<p>Chemical Engineering is one of the most versatile professions—you'll find Chemical engineers employed in a broad array of industries ranging from pharmaceutical and biotechnical companies to semiconductor manufacturing to start-up companies converting the latest laboratory discoveries to large-scale commercial production.</p>
<p>Chemical engineers work with catalysts to develop new ways to manufacture medicines and plastics; they develop control systems that enable the safe production of products from semiconductors to household soap; they design chemical and petroleum plants; they research the effects of artificial organs on blood flow; and they develop the equipment and processes necessary for advances in biotechnology.</p>
<p>The breadth and variety reflects the unique emphasis of Chemical Engineering on understanding and manipulating the molecular properties of matter. While chemistry emphasizes the facts and principles of science, Chemical Engineering emphasizes its practical application for the development of new products and processes. </p>
<p>**just added more info on Chem E from my school site</p>
<p>I am not bagging ChemE. It is a good field IMO for one reason, that is its difficulty, I know plenty of people that LITERALLY flunked out of ChemE. </p>
<p>It is usually on quantum mechanics, and p-chem. A lot of people don't get that ****. </p>
<p>However, if I were to go into ChemE, i would not focus on biochem, I would do just general process, and maybe focus on energy and environmental. Like I said, anything related to biotech is so overhyped, it is a bad idea to touch it right now.</p>
<p>Sort of depends upon what engineering profession you're pursuing, and what your aspirations are.</p>
<p>In civil, esp. structural, I've generally recommended that if you don't want to get stuck designing CVS pharmacies for the rest of your life, that it's a really really really really good idea to get a masters.</p>
<p>At this point, according to the licensing board, the BS is the first professional terminal degree... In other words, you can be an engineer if you get your BS, at the very least. Times are a'changin', though... The amount of stuff and the quantity of technology that an engineer has to be familiar with is increasing at a pretty incredible rate, and it's getting to the point where it's really, really difficult to cram all that knowledge into four years. A lot of firms in structural engineering won't even look at your resume if you don't have a masters degree... Those are, however, primarily the firms that do the really complex things, like the cutting-edge skyscrapers and the retractable rooves on stadia. If you don't want to do those sorts of things, then you can get a pretty good job doing less complex stuff with just a bachelors degree.</p>
<p>Still, if you can get someone to pay for your masters degree (which typically happens) and if it only takes a year and a half to get that degree, and if it increases your earning potential and your ability to take on more challenging and interesting projects in the future... Well, why not?</p>
<p>''However, if I were to go into ChemE, i would not focus on biochem, I would do just general process, and maybe focus on energy and environmental. Like I said, anything related to biotech is so overhyped, it is a bad idea to touch it right now."</p>
<p>are you saying that because there are too many people in the field there could be a lot of competition and the large number of people could reduce the demand.</p>
<p>ChemE majors don't have as much knowledge of OChem and Physical Chem as regular Chem majors and even BioChem majors. They sacrafice a bit of Chem knowledge for more Engineering knowledge. So there are still some fields where straight Chem majors would be prefered.</p>
<p>Thank you for the insightful post. I'm will be a physics and chemistry major, since my college doesn't offer any engineering majors, but I will be doing research and taking some engineering courses at a different school over the summer. Is it possible to enter engineering graduate school with a science major and not a engineering major? Are engineering graduate schools competitive in accepting undergraduates?</p>
<p>"ChemE majors don't have as much knowledge of OChem and Physical Chem as regular Chem majors and even BioChem majors. They sacrafice a bit of Chem knowledge for more Engineering knowledge. So there are still some fields where straight Chem majors would be prefered"</p>
<p>the difference between ChemE and Chem majors is this: </p>
<p>"The difference between chemical engineering and chemistry can be illustrated by considering the example of producing orange juice. A chemist working in the laboratory investigates and discovers a multitude of pathways to extract the juice of an orange. The simplest mechanism found is to cut the orange in half and squeeze the orange using a manual juicer. A more complicated approach found is to peel and then crush the orange and collect the juice. A company then commissions a chemical engineer to design a plant to manufacture several thousand tons of orange juice per year. The chemical engineer investigates all the available methods for making orange juice and evaluates them according to their economic viability. Even though the manual juicing method is simple, it is not economical to employ thousands of people to manually juice oranges. Thus another, cheaper method is used (possibly the 'peel and crush' technique). The easiest method of manufacture on a laboratory bench will not necessarily be the most economical method for a manufacturing plant. "</p>
<p>engineers solve problems, people in science majors or scientists discover things.
i guess.</p>
<p>
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engineers solve problems, people in science majors or scientists discover things.
i guess.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Engineers discover things too. In fact, the whole point of a PhD in engineering (for those who choose to pursue it) is to discover something. </p>
<p>Of course, what engineers tend to discover is (obviously) things relating to engineering. Chemical engineers, for example, tend to be interested in discovering processes and procedures that allow for production of more revenue-generating chemical products at lower cost. Practically all procedures used in a chemical plant were implemented via a phase of research and discovery. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Is it possible to enter engineering graduate school with a science major and not a engineering major?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Sure, why not? Just within my circle of people, I know 2 guys who majored in physics as undergrads, and then got master's degrees in engineering at MIT (one in ME, the other in MatSciE). I know a girl who majored in chemistry as an undergrad, and then got a master's degree in Engineering Systems (from the Engineering Systems Division) at MIT. I even know a guy who majored in biology as an undergrad and then got a master's degree in Civil Engineering at MIT, although, granted, that is a rather extreme case.</p>
<p>RHS- It's possible, sure, especially since you're just starting out. What you'll need to do, though, is to open the lines of communication between yourself and the engineering profs that you encounter. Ask them about engineering grad programs and establish good working relationships with them, either through research or through your classes, or through just talking with them. Keep asking them about the things you need to do in order to prepare yourself for the engineering grad school application process, if that's what you want to do, and just make sure that your primary priority is to do what's required to get where you want to go. Keep communicating, and you should be fine... Which college are you going to, that there's not an engineering major for you to go for? Is there any way you can transfer to a college that would better suit your aspirations...?</p>
<p>Tom- Engineering researchers discover things, engineering practitioners solve problems. Scientists discover things, too, but their objective is not necessarily to discover or develop practical applications of things.</p>
<p>"Materials engineers are involved in the development, processing, and testing of the materials used to create a range of products, from computer chips and television screens to golf clubs and snow skis. They work with metals, ceramics, plastics, semiconductors, and composites to create new materials that meet certain mechanical, electrical, and chemical requirements. They also are involved in selecting materials for new applications. Materials engineers have developed the ability to create and then study materials at an atomic level, using advanced processes to replicate the characteristics of materials and their components with computers. Most materials engineers specialize in a particular material. For example, metallurgical engineers specialize in metals such as steel, and ceramic engineers develop ceramic materials and the processes for making ceramic materials into useful products such as glassware or fiber optic communication lines."</p>
<p>I'm going to a liberal art (Augustana College) school in sioux falls, South Dakota. They don't have a engineering major, but offer some engineering classes. Since I will be majoring in Physics, I will be taking all these engineering classes. I'm still debating over being a scientist or engineer, since I can't imagine myself doing anything else. Also, thanks for the information.</p>