Chemical Engineering vs. Materials Science (vs. just plain ol' Chemistry?)

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>I have applied to all of my schools under chemical engineering however I only did this because I might want to study engineering and it's easier to transfer out of engineering than to transfer in.</p>

<p>What I want to do in my career is to combine math and chemistry and help the environment. I'd like to develop environmentally helpful chemicals but that's not utilizing math enough (I REALLY love theoretical math--calculus and beyond--which is the reason I looked into engineering).</p>

<p>So are there any suggestions for what major is best for me? My mom thought materials science, but I really don't know.</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>materials science engineering or chemical engineering is good. Don't do chemistry, you might be bored.</p>

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<p><a href="I%20REALLY%20love%20theoretical%20math--calculus%20and%20beyond--which%20is%20the%20reason%20I%20looked%20into%20engineering">quote</a>.

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<p>You'll hate engineering then. The math involved is not very theoretical (at least relative to other math disciplines). Engineers just don't care that the reals are compact on the standard topology or that one infinity can be larger than another.</p>

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<p>Environmental engineering. Environmental engineering deals with more biological/chemical factors. Chemical engineering is more physics based.</p>

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<p>do chemical, its much better. More math and you can still help the environment. I'm a 3rd year enve and i wish i went into chem eng. I have a test tmr...maybe i'll write more later.</p>

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<p>Don't do environmental, chemical should be fine. If you want, get an MS in material science. Alternatively, Applied Physics with material sciece or chemE can get you the higher math you want.</p>

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<p>If you like math, I would go with either electrical engineering or engineering physics or as you mentioned, applied physics. Remember that all branches of engineering are a combination of math, physics and materials science - even if they are not named in this manner.</p>

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<p>Could you explain how Chem E is more physics-based?</p>

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<p>Theoretical chemistry is basically a sub genre of atomic physics.</p>

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<p>So what exactly is the difference between Materials Science vs. Chem. E.?</p>

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<p>@the OP
I was in your boat. Chem Engr coming in as a freshmen, bounce around some majors (bioeng, mech engr) before coming to chemsitry. </p>

<p>Somethings you want to consider that im going through now:
what reserach do you want to do? between chemistry and chem e, you can do a lot of the same research (even into bio areas). what turned me off from chem e was the fact that a lot of the classes in chem e:
A. are completely required and offer no choice in electives and
B.wouldnt be relevant into my particular lab reserach- fluid mech, reactor design (a BIG part of chem e courses), probably more classes… </p>

<p>Taking the classes was not a problem, but (for example) time spend learning fluid mech was time i couldnt spend learning electronics/electrodynamics (stuff im learning now), programming, lots of bio-engr classes (a minor im now doing) and what not. </p>

<p>On the other hand, the chem e major would demand incredible amounts of math out of you. with chemistry, you can get away with doing very little (half a course on vector calc) whereas chem e will make you take linear alge/differ EQ and do even more in your courses. as others have noted- math in engr is very different. the general rule is that math majors tend to like math like they would a language. in my view (a semi engr, more of a physical chemist [i hope]), math is great because its a great tool. the beauty in proofs and what not that a lot of math-y people enjoy, i dont really care for. If i could get a better tool, i’d ditch math pretty quickly.</p>

<p>also consider: depending on where you are going, engr majors may have their own set (much more lax) of general edu. if you suddenly switch, you may find yourself having to take 3 history classes and 3 art classes or something.</p>

<p>Based on what you’ve said you want do, I’d consider chem e (there may be a environmental engr concentration), chem, or enviro engr (typically under civil).
remember what i said about chem probably having less major requirements? maybe you could use those empty spaces to minor in geology or math or whatever floats your boat.
In terms of the information that you have when you graduate, you may almost be splitting hairs. </p>

<p>Also, chem E is going to be very heavy on sequence and stuff classes. if means if you fail/D a class, if could put you behind a whole year. I switched out and contemplated switching back in about now- If i did get back in, it means i’d need to take a sophomore chem e sequence as a junior, junior chem e sequence as a senior and senior chem e sequence as a 5th year! and im only one class down… its like i failed that first chem e class…</p>

<p>Lastly: mat sci is more a field of chemistry/engr. maybe you want to design some new material that has certain electric and thermal properties- thats mat sci. </p>

<p>My personal advice: I am currently a chemistry major and kinda wish I’d stayed in chemical engr. As you noted, its harder to get into the school of engr compared to getting into the school of physical science/college of letters and arts (or whatever it is where you are).
As i said earlier, you may be splitting hairs. just go through your first year and ask profs what they have to say.
Depending on what you want to do- work in a lab and develop new ideas or work in the field and read meters (common for engrs coming out of college supposedly) and then build factories that use those new ideas (or both!) will determine what you study.</p>

<p>This post as a lot of typos and flow problems… but its fairly long and fairly late… but i hope it helps.</p>

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<p>I have a S and his choice was between ChemE and MatSci. He picked MatSci because he thought the work he would do was more interesting to him. </p>

<p>I agree with the previous poster. Go through your freshman year and decide which discipline you find more interesting. At my S’s school the classes are exactly the same for both majors. </p>

<p>He just decided that he liked materials better. He works with metals. If he had decided that he wanted to work with polymers he would have majored in ChemE.</p>

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<p>Why not look into school that have programs heavy in Green Chemistry? That’s a field dedicated to finding reactions to produce various molecules/chemicals in a way that produces less waste and uses fewer harmful chemicals.</p>

<p>If you’re interested in Materials Science & Engineering, I’d recommend looking through the table of contents of this book: [Amazon.com:</a> Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction (9780470419977): William D. Callister: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Materials-Science-Engineering-William-Callister/dp/0470419970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1260815241&sr=8-1-spell]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Materials-Science-Engineering-William-Callister/dp/0470419970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1260815241&sr=8-1-spell) That’s a really common freshman level MSE book, and, at least for me, most of my upper level classes were based around the subject of each chapter in that book.</p>

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<p>Call me crazy, but are Chemical Engineers in the business of coming up with new chemicals? I thought that’s where Chemists - research Chemists - live.</p>

<p>Anybody remember the commercials “We don’t make [insert]. We make it better.” I always thought that, at least about ChemE, that the scientists were coming up with the chemicals and the engineers were making them fast, cheap, in large quantities, etc.</p>

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<p>In my chemical engineering seminar, that’s the answer the professor gave when asked, what is the difference between a chemist and a chemical engineer? The chemist creates the new chemical (in small quantities). The chemical engineer produces it in large quantities efficiently and economically.
However, as a chemical engineering major (at least at my university), we take many of the same courses that chem majors do. It’s…annoying for me, actually. I don’t mind the hardcore general chemistry or the physical chemistry, but the Ochem…I’m not looking forward to that five hour lab each week and the memorizing. It’s not like I will be using Ochem knowledge as a chemical engineer. </p>

<p>However, don’t think that as a chemical engineering major, you can’t pursue research in developing new materials after you graduate. But I don’t think you’d call yourself an engineer in that case–you’d be a chemist with an engineering background. (?)</p>