PhD in Chemical Engineering - Process Systems Engineering in Davis United States | University of California Davis

The Ph.D. program equips students to tackle intricate, long-term research challenges. Typically completed in four to five years, this program centers on a major research initiative that concludes with a dissertation. Most doctoral alumni pursue industry roles, primarily in research and product development, while others enter academia as postdoctoral researchers or assistant professors. Our Chemical Engineering curriculum offers robust foundational training while examining key applications across diverse process systems. Participants develop sophisticated expertise in chemical engineering principles and their connections to allied engineering disciplines, spanning biochemical, biomolecular, biomedical, biotechnology, catalysis, surface science, computational modeling, environmental engineering, fluid mechanics, materials processing, nanotechnology, polymer science, process control, separations, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and simulation. Graduates emerge with both qualitative and quantitative capabilities essential for professional research and instruction in chemical engineering.

Modern processes and systems frequently involve intricate interactions among components, subsystems, and subprocesses, requiring analysis and design approaches that cross conventional disciplinary lines. Consequently, many of today's most significant global technical challenges fall under process/systems engineering. Process systems engineering (PSE), a multidisciplinary branch of chemical engineering, focuses on process design, operation, and enhancement. UC Davis's Chemical Engineering Department boasts a thorough PSE curriculum, with faculty expertise spanning process design, system modeling, simulation, dynamics, control, process analytics, optimization, and economics. Active research areas encompass control of complex networked systems, optimization strategies, process monitoring, fault detection, and economic modeling. These innovations find practical implementation across petrochemical industries, energy systems, agriculture, and biomanufacturing sectors.