California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Courses

Aerospace 

Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) under the Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS) offers undergraduate and graduate programs in Aerospace Engineering.  According to the US News ranking, the EAS Division has been awarded the fifth rank for Best Engineering Schools 2019 and third rank for Best Aerospace Engineering Programs 2019 amongst Graduate Schools in the USA.

The department has unmatched experimental facilities in solids, combustion, biomechanics, propulsion, fluids, and materials. Caltech offers graduate degrees in Aeronautics and Space Engineering and an undergraduate minor in Aerospace Engineering. The institute offers graduate programs in aerospace leading to degrees of Master of Science in Aeronautics and Master of Science in Space Engineering.

Areas of Expertise:

• Flow Diagnostics
• Fracture Mechanics
• Combustion
• Turbulence
• Gasdynamics

Biotechnology - Biology and Biological Engineering Division of Caltech (BBE)

The division has more than fifty faculty laboratories, each headed by a renowned faculty. Students benefit from a state-of-the-art marine laboratory located near the campus. The division had ranked fourth in Best Biological Sciences Programs amongst Graduate schools in the USA.

Graduate students research in multiple options amongst modern biology and biological engineering, viz., Biology, Neurobiology, Bioengineering, Computation, and Neural Systems. In collaboration with other departments, other courses offered are Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Geobiology. 

The Division imparts the initial annual financial support and stipend and recommends students to apply for predoctoral fellowships. However, financial support for foreign students is limited.

All applicants must take the GRE general tests and are strongly encouraged to take an advanced test in either biology, biochemistry, mathematics, physics, or psychology. Moreover, applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL.

List of labs: The Rosen Center for Bioengineering; Center for Bioinspired Engineering

Chemical – Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

The Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has been ranked second for Best Chemical Engineering Programs 2019 and ranked first for Best Chemistry Programs 2018 amongst Graduate Schools in the USA. With more than 40 faculty members across key areas, the division has numerous specialized laboratories and multidisciplinary facilities. Some of the alumni have won the Nobel Prize also. Undergraduates can pursue chemistry or chemical engineering.

Graduates can choose either the chemistry or chemical engineering option, or an interdisciplinary option in biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Admitted students are supported through a combination of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Applicants are encouraged to pursue outside fellowships also.

Areas of Expertise:

• Catalysis
• Fluid Dynamics
• Biochemical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Polymers

List of Labs: Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis

Civil – Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS)

The Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering of Caltech offers graduate programs in Applied Mechanics, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering is ABET-accredited (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology). Students from the world's most prestigious universities come here to study.

The M.S. degree is normally only awarded to students who expect to pursue Ph.D. degree in civil engineering and who do not already have an M.S. degree in civil engineering.

Students without specialisation in civil engineering as an undergraduate can also be admitted for the graduate study. As a precursor, these students should have a thorough background in undergraduate mathematics, physics, and engineering.
 

Areas of Expertise:

• Computational Modeling of Structures
• Fluids Engineering; Robotics
• Computational Modeling of Solids
• Continuum Mechanics
• Thermal Sciences
• Controls
• Earthquake Engineering
• Engineering Design
• Civil Engineering Problems of Rivers and Harbors
• Dynamics of Solids and Structures
• Fracture Mechanics
• Mechanics of Materials

Computer Science – Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS)

The Department of Computing + Mathematical Sciences chooses only the best students who have a passion for science. The department has a great student to faculty ratio of 3:1. The Computer Science department has been ranked eighth for Best Computer Engineering Programs 2019 in the Graduate Schools ranking.

Undergraduate students are offered majors in Applied + Computational Mathematics and Computer Science as well as a minor in Control + Dynamical Systems. Graduate studies are offered in Computer Science, Computing + Mathematical Sciences, Applied + Computational Mathematics, and Control + Dynamical Systems.

Areas of Expertise:

• Robust Control
• Computer Graphics
• Dynamical Systems
• Learning
• Complex Systems
• Geometric Mechanics
• Concurrent Computing
• Nonlinear Control
• Systems Biology

List of labs: Institute for Quantum Information

Electrical Engineering – Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS)

Established in 1910, the Department of Electrical Engineering has many distinguished alumni. A wide variety of both undergraduate and graduate subjects are offered. The department has been ranked fourth in the Best Electrical Engineering Programs 2019 amongst Graduate schools in the USA.

At the undergraduate level, students can pursue a dual major, one of them in electrical engineering. The approval is on the basis of the academic performance of the student. The department offers the Master’s in electrical engineering as well as a degree of Electrical Engineer (only in exceptional cases). 

To be admitted to the graduate courses, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering equivalent to the options offered by Caltech.  The applicant should have excellent scholastic record and recommendations indicating the distinction required for advanced studies.

Areas of Expertise:

• Information Theory
• Robotics
• Computational Neuroscience
• Integrated Circuits
• Neural Networks
• Molecular Computing
• Learning
• Digital Signal Processing
• Computer Vision
• Communications
• Vision
• Optics 

Environmental – Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS)

The curriculum followed by the Department of Environmental Science & Engineering emphasizes interdisciplinary knowledge. At an undergraduate level, students can opt for it as a minor beyond their major in engineering.

The graduate program trains students to acquire knowledge about environmental systems. The course takes in faculty from other divisions; viz., Geological and Planetary Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. An academic advisor is appointed for each student. 

Applicants should submit scores for the GRE General Test. Applicants from non-English-speaking nations are required to provide TOEFL results.

Areas of Expertise:  

• Aquatic Chemistry
• Environmental Microbiology
• Climate System
• Biogeochemistry
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Water Treatment
• Remediation

List of labs: The Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science

Materials Science – Engineering and Applied Science Division of Caltech (EAS)

The Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science has been awarded the joint eighth rank for Best Materials Engineering Programs 2019 amongst Graduate schools. The department offers BS in Materials Science, MS in Materials Science, Ph.D. in Materials Science and Ph.D. in Applied Physics.

Research topics in the department encompass nanomechanics to photonics and optoelectronics, plasma physics, biophysics, and biomechanics. Graduate students are required to take a series of foundational courses in kinetics, thermodynamics, materials structure, along with courses focused on a selected class of materials. 

Students without specialization in materials science in undergraduate years may be admitted into the graduate study. As a precursor, such students need to have a background in undergraduate mathematics, physics, and engineering.

Admission to graduate programs is competitive and decided by the admissions committee which reviews the applications. The admission process occurs once every year. The programs offered are Bachelor of Science Students interested in getting a graduate degree at the master’s level only are normally not admitted.

Areas of Expertise:

• Modern Methods for Materials Characterization
• Computer Simulation of Materials
• Solid-State Physics
• Plasma Physics
• Lasers and Integrated Optics
• Thermodynamics of Alloys
• Metallic Glasses
• Kinetics of Alloys
• Nanocrystalline Materials
• Electronic Materials

Pure Sciences – The Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy

Caltech has been ranked third for Best Physics Schools 2018 amongst Graduate schools in the USA.

The Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy is home to globally renowned academic and research programs. Undergraduate and graduate students in the department can enroll in academic programs and pursue research in physics, mathematics, and astronomy. The department boasts of a broad array of observational facilities, research centers, and advanced instruments. The faculty are the pioneers of a wide range of studies and ensure greater breadth and depth of understanding in fields amongst the students.

Caltech provides many research opportunities in physics. To obtain a Master of Science degree in physics, you need to complete the oral and written candidacy examinations. An advanced degree in physics at Caltech is required extensive research achievement. Students need to take advanced courses in at least three subfields of physics. They must also pass a written candidacy exam in both classical physics and quantum mechanics in order to progress into the research phase of the degree.

Areas of Expertise:

• Computational Biology
• Theoretical Materials Science
• Modern Methods for Materials Characterization
• Nonlinear Dynamics
• Plasma Physics
• Computer Simulation of Materials
• Solid-State Physics
• Thermodynamics of Alloys
• Lasers and Integrated Optics
• Kinetics of Alloys
• Computational and Theoretical Fluid Mechanics
• Nanocrystalline Materials
• Electronic Materials
• Multiscale and Multiresolution Computations
• Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing
• Metallic Glasses

List of labs: The Kavli Nanoscience Institute of Technology (KNI)