Graduate Handbook
Revised: February 2022
For additional information, please consult:
Dr. Martha Grover
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies
Room 1212, Ford ES&T Building
Tel: (404) 894-2878
Ms. Janice Whatley
Academic Advisor
Room 1214, Ford ES&T Building
(404) 894-2877
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
2. Classification of graduate students .................................................................................. 1
3. Course load requirements ................................................................................................ 1
4. Financial assistance ......................................................................................................... 2
5. Dismissal policy .............................................................................................................. 2
6. Satisfactory progress toward degree ................................................................................ 3
7. MS degree programs ........................................................................................................ 3
7.1. Degree requirements ................................................................................................. 4
7.2. The MS Thesis .......................................................................................................... 5
7.3. Program of Study ...................................................................................................... 5
7.4. Transfer of credit ...................................................................................................... 6
7.5. Degree petition ......................................................................................................... 6
7.6. Summary of deadlines for MS candidates ................................................................ 6
8. Doctor of Philosophy Program ........................................................................................ 7
8.1. PhD Qualifying Examination ................................................................................... 7
8.2. Thesis Proposal and Oral Defense ............................................................................ 8
8.3. Admission to Candidacy ........................................................................................... 9
8.4. Thesis Research ........................................................................................................ 9
8.5. The PhD dissertation ................................................................................................ 9
8.6. Course requirements ................................................................................................. 9
8.7. Professional Preparation Requirements .................................................................. 10
8.8. The pre-doctoral review .......................................................................................... 13
8.9. Fourth-year requirements ....................................................................................... 11
8.10. The degree petition ............................................................................................... 11
8.11. Final PhD examination ......................................................................................... 12
8.12. Summary of deadlines for PhD students .............................................................. 12
9. Graduate seminars ......................................................................................................... 12
10. Preregistration for courses ........................................................................................... 13
11. Multidisciplinary programs ......................................................................................... 13
12. The academic year ....................................................................................................... 13
13. Responsible conduct of research (RCR) Training for Graduate Students ................... 13
14. Safety ........................................................................................................................... 14
15. Computer facilities and computer use ......................................................................... 14
16. Purchasing and Procurement ....................................................................................... 14
17. Travel ........................................................................................................................... 15
18. TA Service ................................................................................................................... 15
19. Forms ........................................................................................................................... 15
20. Health Problems, Stress, and Major Life Events ......................................................... 15
21. Internships ................................................................................................................... 20
22. Parental Leave Policy for Graduate Research Assistants ............................................ 20
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1. Introduction
The purpose of this handbook is to outline special regulations and policies relevant to the
graduate programs in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Institute
regulations regarding graduate work at Georgia Tech can be found in the General Catalog
available at http://www.catalog.gatech.edu.
2. Classification of graduate students
Almost all graduate students in the School are admitted with Full Graduate Standing for
study toward their MS or PhD degree. In a few cases, a student may be admitted with
Special Graduate Standing. Courses taken by students on special standing cannot be
counted toward a graduate degree at Georgia Tech unless a petition is approved by the
Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee.
According to Institute rules, full-time graduate students must register for at least 12 hours
per semester on a letter grade or pass/fail basis. A part-time student may register for no
more than 11, and no less than 3 hours of credit (except during the semester of graduation
– see below).
Course loads for students who have assistantships, fellowships or tuition waivers from
the School of Chemical & Bimolecular Engineering are discussed below.
3. Course load requirements
Students are expected to register for 21 hours in the Fall and Spring semesters, and 16
hours in the Summer semester. These hours will normally consist of course credit hours,
plus ChBE 7000 or ChBE 9000 credit hours for research, as appropriate. In certain
preapproved situations the number of credit hours might be reduced, but in order to be
eligible for reduced tuition, students with Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)
appointments in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering must enroll for a
minimum of 12 hours of credit in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.
In the event that the research is due to be completed before the end of a semester, then
two options are available:
• The student may register as a full-time GRA and remain beyond mid-semester.
The student can leave anytime past mid-semester without incurring a tuition
penalty. If a GRA student departs prior to the mid-semester point, the student will
be billed for part of the tuition not paid by the GRA.
• If the student will depart prior to mid-semester, the student may register for one
credit hour of ChBE 7000 or ChBE 9000, and pay the appropriate tuition and fees
based on residency status. The student’s advisor may elect to hire the student as a
Graduate Assistant (GA), in which case the student would be paid on an hourly
basis.
If the thesis is defended and submitted to the Institute after the Institute thesis submission
deadline for the current semester, but prior to the enrollment waiver deadline for the next
semester (see http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-deadlines for deadlines),
then the student may apply for an enrollment waiver during the graduating semester. This
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must be done prior to the beginning of the graduating semester. Note that this waiver can
be granted only if all degree requirements have been satisfied.
In all cases, the School Graduate Office must be informed of the date of completion so
that the student’s payroll status can then be changed accordingly.
4. Financial assistance
Most graduate students in the School are appointed as GRAs when working toward the
MS (thesis option) or PhD degree. The normal terms of support for GRA are contingent
upon availability of funds and are based on satisfactory progress in coursework and
research (discussed in the following sections).
5. Dismissal policy
A graduate student appointed as a GRA at the MS (thesis option) or PhD level is
expected to carry out research as part of his/her degree requirements. (A GRA may not
therefore transfer to the MS (non-thesis option) without approval of their thesis advisor
and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies). The GRA appointment will normally be
for one semester, with renewal subject to satisfactory progress towards the intended
degree, including satisfactory progress in research. Research duties and research progress
will be determined by the faculty/research advisor. Unsatisfactory performance in
research could lead to loss of research supervision, as well as non-renewal of the GRA
appointment. This applies even if the student’s GPA meets or exceeds the minimum set
by the School.
A student whose research performance is determined to be unsatisfactory will receive a
letter or e-mail from his/her research advisor listing all deficiencies and/or outlining the
level of performance required to continue working with the advisor. This will be
communicated to the student at least one month before the end of the semester, and a
copy will be provided to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies for inclusion in the
student's file. The deficiencies must be remedied before the end of the semester in order
to prevent dismissal from the advisor’s research group and/or loss of GRA status. The
GRA appointment will not normally be terminated before the end of a semester.
If a student’s GPA is less than 3.2 and/or the student fails the qualifying exam twice, the
School is no longer obligated to provide a GRA. At his or her discretion, the advisor may
continue GRA support as funds allow while the student works to meet academic
requirements.
A student who no longer has an advisor may seek another advisor with help from the
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. A PhD student who cannot find a new advisor after
one term must leave the School or may opt to transfer to the MS (coursework option)
program and finish this degree at their own expense. A MS student who cannot find a
new advisor after one term must change his/her status to that of a MS (coursework
option) student, or leave the School. If there are extenuating circumstances, the Associate
Chair for Graduate Studies may extend this period for one additional term at their
discretion. A graduate student who is dismissed by the Institute for academic or
disciplinary reasons will not normally be readmitted to the School.
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6. Satisfactory progress toward degree
Satisfactory progress for MS students will be evaluated as follows:
(a) Satisfactory completion of core coursework by the end of the second semester in
residence. (thesis and coursework options)
(b) Satisfactory progress in research. Research performance will be evaluated by the
advisor and includes initiation of research in the first semester of residence, submission
of a thesis, and successful defense of the thesis, as well as any progress reports required
by the advisor. The program should be completed in no more than six semesters. (thesis
option)
Satisfactory progress for PhD students will be evaluated as follows:
(a) Satisfactory performance in a qualifying examination. Normally, this will be
completed by the end of the 2nd semester of residence.
(b) Submission of a written thesis proposal and satisfactory oral defense of this proposal.
This must be completed by the end of the 6th semester of residence. Failure to do so will
also result in an “unsatisfactory” grade for research.
(c) Satisfactory completion of a Pre-Doctoral Review. This is generally completed at
least 6 months before the dissertation defense. Failure to do so may also result in an
“unsatisfactory” grade for research.
(d) Presentation of research results at the Fall Graduate Colloquium.
(e) Submission of an acceptable dissertation, and satisfactory oral defense of this
dissertation. This should normally be completed in 12-15 semesters in residence.
(f) Satisfactory completion of specified courses, including courses in a minor area of
study.
7. MS degree programs
The School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering offers programs of study leading to
the degree of Master of Science (MS) in Chemical Engineering (thesis or coursework
option) and the Master of Science (MS) in Bioengineering.
It is expected that most MS students in ChBE will be taking the coursework option.
Students in the MS program cannot switch into the PhD program or take the qualifier
exams without approval of the ChBE Graduate Office. Students are not encouraged to
pursue the thesis option MS unless it is funded through a GRA and a research advisor has
been found.
Students admitted to the thesis MS or PhD program who receive a stipend may not
transfer into the coursework MS program without approval from the thesis advisor and
the ChBE Associate Chair.
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7.1. Degree requirements
Degree requirements for the MS in Chemical Engineering (thesis option) are as
follows:
Credits
ChBE 6003 Chemical Process Safety 1
ChBE 6100 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 3
ChBE 6200 Transport Phenomena: Momentum and Heat Transfer 3
ChBE 6260 Mass Transport 3
ChBE 6300 Kinetics and Reactor Design 3
ChBE 6500 Mathematical Modeling of Chemical Processes 3
ChBE 6xxx Chemical Engineering Elective 3
Other Elective 3
ChBE 7000 Master’s Thesis 9
TOTAL Credit Hours ................................................................................................. 31
Degree requirements for the MS in Chemical Engineering (coursework option) are as
follows:
Credits
ChBE 6003 Chemical Process Safety 1
ChBE 6100 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 3
ChBE 6200 Transport Phenomena: Momentum and Heat Transfer 3
ChBE 6260 Mass Transport 3
ChBE 6300 Kinetics and Reactor Design 3
ChBE 6500 Mathematical modeling of chemical processes 3
ChBE 6xxx Chemical Engineering Elective 3
Other Electives 12
TOTAL Credit Hours .................................................................................................. 31
It should be noted that:
• ChBE core courses are taught only once a year, generally in the Fall (ChBE 6003,
6100, 6260, 6300) and Spring (ChBE 6200) semesters
• all courses must be completed with a letter grade of A, B, or C.
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• an overall GPA of 2.7 is required to graduate with a MS degree
• electives may be at the 4000 or higher levels from any school, with a maximum of
6 credits at the 4000 level. Electives may not include special problem courses or
courses required in the BSChBE curriculum.
• electives can include special topics (8803) courses if the course meets 3 hours per
week for the entire semester for lecture or discussion.
Degree requirements for the MS degree in Bioengineering are outlined on the website of
the Bioengineering program: http://www.bioengineering.gatech.edu/prospective-students.
7.2. The MS Thesis
A candidate for the MS degree (thesis option) must present a treatise setting forth the
results of an investigation completed by the student under the direction of a member of
the faculty of the School (the thesis or research advisor). The subject of the investigation
will be assigned to the student during the first semester, after the student has familiarized
himself/herself with the research programs in the School. After completion of the
investigation, the student must also present an oral defense of the thesis as part of the
requirement for the MS degree. The oral presentation should generally be 30-45
minutes in length.
Students must file with the Graduate Studies Committee and the Dean of Graduate
Studies a formal request for approval of their MS Thesis Topic, naming the Thesis
Reading Committee (or Thesis Advisory Committee), and setting forth the topic selected
for research, the purpose of the investigation and the steps proposed to conduct it.
The MS Thesis Reading Committee should consist of at least three faculty members,
including at least two from the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. At least
two of the members should also be from the program faculty of the degree that the
student is seeking (Chemical Engineering or Bioengineering).
The format of the thesis is described in the Manual for Graduate Thesis, available from
the Office of Graduate Studies: http://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations. The thesis
must be submitted to the Thesis Reading Committee at least two weeks prior to the
date of the oral defense. The MS thesis defense should involve the thesis advisor and
Reading Committee. In addition, faculty and students in the School must be notified at
least 14 days in advance as to the date, time, and place where the defense is to take place.
After the student has satisfactorily defended the thesis, and made final corrections in
accordance with suggestions by the Committee, they must present a final version of the
thesis to the Committee and to the Dean of Graduate Studies according to the institute
deadlines: http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations-deadlines.
7.3. Program of Study
MS students are required to submit an approved program of study form to the Institute
Graduate Studies Office no later than the last day of classes of the semester prior to that
in which the student expects to graduate. Students whose programs are received later than
the institute deadline will have their graduation delayed by one semester.
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7.4. Transfer of credit
Institute policies permit the transfer of a maximum of 6 hours of graduate-level course
work from another US institution to apply towards a Master’s Degree. The student must
file a petition with the Associate Chair accompanied by descriptive material such as
transcripts, catalog descriptions and listings of textbooks used. The Georgia Tech
equivalent for each course must also be provided. The student should discuss this petition
with their thesis advisor before requesting that it be considered by the Associate Chair.
This should be done during the first two semesters that the student is at Georgia Tech.
More detailed information regarding transfer of credit is given in the General Catalog.
7.5. Degree petition
Degree candidates must complete the Online Application for Graduation (OAG) with the
Registrar in the semester prior to that in which graduation is expected. Any errors in this
petition may delay graduation until the following semester. Students who do not
complete their requirements when anticipated must file a reactivation petition.
Reactivation instructions may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.
7.6. Summary of deadlines for MS candidates
First Semester:
(a) Submit list of preferences for research project;
(b) Selection of an advisor;
(c) Petition for transfer credit.
Subsequent Semesters:
(a) Select a Thesis Reading Committee;
(c) Submit a Request for Approval of MS Thesis Topic.
Semester prior to graduation:
(a) Submit Approved Program of Study;
(b) Submit Petition for a Degree, the Online Application for Graduate (OAG).
Final Semester:
(a) Submit draft of thesis to Reading Committee at least two weeks prior to oral
defense;
(b) Schedule an oral defense and submit a Notification of Thesis Defense to the School
Graduate Office at least two weeks prior to defense;
(c) Submit final version of the thesis to the Graduate Division at least three weeks before
the date of graduation, according to the Institute deadline.
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8. Doctor of Philosophy Program
The Institute requirements for the PhD degree are described in the General Catalog. The
School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering requirements are as follows:
(a) Satisfactory performance in a qualifying examination.
(b) Submission of a written thesis proposal and satisfactory oral defense of this proposal.
(c) Completion of a pre-doctoral review, at least 6 months before the thesis defense.
(d) Research presentation at the Fall Graduate Colloquium during the fourth year.
(e) Submission of an acceptable dissertation, and satisfactory oral defense of this
dissertation.
(f) Satisfactory completion of core courses, 9 credit hours of courses in a minor area of
study, and 3 credit hours of ChBE elective.
These requirements are discussed more fully below.
8.1. PhD Qualifying Examination
Students seeking a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering must pass the PhD qualifying
examination, which is given twice a year - once in January and again in May. Students
entering in the Fall semester must take the examination offered during the following
January; students entering in the Spring or Summer semesters must take the examination
by the following January. If a student does not take the PhD qualifying exam during the
normal time period, they must complete the MS degree requirements and take the
qualifying examination at the first opportunity after defending the MS thesis. A student
failing the examination may retake the failed exam(s) once, the next time that the exam is
given.
The qualifying exam consists of three parts:
Part I- Oral Exam: The oral exam will require the student to review and critique a
technical paper which will be assigned to the student approximately one week before the
exam. The student will be required to make a 10-minute oral critical analysis presentation
of the paper at a scheduled time and to a committee of two or more faculty members.
This will be followed by a question and answer session lasting no more than 45 minutes
covering the paper and other fundamental aspects of chemical engineering, including
Material and Energy Balances, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Mass
Transfer, Separations, Reactor Design, and Chemical Kinetics and Catalysis.
Part II- Research Evaluation: A satisfactory evaluation of the student’s research progress
and potential, performed by the research advisor, must be maintained.
Part III- Course Work: An average GPA of 3.2 is required in core courses (ChBE 6100,
6200, 6260, 6300, 6500) for students seeking a PhD in Chemical Engineering.
Overall Results: The overall recommendation from the faculty will be based on the
student’s performance in the three parts cited above. Students seeking a PhD in
Bioengineering take a different qualifying exam that is given by the faculty of the
Bioengineering Program.
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8.2. Thesis Proposal and Oral Defense
The thesis proposal must be presented in writing to the Thesis Advisory Committee and
must include the following:
• objectives and specific aims of the research
• thorough but concise review of the relevant literature
• significance of the proposed work and its scientific and societal impact
• preliminary work
• outline of the proposed methodology, anticipated difficulties, and methods for
overcoming these difficulties
• timetable for completion of the thesis
The proposal should be between 10 and 20 pages in length (single spaced, 12 point
font, 1 inch margins, including Figures and Tables). A one page abstract is also
required, as well as appropriate references (not subject to the page limit).
The proposal must be defended orally before the Thesis Advisory Committee, whose
members must receive the written proposal no later than two weeks prior to the oral
examination. The student must also circulate to faculty and graduate students (via the
Graduate Office) an announcement of the time and place of the thesis proposal defense.
This must be done at least two weeks prior the date of the defense. The defense will
consist of an oral presentation (~ 20 min) by the student, followed by a question and
answer session. The subject matter of the oral defense will be based on, but is not limited
to, the research proposal.
The Thesis Advisory Committee will consist of the thesis advisor and at least four other
members with knowledge of the research area. At least three committee members must be
members of the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering faculty, and at least one
committee member must be a member of the faculty of another academic unit at Georgia
Tech. The majority of members should also be program faculty (Chemical Engineering or
Bioengineering).
In the case where a student has at least three co-advisors, a sixth committee member is
required, and at least one of the non-advisor committee members must be a member of
the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering faculty. Given the additional
scheduling constraints imposed by having a sixth committee member, the expectation that
all committee members must participate in the thesis proposal defense is relaxed such
that only five committee members must participate; of those five, at least three should be
non-advisor committee members, even if this precludes all advisors from participating.
A brief resume must be included for any member who is not a Georgia Tech faculty
member. The Graduate Studies Committee must approve the Thesis Advisory Committee
at least 30 days prior to the proposal date.
The thesis proposal defense must be completed no later than the end of the sixth
semester at Georgia Tech.
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8.3. Admission to Candidacy
After successful completion of the qualifying exam and the proposal defense, the student
must file with the Graduate Office a formal statement (Request for Admission to PhD
Candidacy) naming the Thesis Advisor and Thesis Advisory Committee, and setting forth
the topic selected for research. This statement should include the purpose of the
investigation and the steps by which the student proposes to conduct it, supported by
literature references where appropriate. The Associate Chair will then forward this
request to the Dean of the Division of Graduate Studies for the applicant to be formally
admitted to PhD candidacy.
8.4. Thesis Research
The thesis research must represent a significant contribution to fundamental knowledge
in the field of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, and be publishable in a peer-
reviewed research journal in the field. The student and their thesis advisor will normally
formulate the thesis topic. The thesis advisor must be a member of the academic faculty
of the School. In some cases, the student may conduct their thesis research under an
advisor from another School. In this case, the student must have a Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering faculty member as a thesis co-advisor.
8.5. The PhD dissertation
Instructions concerning preparation of the dissertation are available from the Division of
Graduate Studies and PhD candidates should familiarize themselves with these
instructions: http://grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations. The format of the dissertation
must be approved by the Division of Graduate Studies, and the student is required to
submit the dissertation to the Graduate Division no later than three weeks before the date
of graduation, according to institute deadlines: http://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-
dissertations-deadlines. This must be done after a successful thesis defense and after
approval by the Doctoral Examination Committee (usually the same as the Thesis
Advisory Committee). The student and their thesis advisor are expected to publish the
completed research in appropriate journal(s) as promptly as possible.
8.6. Course requirements
PhD students in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering must successfully complete the
following courses (or their equivalents) with an average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or
higher:
Credits
ChBE 6001 Introduction to Research 1
ChBE 6003 Chemical Process Safety 1
ChBE 6100 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 3
ChBE 6200 Transport Phenomena 3
ChBE 6260 Mass Transport 3
ChBE 6300 Kinetics and Reactor Design 3
ChBE 6500 Mathematical Modeling 3
ChBE xxxx ChBE Elective 3
Courses in minor field of study (see below) 9
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The ChBE elective is a 6000 or higher level course in ChBE, separate from other degree
requirements such as the minor.
Degree requirements for the PhD degree in Bioengineering are outlined on the website of
the Bioengineering program: http://www.bioengineering.gatech.edu/prospective-students.
For all PhD programs within the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, the
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies may waive up to three of the required ChBE core
courses for students who have received an MS degree in ChBE from a non-US
Institution.
Minor requirements: All students are required to demonstrate a mastery of some body of
knowledge outside their major. This area of study is referred to as a minor program of
study. The minor should consist of at least nine semester hours of work in related,
cohesive courses chosen in consultation with the thesis advisor. The courses should be
offered by Schools other than Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (cross-listed
courses offered by the School are acceptable). The proposed minor program of study
must be approved by the ChBE Graduate Office before the courses are taken. At least
two of these courses must carry graduate credit, and one course may be at the 4000 level.
All courses must be completed with a grade of B or better.
After completing the coursework for the minor, the student should complete the
appropriate form and submit it to the Graduate Studies Committee setting forth the list of
courses (and grades received) for the minor. The approved minor form will then be
submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
8.7 Professional Preparation requirements
Candidates for the PhD degree must complete at least 10 Professional Preparation Units
by attending at least 3 Professional Preparation Activities during their time in the School.
Professional Preparation Activities are workshop and courses designed to provide
training and experience in skills that may not be an explicit focus of candidates’ academic
research but are critical for professional success beyond the PhD. A selection of
workshops or courses will be offers every year, with an announcement to all graduate
students sent at the beginning of the fall semester listing the expected offerings for that
academic year and the number of Professional Preparation Units fulfilled by each
respective offering. All required Professional Preparation Units must be completed
before the Thesis Defense; students are encouraged to complete most before their Pre-
Doctoral Review meeting. If students participate in Professional Preparation-related
workshops or courses in other Units of the Institute, they may petition to have those
efforts count toward their required Professional Preparation Units.
8.8 The Pre-Doctoral Review
Candidates for the PhD degree must complete a committee review between the Proposal
Defense and the Thesis Defense. This review will usually occur at least 6 months before
the Thesis Defense and will include a presentation by the student of an outline for the
completed PhD dissertation. The Pre-Doctoral Review Progress Report Form must be
submitted to the committee at least one week before the review. At the review, a Pre-
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Doctoral Review form must be signed by the committee and returned to the graduate
office.
8.9 Fourth-year requirements
Every 4
th
year student must present a seminar to faculty and graduate students of the
School as part of the Fall Graduate Colloquium.
8.10 The degree petition
Candidates for the PhD degree must file with the Registrar an Online Application for
Graduation (OAG) in the semester prior to that in which graduation is expected. Any
errors in this petition may delay the student’s graduation until the following semester.
Students who do not complete their requirements when anticipated must file a
reactivation petition. This form is also due in the semester prior to the student’s expected
graduation date. Reactivation instructions may be obtained from the Office of the
Registrar.
8.11 Final PhD examination
The thesis must be submitted to the Doctoral Examination Committee at least two weeks
prior to the date of the oral defense. In addition, the student must provide the School with
an abstract, plus the date, time and place of the oral defense two weeks prior to the date
of the defense. The examination will be conducted by the Doctoral Examination
Committee chosen by the student and the thesis advisor, and approved by the Graduate
Studies Committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies. This committee will consist of at
least five faculty members, including at least three from the School of Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering and at least one faculty member from another academic unit at
Georgia Tech; the Thesis Advisory Committee members may also serve on the Doctoral
Examination Committee. In the case where a student has at least three thesis co-advisors,
a sixth Doctoral Examination Committee member is required, and at least one of the non-
advisor committee members must be a member of the School of Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering faculty. Given the additional scheduling constraints imposed
by having a sixth committee member, the expectation that all committee members must
participate in the Doctoral Examination is relaxed such that only five committee members
must participate; of those five, at least three should be non-advisor committee members,
even if this precludes all advisors from participating.
The examination will be announced throughout the School and will be open to the
academic community. The student will be required to make an oral presentation of the
final thesis lasting 30-45 minutes, and this will be followed by a question and answer
session.
The student must be registered during the semester in which the final doctoral
examination is given.
If both the dissertation and examination are satisfactory, and there is compliance with
requirements of residency and the minor field, then the candidate will be certified as
qualified to receive the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
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8.12 Summary of deadlines for PhD students
1.
Admission to the Doctoral Program: This occurs on admission to Graduate School or
following satisfactory performance in the qualifying examinations.
2.
Thesis Proposal Examination: No later than the sixth semester of graduate study.
3.
Admission to Candidacy: Upon completion of thesis proposal examination and
approval of the thesis topic.
4.
Approval of Minor: Coursework for the minor must be completed one semester
before graduation. Students must petition for formal approval of the minor course, by
using a form found at the Important Forms link. This form is submitted to the ChBE
Graduate Office for signature and then forwarded to Graduate Studies Office.
5.
Pre-Doctoral Review: Completed during the period between the Thesis Proposal
Examination and the Thesis Defense, and no less than 6 months before graduation.
6.
Fall Colloquium presentation: Completed at the beginning of the 4th year of
residence.
7.
Petition for Degree: This must be submitted to the Registrar during the semester
preceding the expected graduation date.
8.
Final Doctoral Examination: The student must be registered during the semester in
which the final examination is given. The dissertation approval form must be
submitted following the examination. A copy of thesis must be submitted to the
Doctoral Examination Committee at least two weeks prior to oral defense. The final
copy must be submitted to the Graduate Division at least 15 days before the
graduation date, according to the Institute deadline.
9 Graduate seminars
The Graduate Seminar courses, ChBE 8001-2, are designed to keep students informed of
new developments in Chemical Engineering throughout the world. All graduate students
(MS and PhD) must register for and attend seminars when in residence. Attendance at a
minimum of 70 % of the seminars is required. In addition, students must complete a
mandatory research methods course (ChBE 6001), during their first semester of
residence.
Students should not register for the seminar in the following situations:
- a conflict exists with a course the student is taking
- a conflict exists with TA duty
- the student is defending their thesis and leaving school prior to semester finish
- the student plans to be out of town more than 30% of the semester due to
research or visa-related problems
In these situations, the student should send a notice to the faculty member in charge of
the seminar course that semester, who will be listed in OSCAR for ChBE 8001 (Fall) or
ChBE 8002 (Spring).
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10 Preregistration for courses
Students are expected to pre-register each semester for the courses they intend to take
during the next semester and for appropriate research hours. For GRAs, the number of
total registered hours should be 21 hours in Fall and Spring semesters, and 16 hours in
the Summer semester. In special cases, the number of hours may be reduced, subject to
prior approval and to the institute minimum for GRAs of 12 hours in any semester. All
students should consult their thesis advisor before registration.
11 Multidisciplinary programs
The School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering participates in several
multidisciplinary programs at the MS and PhD levels. Students who pursue these
programs must meet the appropriate requirements. They should also consult with the
advisor of the program before deciding on a proposed program of study.
Multidisciplinary Program
Bioengineering:
Laura Paige, [email protected]
Minor in Paper Science and Engineering:
Meisha Shofner, [email protected]
12 The academic year
Graduate students may take advantage of two weeks of vacation and the ten Institute
administrative holidays during each 12-month period of residency. Vacation and any
special leave must be approved in advance by the thesis advisor.
13 Responsible conduct of research (RCR) Training for Graduate Students
Georgia Tech requires all new graduate students to be trained in the principles of
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). This training must be completed in two
phases, via completion of on-line CITI modules within 60 days of starting at Georgia
Tech, and via “in-person training” during the first fall semester at Georgia Tech.
Phase 1: Complete the on-line CITI modules within 60 days of starting at Georgia Tech
as a graduate student. Print and maintain a copy of your completion certificate in the
event your name does not appear in the Institute’s CITI report.
Phase 2: Complete the degree requirements by registering and passing ChBE 6003 and
ChBE 6001. If any lectures designated “RCR” in either course is missed, it must be
made up by the end of February with your advisor. Your advisor will certify to the
departmental compliance committee that the missed information has been addressed. If a
failing grade is received in ChBE 6001, the student must retake and pass ChBE 6001.
NOTE: Failure to meet RCR compliance may result in registration holds and loss of GRA
status.
The RCR coverage areas for “in-person” training are:
A. Conflict of interest – personal, professional, and financial
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B. Policies regarding research with human subjects, vertebrate animals used in
laboratory research, and biological, chemical and radiation safety
C. Mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships
D. Collaborative research including collaborations with industry
E. Peer review
F. Data acquisition and laboratory tools; data management, sharing and ownership
G. Research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct
H. Responsible authorship and publication
I. The scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in
biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific
research
By attending the RCR lectures presented in ChBE 6003 and 6001, you will have
completed research requirements for RCR training. Academic requirements will be
satisfied by receiving passing grades in ChBE 6003 and ChBE 6001. Failure to pass
these courses may jeopardize graduate student status at Georgia Tech.
Additional information on RCR training can be found on the ChBE website.
14 Safety
Graduate students are required to familiarize themselves with the Environmental Health
& Safety website and to abide by safety rules in the laboratory. Failure to follow safe
practices could result in dismissal from the program.
It should be noted that GRAs are covered by State Workers Compensation for injuries
sustained while carrying out their duties. Therefore, (as soon as is practicable after
receiving any emergency treatment) your advisor and the ChBE administrative office
must be informed of the injury and a report filed with the State Department of
Administrative Services (DOAS) via the ChBE Facilities Office (Curtis Burnett). A
report of injury must be filed via Curtis Burnett even if the injury does not require
immediate medical attention.
15 Computer facilities and computer use
Graduate students will be given accounts to access all computer facilities in the School,
including the student computer lab. They are reminded that all computer use in the
School is subject to the Institute “acceptable computer use” policies, which can be found
at https://policylibrary.gatech.edu/information-technology. School policies may be found
at http://chbe.gatech.edu/computer-lab-policy.
16 Purchasing and Procurement
Purchase order request forms for both internal services and external vendors can be
obtained from the school’s website or in ChBE administrative offices. The forms should
be completed by the user with approval from the thesis advisor, indicating the estimated
cost and source of funds (Georgia Tech project number). The request should then be
forwarded to the assigned thesis advisor’s administrative coordinator for
processing/ordering. No student should make commitments for purchases directly with
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vendors. The approval of the purchase order form administered through the faculty
support coordinator will generate a purchase order number which is a requirement for all
orders. For equipment purchases, quotes can be obtained from vendors and attached to
the purchase order request forms. The Institute’s preferably method of purchasing is the
use of BUZZMART. Each faculty support coordinator is authorized and trained to
purchase using the system.
17 Travel
All employees should ensure before entering data into the Institute’s T&E system (Travel
and Expense system) that they are linked to their supervisors. Once the link has been
entered, then all employees will need to electronically submit a TAR (travel authority
request) allowing approval to travel on Georgia Tech business and providing an Institute
project number applicable to the travel. The TAR is approved by the student’s advisor
and then submitted to the advisor’s support coordinator for processing. Once approval
has been received, then the student is authorized to make the trip and claim appropriate
expenses following Institute guidelines. Familiarizing yourself with the guidelines before
making the trip is advisable. To file the TES (travel expense statement), the employee
will claim expenses and download appropriate receipts. This process also follows the
same approval channels. Please note: if changes/corrections are made, employees may
have to re-certify their expenses again. Non-travel related reimbursements are handled in
a similar method.
18 TA Service
Each PhD or supported MS (thesis) student is expected to serve as a teaching assistant
(TA) for undergraduate or graduate courses. TA service is an important part of our
educational program, as it contributes to training graduate students as academics and in
research. Supported MS students will be asked to serve 2 semesters, and PhD students
will be asked to serve a minimum of 3 semesters and a maximum of 4 semesters.
Graduate students will not be asked to serve as a TA during their first or last semester at
Georgia Tech.
19 Forms
Required forms can be found at: http://www.chbe.gatech.edu/graduate/forms.
20 Health Problems, Stress, and Major Life Events
During graduate school some students may experience health problems (sickness, injury,
mental health, etc.), legal problems, or upsetting major life events, such as the death of a
family member. In addition, some students find that they are unable to cope effectively
with the stresses they encounter while in graduate school. Students in these situations are
encouraged to take advantage of on- or off-campus resources for managing either general
stress or specific problems. The following is a short list of some available resources for
graduate students:
Counseling Center www.counseling.gatech.edu 404-894-2575
Professional counselors are available to consult confidentially with students about
any issue, whether personal or school-related.
Dean of Students www.deanofstudents.gatech.edu 404-894-6367
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The Dean of Students office advocates for students in handling missed classes and
making up work due to sickness, injury, and other adversities. If you experience a
problem that interferes with classes for more than a few days, you should contact
the Dean of Students office for advice and assistance.
National Graduate Crisis Line 1-800-GRAD-HLP (800-472-3457)
An off-campus, non-profit center for graduate students in crisis that is available
24/7.
In a small number of cases a health problem or life event may be so significant
that it prevents a student from making progress in classes or research. In these
extreme cases it may make sense to consider a leave of absence, and students
should discuss the situation candidly with their advisor, the ChBE Associate Chair
for Graduate Studies, and/or the Dean of Students office.
21. Internships
Students are encouraged to take advantage of internship opportunities. Planning for an
internship must be done in consultation with your research advisor. In addition, students
should register as a co-op on work assignment during the term(s) that they are away at
their internship. The procedures for registering with the co-op office can be found at
www.grad.gatech.edu. Students should plan internships to start and end in concurrence
with either Fall, Spring or Summer terms’ starting and ending dates. If a student starts or
ends an internship after a semester has started, it is generally not possible to pay the
student as a GRA during that semester. Thus, it is very important to plan internships in
advance and make every effort to have them coincide with the semester start and end
dates.
22. Parental Leave Policy for Graduate Research Assistants
A ChBE GRA who becomes a mother or father can take 6 weeks of paid time off after
the birth of the child. Students who are expecting a child should discuss the need for
parental leave with their faculty advisor at least 4 months before the expected date of
birth.** The faculty advisor may request one-half of the time off (up to 3 weeks) to be
paid by the School using suitable foundation funds. This request must be made in writing
to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies at least one month in advance of the expected
date of birth. In addition to the paid time off, it is possible to arrange to have unpaid time
off through discussions with the thesis advisor and Associate Chair.
**ChBE will be updating our policy to include adoption and fostering.
