Chemical Engineering Degree
A chemical engineer is one that knows chemistry, mathematics, physics and economics. He uses his knowledge in these subjects to discover and solve technical issues. A graduate of chemical engineering is equipped with the skills that are required to work in manufacturing industries where products such as minerals, glass, ceramics, plastics, petroleum, soaps, food, cosmetics, artificial fibers, textiles, microchips, paint, paper and pharmaceuticals are produced. A graduate in chemical engineering can work in fields such as medicine, biochemistry, physics, applied mathematics, industrial medicine, sales and patent law.
Types of Chemical Engineering Degrees in Universities
There are several options in universities for students to choose from. These options include:
- Biochemical- Biochemical engineering prepares students for the biochemical industry. It is also a good way of starting a med degree program.
- Environmental- Environmental engineering prepares the student for work in waste management agencies, pollution control agencies and environmental sustainability establishments.
- Materials- A chemical engineering student who is focused on material will know a lot about technologies and how materials can be produced to support new technologies. The target industries of a materials engineer include aeronautics, construction and agriculture.
Courses in a Chemical Engineering Degree Program
A chemical engineering student does several engineering and chemistry subjects. The students start with introductory courses such as:
- Analytical geometry
- Physics
- Calculus
- General chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Thermodynamics
- Statistics
- Chemical reaction engineering
- Quantitative analysis and
- Differential equations
The course outline of the chemical engineering program is actually a very big one and students are always expected to be very studious. The large scope of the course explains why it is often considered to be the most difficult course in school.
Salary Potentials of Chemical Engineering Graduates
Chemical engineering graduates can be sure of getting high paying jobs once they are through with their university education. Although the graduates earn reasonably high incomes, there is even a potential of earning higher with advanced degrees such as master’s and doctorate.
- The National Association of Colleges and Employers organized a survey for the highest paid majors in 2011. It was discovered from the survey that four of the top five highest paid majors were engineering majors.
- Georgetown University also made a report in 2011 stating that out of 171 different majors, an engineering major with an average income of $75,000 was the highest paid. According to the report, eight of the top ten majors were related to engineering.
- Forbes magazine has confirmed that fresh engineering graduates with entry level jobs are more paid than their colleagues in arts and sciences. A fresh engineering graduate usually starts earning around $53,000 per year.
- Reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that the need for engineering professionals will increase at a national average rate of 11% over the next decade. Chemical engineering is even expected to grow faster while biomedical engineering will likely grow at the rate of 72% over the next ten years.
