating our program.
Based on feedback from industry executives, we’ve packaged the most marketable and applicable skills from a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and an MBA to create an M.Eng. that is the best of both worlds. Graduate prepared to help corporations, startups, and society adapt to the ever-changing times and address complex societal challenges. Plus, we've developed this program to suit your unique lifestyle and needs.
- Work towards your degree full-time or part-time to accommodate your schedule and obligations.
- Achieve your degree online or in person — whatever suits you best.
- Tailor your electives to gain specialized knowledge that will help you get to the next level.
- Choose a capstone project or practicum that aligns with your interests and skills.
- Design a personal development plan that outlines immediate, near-term, and long-term actions to ensure that you achieve your career objectives.
Building our curricular framework.
Our M.Eng. degree requirements combine technical, business, and leadership core courses that cover a range of essential topics including financial analysis, management, and strategic planning.
Students will witness how industry applies these concepts in the real world through the program's industry workshops and then have the opportunity to employ what they have learned through the hands-on capstone course.
Becoming an engineering leader starts with a mastery of engineering principles. Our program's faculty offer expertise in engineering and design to help you build upon your foundational knowledge and master your understanding of material properties, synthesis, and processing and build your capability to develop innovative technologies and processes.
Advanced core skills: Develop advanced engineering skills required to solve complex problems, including applied mathematics, transport phenomena, data analysis, and others.
Technical electives: Select an elective in special topic areas to build technical depth in an area of interest or desired expertise.
The business management part of the program focuses on the skills and fundamentals required by leaders to identify, define, and deliver value to customers, organizations, and society. Develop an understanding of the value fundamentals of accounting, finance, and uncertainty analysis and learn how to define and deliver value.
Value fundamentals: In order to make sound business decisions, engineering leaders and managers must understand the fundamental principles of accounting and finance that are used to define and quantify value.
Value-chain management: Engineering leaders routinely develop and manage projects and operations that design, build, manufacture, and deliver products. Understanding the concepts and tools used to analyze the value at each step and to develop strategies and make decisions to maximize value is critical to an engineering leader’s role.
Leaders in today’s rapidly changing world need to be capable of leading on multiple fronts simultaneously and must leverage the skills and abilities of every member of the team to maximize overall value. Learning the leadership skills to foster, develop, and deliver innovative solutions is important whether you are in a mature industry or a cutting-edge entrepreneur.
Personal leadership: Understand your leadership strengths, style, and growth opportunities, and how to effectively use them in both team member and team leader roles.
Leading high-performing teams: Learn how to be an effective team member and a team leader that maximizes the contribution of all team members to tackle complex problems with multidisciplinary solutions.
Leading innovation: Develop skills to identify, define, and deliver innovative solutions in various organizational settings. Learn how to foster creative thinking within and between teams.
Degree Requirements
Gain the critical and marketable skills that underpin this program through an applied curriculum developed with input from leaders across a diverse set of industries in the chemical engineering field.
Industry Workshops
Participate in two workshops led by industry leaders and executives will engage students to explore how companies remain adaptable and dynamic to address to the challenges of today.
Capstone Course
Choose a capstone project or practicum to demonstrate how to leverage your new-found knowledge and skills to real-world needs and situations, integrating everything you have learned.
Choosing your next steps.
Apply for Fall, Spring, or Summer enrollment and join a cohort of rising leaders in chemical engineering.
Ready to apply, but not sure the program is meant for you? Learn more about who should apply.
Tuition for our program follows the campus graduate and professional engineering program rates.
Do you have a specific question about our program or admissions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Let's stay in touch!
Sign up to receive more information and the latest updates about our program. We'll keep you in the loop when our application opens.
Program Contacts
M.Eng. Program Office
99 Roger Adams Laboratory, MC-712
600 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801, USA
217-300-4452
chbe-meng@illinois.edu
Hong Yang
Director of the M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering Leadership
Anne McKinney
Graduate Program Coordinator