<p>Someone mentioned this to me today. His reasoning is that chemists can basically do the job now (except for petroleum engineering) and not many chem e's go into pharmacy. What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>I think that’s quite incorrect, or at least I hope so.
That’s my intended field of study. =/</p>
<p>Chemical engineering is in decline. There is a negative 2% decline in jobs expected for the next 10 years. - BLS</p>
<p>It is the only engineering field in decline but there are still plenty of jobs available.</p>
<p>
Can anyone comment about this? Though I don’t think this is true.</p>
<p>That is not true at all. I asked my Chemistry Professor the difference between ChemE and Chemistry, and he said there is a huge difference. First off, chemists are not required to take math beyond calculus. Tough to be any kind of engineer without a great understanding of math. </p>
<p>In general, chemists develop a chemical formula for a product that serves some purpose. Then a ChemE finds a way to manufacture that chemical in the most efficient manner- optimizing output while reducing waste.</p>
<p>^My chem professor interned at a drug company (back when she was in college), and her task was to find ways to make a reaction have a higher yield. She was in plain old “chemistry”, but what she was doing sounded more like chemE. Of course, that’s anecdotal evidence, but it might say something.</p>
<p>As a separate point (I might be completely) wrong about this, perhaps the case is that chemE is currently very hot but it’s steadily going into decline. As it stands now, chemE’s have the highest starting salaries, but then again there’s that BLS prediction. But I scarcely know anything about this (I’m a civil). Is anyone knowledgeable about this? I’d be curious to know as well.</p>
<p>Wasn’t the BLS saying last year that the profession would increase 8% over the next ten years?</p>
<p>side-note: If you would consider working outside of USA, I’m pretty sure ChemE prospects is vastly different (ie: better) in exotic cities like Dubai and other rising locations</p>
<p>“First off, chemists are not required to take math beyond calculus.”</p>
<p>I cannot disagree more. If you look at any accredited chemistry program you will find that they take maths up to multivariable calculus, differential equations and even higher. Physical chemistry is a fundamental course for both chemistry and chemical engineer majors and that class is all partial derivatives.</p>
<p>@ OP</p>
<p>A chemist can make a new chemical by putting X and Y into a beaker, but if you want to make more its not as simple as adding more X and Y, you run into problems with mixing, thermodynamics and separations. </p>
<p>This is a lame example, but its the only thing I can think of at the moment. Like if you want to make bread, add one pound flour, cup of water and some baking soda and watch it fizz. Try that with 100x more ingredients. It will be very hard to mix and the baking soda can generate high heat/pressures that you might end up blowing the mixing tank.</p>
<p>I like to remember it as this analogy.
Chemist -> Research
Chemical Engineer -> Manufacturing & upscaling</p>
<p>well wait one second, this is a different thought…</p>
<p>can you go the 4 years of college and become a chemE, then take that and go into pharmacy school?</p>
<p>thanks guys for your time</p>
<p>Yes, assuming you have the appropriate prerequisites (ochem, bio, etc…) and do well on the MCAT</p>
<p>Another side question, but can chemical engineers work in energy field like solar energy, nanotechnology, and etc.?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Yes, but those fields are highly specialized and you might be better off as a chemistry or material science major. I would look into specialized programs, I know my school has an interdisciplinary programs where I can get a minor in nanotech or nuclear if you are interested in energy while still majoring in chemical engineering. However, odds are that most of the people working in the energy field are scientists or engineers who have gone on to get there Phd. Otherwise we wouldn’t be stuck in this energy crisis :/</p>
<p>If are insistent on being a chemical engineer, look into graduate programs with research topics in energy or surface interface science. I believe University of Texas has a good program.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hahaha…you think a chemist doesn’t have an understand of math because they didn’t take differential equations or statistics? Come on man.</p>
<p>This is what CB says:
[Chemical</a> Engineers](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Career Search - BigFuture | College Board)
Government economists expect almost no change in the number of chemical engineering jobs between 2008 and 2018. Engineers who specialize in energy research or the new fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology will find the most opportunities.</p>
<p>Therefore, yes, it is a dying field.</p>
<p>A simple chemical engineer works in a factory with chemicals. That job is the one in decline.</p>
<p>You can become a chemist, engineering and science manager, environmental engineer, environmental manager, geoscientist, industrial engineer, mining/geological engineer, petroleum engineer, or even a pharmacist with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering. </p>
<p>@Screecher, I’m pretty sure you can do that, but double-check with your university/universities. Pharmacists and science managers have the best outlook and are DEFINITELY not dying, but rather increasing exponentially.</p>
<p>Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend anything in chemical engineering, especially petroleum engineering. As more and more people are looking into alternative energy (also part of chemical engineering), how to reduce global warming, etc. that job is going to die out soon enough. And do you really want a job that is dependent on the limited resources of our world? They’ll send you to isolated barren deserts and cold coasts to search for petroleum. It may also be dangerous. Don’t do it, even if the salary is high and it appears to be doing well. It is something of the last generation.</p>
<p>Materials engineering, on the other hand, is always doing well, and will continue to do well. New materials are ALWAYS in demand no matter what.</p>
<p>Here is what CB says about materials engineers:
[Materials</a> Engineers](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Career Search - BigFuture | College Board)
Government economists expect jobs for materials engineers to grow as fast as the average for all careers through 2018. Biotechnology and nanotechnology research should result in the growing use of new materials, which should in turn drive job growth in this field.</p>
<p>@borkborkbork and some other misinformed posters.</p>
<p>Chemical Engineering is completely unrelated to Petroleum Engineering!
There is virtually no chemistry involved in Petroleum engineering. Pete eng is more physics and geology ects…</p>
<p>Petroleum Engineering is a growing field with great job
oppurtunties in the next half century. It is a stereotype that petroleum engineers have to work desolate areas. There are thousands of job oppurtunities in wonderful places such as northern Europe and India.</p>
<p>Petroleum engineering is not going to even come close to going away anytime in the next few decades.</p>
<p>I am all for research in alternative energy but we are a long way from it taking over our main source of energy, fossil fuels!</p>
<p>Personally, I think chemical engineering is a great way to go, heres why.</p>
<p>As bork bork mentioned, chemE is very versitile you can become anything, chemist, environmental engineer. What is true to some fact is that petroleum engineering is on the decline but not for a while. The change over to alternative energy won’t happen within the next 20 years. Think about it, not everyone has the funds to buy solar panel homes or electric cars. And think about current homes being run on gas, it will enormous amounts of effort remove gas lines. Not to mention that oil is used for consumer products such as plastics. America will continue to still have a strong dependency on oil for a long time.</p>
<p>Also another thing to factor in is that not many people are major in chemE which helps with job competition. Chemical engineering is one of the hardest majors out there and you will find it very rewarding if you do decide to do it.hidd</p>
<p>@alchemist007
In order to major in petroleum engineering, you need to have a BSc in a field such as chemical/materials engineering. Some schools, like Stanford, offer BSc’s in petroleum engineering, but that’s rare.</p>
<p>Yes, as of now petroleum engineering jobs are increasing, and they have one of the highest annuities out of all engineers (~120k). Its a stereotype that petroleum engineers work in desolate areas because so many already do. It’s not common for India to accept petroleum engineers. You are most likely going to be offered a job in the southern US (i.e. Texas), Alaska, off the coast of Norway (northern Europe, as you have said), the Middle East (i.e. Saudi Arabia), etc. </p>
<p>India: It’s not an OPEC member, and besides, Indians offer very cheap salaries, so many people don’t even decide to go.</p>
<p>Yes, petroleum engineering jobs are increasing faster than most others as of now. But the demise of petroleum engineering is inevitable; there will be a slow but evident transition to alternative energy, and someday the petroleum will run out (probably not in our lifetime, or perhaps even in this century). This doesn’t render petroleum useless; too many countries heavily depend on it for fuel. </p>
<p>I would say petroleum engineering is somewhat a lucrative profession, but be aware of the transition that many countries are trying to make. I know that what I’m saying might sound a little contradictory, but that field is very iffy to me.</p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt to check out the BLS page on jobs in your specific metro area. For example, in my area I would consider electrical, not chemical, because there are 6,600 electrical jobs and only 190 chemical jobs.</p>