Becoming a Chemical Engineer
What is Chemical Engineering?
Also see History of Chemical Engineering
Chemical
engineering is concerned with the analysis and design of processes that
deal with the transfer and transformation of energy and material. The
practice of chemical engineering includes the conception, development,
design, and application of physicochemical processes and their
products; the economic development, design, construction, operation,
control, and management of plants for these processes; and activities
relating to public service, education, and research. Traditional
employment areas in the chemical process industries include industrial
chemicals, petroleum and petrochemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals,
metals, textiles, and food. Chemical engineers are also working in
increasing numbers in the areas of energy engineering, pollution
abatement, and biochemical and biomedical engineering; in addition,
they are employed by many government laboratories and agencies as well
as private industries and institutions.
Curriculum Description
The
curriculum trains students to enter the diverse areas of employment or
graduate study. The considerable number of electives in the curriculum
provides flexibility for individuals to design programs that fulfill
their needs and interests. They also provide an opportunity for
students to elect departmental options or interdisciplinary minors.
Graduates
from the program have the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics,
science, and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve chemical
engineering problems as well as to design and conduct experiments
safely and analyze and interpret data. They are prepared to pursue
advanced studies in chemical engineering. Program graduates gain a
sense of professional and ethical responsibility with the ability to
apply environmental, safety, economic, and ethical criteria in the
design of engineering processes. They learn to function in individual
and group working environments, and learn skills in written and oral
communication and the effective use of computers for engineering
practice, including information search in the library and on the
Internet. They also understand the need for lifelong learning and the
significance of societal and global issues relevant to chemical
engineering.
A minimum of 130 credits is required for graduation
with the degree of bachelor of science in chemical engineering. There
are nine electives in the chemical engineering curriculum. Five of
these are for the general education requirements. The remaining four
electives should consist of three chemical engineering electives and
one additional technical elective.
Students are
required to obtain a minimum 2.00 grade-point average in CHE 501-502
and in overall standing at the end of the sophomore year in order to
continue in the major.
Starting Salaries
Top-Paid Majors for the Class of 2011
Among the college Class of 2011, engineering dominates the list of top-paid majors, according to results of a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
“That four of the top five top-paid majors are engineering and all
received average starting salary offers in excess of $60,000 strongly
indicates the continued high demand for these graduates,” says Marilyn
Mackes, NACE executive director. “Furthermore, the entire top-10 list
underscores the interest employers have in hiring technical majors.”
Responses to NACE’s Spring 2011 Salary
Survey indicate that engineering majors account for seven of the top 10
spots on the list. In fact, the only non-engineering major among the
top-five highest-paid is computer science, which is second on the list.
(See Figure 1.)
The Spring 2011 Salary Survey report is the second look at salaries
for the Class of 2011. NACE will continue to monitor salary offers to
the current class, and will release its next salary report in July with
the Summer 2011 Salary Survey.
Figure 1: Top-Paid Majors for 2010-11 Bachelor’s Degree Graduates*
Curriculum Average Salary Offer
Chemical engineering $66,886
Computer science $63,017
Mechanical engineering $60,739
Electrical/electronics & communications engineering $60,646
Computer engineering $60,112
Industrial/manufacturing engineering $58,549
Systems engineering $57,497
Engineering technology $57,176
Information sciences & systems $56,868
Business systems networking/telecommunications $56,808
*Where 10 or more offers were reported
Source: NACE Spring 2011 Salary Survey. Data represent job
functions for which the most data were reported; all data are for
bachelor’s degree candidates.