| PhD in Chemical Engineering Apply now |
The PhD program in Chemical Engineering (further in the text: PhD program), fully taught in English, is designed to provide a sophisticated knowledge base and advanced skills at the expert level for individuals planning a career in academia, industry and research settings in any of the subfields of the Chemical Engineering discipline. The program focuses on the development of an in-depth understanding of the nature, implementation, and evaluation of chemical engineering principles and applications, together with the growth of research skills. The current areas of research interest for the PhD in Chemical Engineering encompass a wide spectrum, with specific focus on priority areas for Kazakhstan, such as: energy generation, conversion and storage; environmental protection, remediation and resource efficiency; hydrocarbon processing; plastics production and processing; food processing; bioprocesses; red, green and white biotechnologies.
The program requires a full-time dedication of the students and is expected to be completed in 4 years of studies, considered as 48 consecutive months, comprised of 8 regular (fall and spring) semesters and 4 summer terms. The minimum possible duration of the program is four academic years (8 regular semesters plus their 4 summer terms). Extensions beyond 4 years, for up to a maximum of total program duration of 6 years, require approval of the DGPC.
By the completion of the PhD program, students will be capable of designing and conducting independent, innovative, original and high-quality research related to a variety of topics in chemical engineering. In addition, program graduates will be prepared for working in industrial and academic environments in the positions of e.g. university faculty members, senior researchers, engineers, and product developers.
(*) Course may be waived for NU graduates and replaced by a Level-8 course (core or elective) selected by the student’s supervisory committee and approved by the corresponding departmental
committee.
Year 1: Spring Semester
Year 2: Summer Semester
Year 3: Fall Semester
Year 3: Spring Semester
Year 3: Summer Semester
Year 3: Fall Semester
Year 4: Spring Semester
(*) 0 ECTS if thesis is not completed/defended
Year 4: Summer Semester
Research Methods&Ethics
Course description: The course will facilitate the understanding of research planning and development, while enhancing the PhD student skills for reading, interpreting, writing and presenting his/her scientific and technical ideas to the peer community. The course will also deliver theory and examples of a variety of research methods and ethical principles associated to them.
Thesis Research
Course description: This course is designed to monitor progress and develop understandings, skills, and outlooks to conduct original, independent research at the PhD level. The student will develop (with the advisor’s guidance) a research plan at the beginning of the semester that will state a research problem/question/hypothesis, its background, outline a research strategy and experimental approach, method of data collection, interpretation and validation, and method of communication of the project results to others. The research plan is used as the basis for assessment of the student’s research progress.
Current Research Literature
Course description: The course is addressed to PhD students and aims at reinforcing and enhancing the knowledge they have on chemical reaction engineering. The fundamentals of reaction kinetics and isothermal ideal reactor design will be reviewed. Then, the effects of residence time distribution and mixing history on the conversion in non-ideal reactors will be discussed. Catalytic reactors will be presented and the estimation of Thiele modulus will be demonstrated. Heterogeneous non-catalytic reactions will be covered for the case of solid-fluid systems. The principles presented will be connected with relevant applications, especially in the production of innovative materials. Specifically, advanced topics will be covered, like chemical vapor deposition reactors and applications, providing students with a broader appreciation of the applications of reaction engineering principles and methods in materials production. Students will have to make literature review on a topic in the field of chemical production of an advanced material and present their work at the end of semester. The PhD level project will be delivered to class in the form of a lecture in accordance to PLO-9 of the PhD Program.
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 PhD degree programs in the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences is 4 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.
