CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

 Chemical engineering is one of the most important and popular careers using chemistry.  Chemical engineers work in dealing with manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, design and construction, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, food processing, specialty chemicals, polymers, biotechnology, and environmental health and safety industries, among others.

 Within these industries, chemical engineers rely on their knowledge of mathematics and science—particularly chemistry—to overcome technical problems safely and economically.  And, of course, they draw upon and apply their engineering knowledge to solve any technical challenges they encounter.  Their expertise is also applied in the areas of law, education, publishing, finance, and medicine, as well as in many other fields that require technical training.

 Specifically chemical engineers improve food processing techniques, and available food.  They also construct the synthetic fibers that make our clothes more comfortable and water resistant; they develop methods to mass-produce drugs, making them more affordable; and they create safer, more efficient methods of refining petroleum products, making energy and chemical sources more productive and cost effective.

 Chemical engineers also develop solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution control and remediation.  They process chemicals, which are used to make or improve just about everything you see around you. They face many of the same challenges that other professionals face, and they meet these challenges by applying their technical knowledge, communication and teamwork skills; the most up-to-date practices available and hard work.  Benefits include financial reward, recognition within industry and society, and the gratification that comes from working with the processes of nature to meet the needs of society.

 As an educational background, one must attend a four-year college in order to get a degree in chemical engineering.  During this time, one must take certain classes such as math, chemistry, organic chemistry, etc, in order to complete the whole course and obtain a BD (Bachelor’s Degree) in chemical engineering.  After doing so, one can remain in college for an additional 1-2 years (depending on the college) to get the MD (Master’s Degree) in chemical engineering.  Finally, one can remain for and additional 1-2 years in college for the Ph.D.  (Doctorate) which is emphasized on a certain career such as inorganic chemistry, molecular chemistry, industrial chemistry and many other fields.  In this case, one becomes a doctor in that career.  Here are some institutions that have the required courses for a chemical engineering major:

-Carnegie-Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pa)

-Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH)

-Columbia University (New York, New York)

-Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, IL)

-Iowa State University (Ames, IA)

-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

-Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)

-Polytechnic University (Brooklyn, NY)

-Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY)

-University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)

-University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)

-University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)

-University of Wisconsin at Madison (Madison, WI)

-Yale University (New Haven, CT)

 The median salary for industrially employed engineers is $60,000.  This compares with the median of $50,000 for industrially employed B.S. chemists.  At the M.S. level, the median is $74,000 versus $61,000.  For Ph.D.s employed by industry, it is a standoff, with salary medians of $79,800 for chemical engineers and $80,000 for chemists. The median salary of Ph.D. chemical engineers in academia is $77,500- sharply higher than the $56,800 median for academic Ph.D. chemists. The number of government-employed chemical engineers responding is too small for any meaningful comparisons with chemists.  Of the chemical engineers who did respond, 92% of those with a bachelor’s degree and 89% of those with a master’s degree work for industry, where they are considerably well paid.

 One of the advantages in working in this career is that the salaries are quite satisfying.  The fact that you get to work in nature and explore it is another plus.  Unfortunately, it can also become risky, but like in any other fields, one must take this chance.

 I also believe that there is a definite future for this career, because the world strongly needs chemists in order to evolve medically, industrially, and in many other ways.