Doctor of philosophy in Chemical Engineering - Soft Materials

The doctoral (Ph.D.) degree prepares students to solve complex, long-term research problems. You can expect to graduate in four to five years and to work on a large research project, culminating in a dissertation. The majority of our doctoral graduates end up in industry careers, usually in research and product development positions. Others go on to careers in academia, either as a postdoctoral researcher or an assistant professor. The Chemical Engineering program provides a strong grounding in the fundamentals and explores critical applications in a wide range of process systems. Students gain advanced knowledge of chemical engineering theory and its relationship to related engineering processes, including biochemical, biomolecular, biomedical, biotechnology, catalysis, colloid and surface science, computational modeling, environmental, fluid mechanics and rheology, materials processing, nanotechnology, polymers, thin films, process control, process design, separations, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and modeling. Students graduate with the qualitative and quantitative skills necessary for professional research and teaching in chemical engineering.

The shapes, structures, and functions of soft materials -- including liquids, colloids, polymers, foams, gels, granular materials, liquid crystals, and most biological materials -- can be easily altered by chemical, biological and mechanical modifications. Chemical engineers study soft materials to understand self-assembly and structure formation from the molecular to macroscopic length scales. Biological materials achieve much of their structure through formation of cell membranes that encapsulate a particular volume (a cell) that controls transport of particular materials through the membrane and thus which reactions can occur within the cell. Professors Kuhl, Longo, Faller, Parikh and Manikantan study cell membrane formation and selected transport of materials through biological and non-biological membranes.

Successful applicants must hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent that is comparable to a degree from the University of California both in distribution of academic subject matter and in scholarship achievement. Regional accreditation for U.S. institutions and authorization by a national higher education authority for international institutions
Official transcripts are not required until after you are admitted to our program.
The minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) required for admission to the University of California, Davis is a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from the undergraduate degree granting institution.
We require a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL and a 7.5 on the IELTS.
Applicants are required to obtain three letters of recommendation.
Statement of Purpose
Personal History and Diversity Statement