The Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MS in ChE) is available with either a thesis or non-thesis option. Whenever practicable, students are encouraged to pursue the thesis option, and it is only this option for which financial aid is available from the department. The thesis option is composed of 24 credit hours of formal coursework and a six credit thesis (CHE 8000) while the non-thesis option is composed of 36 credit hours of formal coursework and a comprehensive examination. Regardless of their program option, all ChE MS students must complete the chemical engineering graduate core program, CHE 7110 Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering (3), CHE 7120 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (3), CHE 7130 Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transport (3), and CHE 7140 Chemical Reactor Design Methods (3), or equivalents.<br><br>Students in the non-thesis MS program must pass a written comprehensive examination within one year of their enrollment. Students in the thesis MS program must pass a final examination consisting of a comprehensive oral examination.<br><br>The departmental-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in consultation with and approved by the student's graduate advisory committee. The committee will include the student's major advisor and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty such that the LSU Graduate School's requirements for graduate committees are satisfied.<br><br>Students can transfer a maximum of nine hours of coursework to LSU for the MS degree from another US institution with a maximum of two core courses eligible for transfer. Every credit transfer is at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies.