About Us Section
What is Chemical Engineering?
Chemical Engineers are involved in a wide range of high technology industries. Chemical Engineers produce new pharmaceuticals and high value chemicals, manufacture microelectronic devices, develop high performance plastics and alternative fuels, purify therapeutic proteins, and design artificial organs.
Chemical Engineering is unique in its focus on the processes involved in making new products, including both the chemical / biological reactions and the complex physical transformations and purifications. As such, Chemical Engineering draws heavily on the basic sciences, with a particular emphasis on Physical and Organic Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Physics. The undergraduate program combines courses in these fundamental sciences with a strong background in mathematics, providing students the foundation needed to analyze complex problems and design novel processes involving chemical reactions, mass and heat transfer, and thermodynamics. The curriculum culminates in capstone laboratory and design courses, both of which give students hands-on experience with state-of-the-art equipment and computational software.
Elective courses are available in
- bioprocessing
- nanotechnology
- polymers
- biosensors, and
- process safety
- all taught by Chemical Engineering faculty with extensive experience in these subjects.
The breadth and depth of training in the sciences and engineering enable chemical engineers to work throughout the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, biotechnology, consumer products, and microelectronics industries. Specific opportunities exist in research, product development, design, and manufacturing.
Many students decide to go on to graduate school (both Masters and PhD), as well as Medical School, Law School, and Business. The strong foundation in quantitative logical thinking and problem solving also provides an outstanding foundation for careers in business, law, and medicine.
Page reviewed on 04/01/11, Top of page