The Master of Science in Chemical and Materials Engineering (MSc-ChME) degree program is a specialized degree program offered by the School of Engineering (SEng) at Nazarbayev University (NU). Students are required to complete 120 ECTS credits, in 4 semesters, which satisfies the requirements stipulated by the Bologna Process and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) for Master’s Degrees. The program is research oriented and it is designed to provide the skills required to

solve advanced technical problems in chemical and materials engineering through a combination of Thesis Research and advanced coursework.


All students in the MSc-ChME program are required to complete five advanced core courses (30 ECTS) in key fundamental chemical and materials engineering areas such as Applied Mathematics, Transport Phenomena, Materials Processing, Materials Characterization and Chemical Reaction Engineering. Three additional core courses, Research Methods and Ethics, Research Seminar and Technical Communication (18 ECTS), will be offered to provide students with the general knowledge that is necessary for them to design or present their research in an effective way. Students will also be able to select four elective courses (24 ECTS), from a list of possible options, based on their research interests. Students will be enrolled in MSc Thesis I (24 ECTS) and MSc Thesis II (24 ECTS) courses in the third and fourth semesters to carry out an independent research. A wide variety of research topics will be offered by the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in areas as diverse as energy generation, conversion and storage; environmental protection, remediation and resource efficiency; process design and simulation; composite functional materials etc. Through its research-intensive nature, the program aims at providing its graduates with the skills required for innovative engineering, to translate research into production, and to foster the future technological development in the country and abroad.


Aims and Objectives


The mission of the School of Engineering at Nazarbayev University is to contribute to the development of Kazakhstan in terms of:


  • Educating students with engineering expertise to lead organizations and provide innovative solutions for complex technical issues of enterprises.
  • Conducting innovative and pioneering basics of applied research that evolve the body of knowledge in Engineering through interdisciplinary collaboration with other schools and research centers at Nazarbayev University and leading universities worldwide.
  • Advancing the professional development in engineering through our service to the professional community and providing lifelong learning opportunities for practitioners.

The MSc-ChME program aims to reflect the mission of the School of Engineering and accomplishes this by pursuing the following objectives:

1. Educate graduate students with the advanced knowledge and skills required to solve research oriented technical problems in chemical and materials engineering;

2. Provide graduate students with an advanced grasp of theories and the insight required for successful professional careers and/or in order to pursue further higher education and lifelong learning;

3. Develop the ability to contribute towards the improvement of the nation’s technological level and to provide the necessary base for future technological developments in the country;

4. Promote a sense of leadership with emphasis on scholarship and professional ethics.
Total Number of Credits: 120 ECTS
Year 1: Fall Semester (Semester 1)
Year 1: Spring Semester (Semester 2)
Year 2: Fall Semester (Semester 3)
Year 2: Spring Semester (Semester 4)

*Student can choose an elective course from other Departments in SEDS or Schools per approval of the advisor and the Head of Department. At least two electives should be taken from the MSc-ChME Program.

Program Core Courses
Program Elective Courses
Admission to Nazarbayev University programs is based on the principle of meritocracy, which implies the selection of applicants on the basis of their academic achievements, providing everyone with equal opportunities at admission, and facilitating the selection of the most promising and talented students without the influence of external factors. Thus, the requirements for admission to the programs of Nazarbayev University are the same for all applicants regardless of citizenship, social status, the status of the educational organization, the graduate of which the applicant is, etc. The duration of Masters degree programs in the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences is 2 years.

More details on Regular admissions are available on the NU website.

To learn more about financial aid and scholarship requirements, please visit the following link.

For detailed information on the application process for the specific graduate program you are interested in, please refer to the guide linked below.

Guide for Graduate programs candidates.