Formal graduate study at Princeton was initiated in 1869 when three fellowships were established. By 1901, the Graduate School was organized as a division of the University, and 12 years later the first residential graduate college in America was dedicated. In 1930 Sir Hugh Taylor helped create the Department of Chemical Engineering, which separated from the Department of Chemistry in 1934 and awarded its first Ph.D. in 1948. The department continues to explore and establish foundations of engineering science relevant to the technological and societal challenges facing modern industry and, indeed, our world. Faculty research ranges from the applied to the fundamental, from sophisticated experimentation to elegant and rigorous theories.
Topics combine chemical, physical, biological, and mathematical disciplines.
Research also offers entry into specialized programs concerned with materials science, polymers, fibers, and applied mathematics. The overall size of the department favors close interactions between students and faculty. Informal as well as in-class contact with fellow students and faculty members create a relaxed but stimulating atmosphere, consonant with the University's established tradition of excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. It has been developed to meet the need for rigorous and advanced training in the applied aspects of modern technology. It builds upon the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program and focuses on engineering aspects of technology and management.