What
is Chemical Engineering?
Chemical engineers apply the basic principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics and related engineering disciplines to the production of goods and materials for society. Chemical engineers solve a variety of problems involving chemicals. They design equipment and develop processes for chemical manufacturing on small or large scales. A chemical engineering graduate has the capability for serving the needs of industry or government or for pursuing advanced academic training. Chemical engineers apply their skills to solve important problems to provide economical, high quality chemicals for our technology-based industries. This ranges from drug companies, to the petroleum industry, to the electronic materials production industry.
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What
are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?
Various specializations
related to a major in Chemical Engineering may be offered by colleges and universities.
These specializations may be of greater or lesser interest
to you. A few of these specializations related to this field
include, but are not limited to:
Interface Science |
Biochemical Engineering |
Biomedical Engineering |
Chemical Engineering |
Combustion Science |
Computer Aided Process |
Cryogenics |
Design and Control |
Electrochemical Engineering |
Electronic Materials |
Environmental Reaction |
Expert Systems |
High Temperature Kinetics |
Mass Transfer |
Particle Technology |
Petroleum Engineering |
Plasma Processing |
Plastics Engineering |
Pollution Prevention |
Process Integration |
Reaction Science |
Statistical Mechanics |
Thermodynamics |
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What
Kinds of Students Major in Chemical Engineering?
A chemical engineering student excels in mathematics and many aspects of science. The student has good reasoning, analytical and leadership qualities. Hobbies may include computers, conducting experiments and reading.
Is Chemical Engineering the right major for you?
Take the MyMajors Quiz and find out if it is one of your top recommended majors!
What
Courses Do Chemical Engineering Majors Take?
The required and elective courses you
would take for Chemical Engineering majors vary considerably among institutions.
Courses are listed here that are illustrative of the breadth
of topics you are likely to experience were you to major
in this field.
Biology |
Calculus |
Chemistry |
Computer Science |
Electronic Materials |
Engineering Statistics |
Environmental Engineering |
Geometry |
Materials Science |
Mechanics |
Organic Chemistry |
Physical Chemistry |
Physics |
Reactor Design |
Reactor Kinetics |
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List of Potential Jobs in Chemical Engineering
These professions and professional organizations
illustrate the types of positions you might qualify for
if you complete this major. Some majors are more directly
related to employment than others, however. You should
consider the likelihood of employment after graduation
carefully, if you do not plan to go on for graduate work
in a field. Even with the completion of graduate work
in some fields, however, employment is difficult, so you
should determine what the prospects are for this or any
major. Employment possibilities are often enhanced by
the selecting employment-related courses and by the enrollment
in second major or in a minor.
Aerospace Engineer |
Chemical Plant |
Civil Engineer |
Computer Systems |
Electrical Engineering |
Environmental Biotechnology |
Food Industries |
Mining Engineer |
Nuclear Engineer |
Paper Manufacture |
Pharmaceuticals |
Plant Design |
Plastic Manufacture |
Technical Sales |
Waste Treatment |
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What
is the Median Salary Range for Chemical Engineering Careers?
U.S. Median Salary(starting):$65,700
U.S. Median Salary(mid-career):$107,000
Note: These numbers are national averages so you could make more or less than these amounts.
Actual expected salaries will vary depending on your chosen career path, experience, and even your geographic location. Are you interested in detailed information
about the forecasted demand for a particular profession?
Are you interested in the estimated salaries such positions
are likely to pay? This government Web site allows you
to search on a particular job, whether listed here or
not, to give you this information.
Bureau
of Labor Statistics
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Colleges and Universities offering majors in Chemical Engineering
| These institutions offer excellent curriculums in well-rounded programs for you to consider: |
| universities with majors in Chemical Engineering |
- Auburn University Main Campus
- Auburn University , Alabama
- Brigham Young University
- Provo , Utah
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
- Pomona , California
- Clemson University
- Clemson , South
Carolina
- Colorado State University
- Fort Collins , Colorado
- Cornell University
- Ithaca , New
York
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Tallahassee , Florida
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Chicago , Illinois
- Bowdoin College
- Brunswick, Maine
- Hamilton College
- Clinton, New
York
- Michigan Technological University
- Houghton, Michigan
- Rice University
- Houston, Texas
- Stanford University
- Stanford, California
- The College of Wooster
- Wooster, Ohio
- University of California-Irvine
- Irvine, California
- University of California-Los Angeles
- Los Angeles, California
- Yale University
- New Haven, Connecticut
- California Institute of Technology
- Pasadena, California
- California State University-Long Beach
- Long Beach, California
- Clarkson University
- Potsdam, New
York
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Rolla, Missouri
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Troy, New
York
- University of Colorado at Boulder
- Boulder, Colorado
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Worcester, Massachusetts
- CUNY City College
- New York, New
York
- Lafayette College
- Easton, Pennsylvania
- Swarthmore College
- Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
- United States Military Academy
- West Point, New
York
- University of Massachusetts-Lowell
- Lowell, Massachusetts
- University of Rochester
- Rochester, New
York
- CUNY Graduate School and University Center
- New York, New
York
- Princeton University
- Princeton, New
Jersey
- Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
- New York, New
York
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Newark, New
Jersey
- Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico
- Hato Rey, Puerto
Rico
- Bucknell University
- Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- New York, New
York
- Drexel University
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Howard University
- Washington, District
- Johns Hopkins University
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Kent State University Kent Campus
- Kent, Ohio
- Miami University-Oxford
- Oxford, Ohio
- Ohio University-Main Campus
- Athens, Ohio
- Stony Brook University
- Stony Brook, New
York
- Tufts University
- Medford, Massachusetts
- Tulane University of Louisiana
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Union University
- Jackson, Tennessee
- University of Akron Main Campus
- Akron, Ohio
- University of California-San Diego
- La Jolla, California
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara, California
- University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
- Norman, Oklahoma
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus
- Seattle, Washington
- Arizona State University
- Tempe, Arizona
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Christian Brothers University
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Cleveland State University
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Elizabethtown College
- Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Melbourne, Florida
- Florida State University
- Tallahassee, Florida
- Geneva College
- Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
- Hampton University
- Hampton, Virginia
- Hendrix College
- Conway, Arkansas
- Lamar University
- Beaumont, Texas
- Lehigh University
- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- LeTourneau University
- Longview, Texas
- Iowa State University
- Ames , Iowa
- Kansas State University
- Manhattan , Kansas
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Baton Rouge , Louisiana
- Louisiana Tech University
- Ruston , Louisiana
- Michigan State University
- East Lansing , Michigan
- Mississippi State University
- Mississippi State , Mississippi
- Montana State University
- Bozeman , Montana
- New Mexico State University-Main Campus
- Las Cruces , New
Mexico
- North Carolina A & T State University
- Greensboro , North
Carolina
- North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- Raleigh , North
Carolina
- Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Columbus , Ohio
- Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
- Stillwater , Oklahoma
- Oregon State University
- Corvallis , Oregon
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
- University Park , Pennsylvania
- Prairie View A & M University
- Prairie View , Texas
- Purdue University-Main Campus
- West Lafayette , Indiana
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick
- New Brunswick , New
Jersey
- Tennessee Technological University
- Cookeville , Tennessee
- Texas A & M University
- College Station , Texas
- Texas A & M University-Kingsville
- Kingsville , Texas
- Texas Tech University
- Lubbock , Texas
- The University of Tennessee
- Knoxville , Tennessee
- Tri-State University
- Angola , Indiana
- Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee , Alabama
- University of Arizona
- Tucson , Arizona
- University of Arkansas Main Campus
- Fayetteville , Arkansas
- University of California-Berkeley
- Berkeley , California
- University of California-Davis
- Davis , California
- University of California-Riverside
- Riverside , California
- University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
- Cincinnati , Ohio
- University of Connecticut
- Storrs , Connecticut
- University of Delaware
- Newark , Delaware
- University of Florida
- Gainesville , Florida
- University of Idaho
- Moscow , Idaho
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Champaign , Illinois
- University of Kentucky
- Lexington , Kentucky
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Lafayette , Louisiana
- University of Maine
- Orono , Maine
- University of Maryland-College Park
- College Park , Maryland
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Amherst , Massachusetts
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- Columbia , Missouri
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Lincoln , Nebraska
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Minneapolis , Minnesota
- University of Nevada-Reno
- Reno , Nevada
- University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
- Durham , New
Hampshire
- University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
- Mayaguez , Puerto
Rico
- University of Rhode Island
- Kingston , Rhode
Island
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Madison , Wisconsin
- University of Wyoming
- Laramie , Wyoming
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Blacksburg , Virginia
- Washington State University
- Pullman , Washington
- West Virginia University
- Morgantown , West
Virginia
- Manhattan College
- Bronx, New
York
- Mississippi College
- Clinton, Mississippi
- Northeastern University
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Northwestern University
- Evanston, Illinois
- Rowan University
- Glassboro, New
Jersey
- San Jose State University
- San Jose, California
- Syracuse University
- Syracuse, New
York
- The University of Alabama
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, Texas
- University at Buffalo
- Buffalo, New
York
- University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Huntsville, Alabama
- University of Dayton
- Dayton, Ohio
- University of Houston
- Houston, Texas
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- Chicago, Illinois
- University of Iowa
- Iowa City, Iowa
- University of Kansas
- Lawrence, Kansas
- University of Louisville
- Louisville, Kentucky
- University of Maryland-Baltimore County
- Baltimore, Maryland
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- University of Minnesota-Duluth
- Duluth, Minnesota
- University of Mississippi Main Campus
- University, Mississippi
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Hoboken, New
Jersey
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Rapid City, South
Dakota
- Polytechnic Institute of New York University
- Brooklyn, New
York
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- Terre Haute, Indiana
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
- Socorro, New
Mexico
- University of New Haven
- West Haven, Connecticut
- University of New Mexico-Main Campus
- Albuquerque, New
Mexico
- University of North Dakota
- Grand Forks, North
Dakota
- University of Notre Dame
- Notre Dame, Indiana
- University of Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- University of South Alabama
- Mobile, Alabama
- University of South Carolina-Columbia
- Columbia, South
Carolina
- University of South Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- University of Southern California
- Los Angeles, California
- University of Toledo
- Toledo, Ohio
- University of Tulsa
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- University of Utah
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- University of Virginia-Main Campus
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Vanderbilt University
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Villanova University
- Villanova, Pennsylvania
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Richmond, Virginia
- Washington and Lee University
- Lexington, Virginia
- Washington University in St Louis
- Saint Louis, Missouri
- Wayne State University
- Detroit, Michigan
- West Virginia University Institute of Technology
- Montgomery, West
Virginia
- Western Michigan University
- Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Widener University-Main Campus
- Chester, Pennsylvania
- Youngstown State University
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Maryville College
- Maryville, Tennessee
- Colorado School of Mines
- Golden, Colorado
| 2-year colleges with majors in Chemical Engineering |
MyMajors complete list has 177 schools in the USA with a major in Chemical Engineering.
-View the national listing!
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| For information on options available to campuses wishing to see their programs listed on MyMajors, contact
for details. |
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