Doctor of Philosophy

Matching with an advisor is an essential milestone in the PhD program and is required for making satisfactory degree progress and maintaining good standing.

Students must spend autumn and winter of their first year in research rotations. Research rotations are meant to allow students to engage in research within labs, explore research areas, and meet other potential advisors. PhD students are expected to match with an advisor and submit the PhD advisor matching form to student services by the end of the winter quarter. Upon matching with an advisor, students transition from department fellowship to advisor-provided funding. Therefore, students must align with an advisor who can financially support them for the duration of their PhD.

PhD students who do not match with an advisor by the end of the second quarter of study at Stanford are subject to dismissal from the program. A student who does not match with an advisor by the stated deadline is considered to be “on academic notice” as a warning of unsatisfactory degree progress. The student's progress and efforts will be closely monitored to ensure that they match with an advisor on a reasonable timeline during the quarter of notice. If a student requires an additional quarter, a faculty committee will meet to review the case and decide on possible outcomes. If a student is still unable to match with an advisor, a possible consequence includes the termination of a student’s study toward a PhD in Chemical Engineering; however, the student may continue to work toward an MS degree. Departmental PhD financial support does not continue.

PhD students may need to change advisors after initial alignment due to unexpected circumstances. Since an advisor is necessary for continued funding and good standing, students should consult the Director of Student and Academic Services or Director of Graduate Studies as early as possible to ensure proper coordination and uninterrupted support. Additional guidance for students considering an advisor change is available in this resource opens in a new tab. If a student needs to change advisors, the Department requires the student to actively seek and find a new advisor within one quarter, to satisfy minimum progress requirements of the Department and the University and continue enrolling. If the student is unable to secure a new advisor by the end of the quarter, the Department will initiate procedures for dismissal per the “Guidelines for Dismissal of Graduate Students for Academic or Professional Reasons” in the Stanford Bulletin.

Degree milestones indicate progress toward a degree. They are listed on unofficial transcripts and document satisfactory and timely completion of various events, such as securing research advisors, candidacy examinations, submission of completed degree progress forms, dates of reading committee meetings, and assisting with the teaching CHEMENG courses. Report and submit forms as appropriate to departmental student services. Students with questions or issues should talk with student services staff; students approaching a milestone should be aware of intradepartmental communications and support, and students with concerns should discuss them with student services staff.

Experience in analyzing and presenting one’s research to diverse audiences also is an essential component of predoctoral training, and faculty strongly encourage candidates to do so several times each year, starting in the second year. All candidates in their third year must prepare and present in-person a research poster during the annual Mason Lectures week in spring quarter.

Reading committee meetings are intended to be discussion sessions in which all reading committee members participate and help focus and refine the dissertation project; they are not examinations.

By the end of the second year, all PhD candidates must assemble reading committees and submit Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee forms signed by research advisors to student services.

By the end of the third year’s first quarter, candidates must have an initial meeting with the complete reading committee. It is the candidate’s responsibility to schedule committee meetings and the faculty’s to respond promptly to scheduling requests. The composition of the reading committee may be amended; submit the appropriate form to student services. Candidates are responsible for reporting meeting dates to departmental student services.

The faculty strongly encourage doctoral candidates to take advantage of the benefits of annual committee meetings to enable candidates to benefit from this type of open discussion, support, and recommendations from faculty.

Teaching experience is considered an essential component of pre-doctoral training because it assists in further developing and refining candidates’ skills in conveying what they know, think, and conclude based on articulated assumptions and knowledge. All PhD candidates are required to assist in teaching a minimum of two chemical engineering courses. Students should enroll as assigned in CHEMENG 601 (Chemical Engineering Teaching Experience). These units will count towards the required 135 units.

If the PhD student is fully funded by fellowship support, they will enroll in CHEMENG 601 (Chemical Engineering Teaching Experience) teaching practicum units during the assigned TA quarter. These units will count towards the required 135 units.

To be advanced to PhD candidacy, the student must secure a research dissertation advisor (and any required co-adviser), maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA, successfully complete a PhD candidacy examination, and submit a completed Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form.

The PhD candidacy examination before a faculty committee should take place by the end of the fifth quarter. It consists of (a) a student’s written research perspective and oral presentation of their thinking about their research proposal and current progress and (b) an examination by faculty members of the proposal specifics as well as the student’s understanding of the fundamental chemical, physical, and biological concepts that govern the molecular behavior of the system being studied. Upon completing this examination, candidates must submit an Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form, approved by their research advisor(s), to departmental graduate student services within two months.

Students must be admitted to candidacy by the end of the second year of the student’s PhD Program. Being admitted to candidacy signifies that the department considers the student capable of completing the requirements for earning a PhD degree. Candidacy is valid for five calendar years (through the end of the quarter in which candidacy expires) unless terminated by the department for unsatisfactory progress.

This examination is a dissertation defense based on the candidate’s dissertation research. It is a public seminar followed by a private examination by the faculty members on the student’s oral examination committee. Satisfactory performance in the oral examination and acceptance of an approved dissertation by Graduate Degree Progress, Office of the University Registrar, leads to PhD degree conferral.

Once the oral has been passed, the student finalizes the dissertation for reading committee review and final approval.

A dissertation based on a successful investigation of a fundamental problem in chemical engineering is required. A student is expected to have fulfilled all the requirements for this degree, including completing a dissertation approved by their research advisor(s) and reading committee members within approximately five years after enrolling in the PhD program.