<p>I was wondering if anyone could offer some insight into a chemical engineering major at West Point. I am very interested in applying the academy next year, and would like to major in chemical engineering. I see this listed as a major on the College Board West Point page and it also comes up as a major when you google "west point chemical engineering." However, on the actual West Point page I can't find anything about a chemical engineering major.<br>
Is it just a field of study? Not a major at all? Thank you so much for any info!</p>
<p>To get you started on the subject check out this link from the USMA Dean.
[USMA</a> Academic Program](<a href=“http://www.dean.usma.edu/sebpublic/curriccat/static/index.htm]USMA”>http://www.dean.usma.edu/sebpublic/curriccat/static/index.htm)
Under part 2 - Disciplinary Offerings, Chemical Engineering is listed as a major.</p>
<p>Good luck with your application!</p>
<p>Great, thank you!</p>
<p>I can probably offer you a little insight on the program as I am currently a Firstie who majored in Chemical Engineering. </p>
<p>The first thing you should understand is the program is very rigorous, I would argue more rigorous than any other program offered at West Point. A large number of my classmates have dropped the major and moved on to other things, some by choice and some due to poor performance (they politely suggest you change at first and then bump you down to Chemical Engineering Studies, Chemistry, or Basic Science depending on what coursework you have completed). Also, recent changes in the program have resulted in it being the major with the most required credit hours. The one real drawback to the program currently seems to be the lack of ABET accreditation-- which the faculty will tell you doesn’t matter-- and it probably doesn’t, but its still a nice thing to have (and we supposedly will soon enough).</p>
<p>As far as I know West Point is the only service academy offering ChemE. It’s a great major, and very diverse-- as you can see from WAMom68’s link, you take courses in a variety of disciplines. The new version of the major allows a very personalized hands-on approach like nothing else at West Point. You can essentially build your own major-- creating an engineering track of your own if you don’t like theirs. </p>
<p>There are some peculiarities about the program. For one thing, its now almost impossible to do the Medical School option out of ChemE (it used to be very common). Also-- its tough. And by that I mean, yes if you study you can and will do decent, but unlike Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering at USMA, you can’t study yourself to an A+ if you aren’t very intelligent to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, anyone can pull of a B-- I think-- but the tests in ChemE require you to think on your feet and apply new information to new situations. Don’t expect instructors to rehash the same old same old. Expect to see calculus, heat transfer, anything you have learned on the test. (or stuff you haven’t as well). Most of the instructors are great, but to be perfectly honest the best instructors I have met at West Point (all things considered) are probably in the Mechanical Engineering dept.</p>
<p>Hopefully that gives you some idea of the program-- if you still want more details let me know…but I would concentrate on getting into West Point first. You don’t choose your major for an entire year, and the average cadet doesn’t take any major classes till the end of his second year or even the beginning of his third.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info and advice! What are you hoping to do in the Army?</p>