What it’s about:
Through the study of math and the natural sciences chemical engineering majors learn to develop products for businesses, government, and consumers they also look for solutions to regional or global problems, such as pollution. Like most engineers, chemical engineers turn technological advances in the lab into useful materials and services beyond the university walls.
What the study of this major is like:
Chemical engineers convert the discoveries that physical or biological scientist make in the laboratory into products used by industry, the military, and ordinary consumers. in addition, they play an important role in the new areas of biotechnology (the development of medical treatment), nanotechnology (the science of miniaturization), and information technology. As a chemical engineering major, you are trained to design and develop many of the processes and products necessary for modern industrial society, including antibiotics and other medicines, neural and synthetic fibers, semiconductors, fuel cells, synthetic fuels, petroleum-based fuels and environmental pollution prevention and cleanup. In your work, the primary goal is to create products and processes that are economical.
Chemical engineering programs in the United states are approved by the AccoreditationBord for Engineering and Technology (ABET), in cooperation with the American institute of chemical Engineering (AIChE). These programs begin with courses in the natural sciences, math, and computer programming. In most programs, you will also be required to study speech and writing as well as the humanities and social science. Programs may vary in their focus; they may emphasize materials engineering, bioengineering, environment concerns, modeling and computer application, or some or all these areas. Physics and biolchemistry or biophysics courses may be included as electives.
One of the most important courses you take as a major is energy and evaluation of biological chemical energy, and environment processes. Thermodynamics teachers you to determine the energy efficiency of chemical and biological processes, including those in the human body. In other courses, you learn about the economics of alternative designs, life-cycle analysis, and mathematics analysis by computer simulation. You’ll need to get a good background in mathematics to do, for example, rigorous analyses of chemicals, plant processes. In a capstone course, you may design an entire process for the production of chemical, fuels, electronic devices, or drinking water from the ocean; or you may design devices for kidney or blood oxygenators.
Career options and trends:
Consulting engineer; products designer/engineer; research and development engineer; production engineer or plant manager; sales representatives; environmental engineer.
Careers are available in the environment, pharmaceutical, materials, fuel, and specialty chemical industries. Growth opportunities for chemical engineers will be located in service-providing industries, such as professional, scientific, and technical services. Positions in the alternative energy, biotechnology and nanotechnology fields are also rapidly expanding. Engineering in addition to the required degrees.
Source: CollegeBoard 2012 Book of Majors
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