So, i’m in a situation where I can’t change my major. So I was wondering if there are anything wrong with me going back to school for 2-3 years to get my chemE degree after I get my BS in chemistry.
the pre reqs for chemE and chem are pretty similar so i assume it would save me some time too.
Would it be a good idea? No. Chemical engineering is mostly engineering, not chemistry, so it would take a considerable amount of extra time–as you said, 2-3 years–to get an engineering degree afterward. Moreover, a second bachelor’s is almost never a good use of time, as having multiple bachelor’s degrees is not advantageous in the job market. You would be better served with getting a Master’s degree afterward but, again, this would require a number of prerequisites and deficiencies you would have to make up.
But it can be done. You could go back after your BS in chemistry, but it would be a considerably better use of your time (and money) to get the engineering degree now, or take enough prereqs now that it might be possible to apply to MS programs in chemical engineering after the chemistry BS. However, I’m not terribly familiar with ChemE graduate program requirements and don’t know how feasible or practical this would be.