What Do Chemical Engineering Technology Graduates Do? Are you interested in looking for new ways to use chemical reactions to transform raw materials into valuable, innovative products?

Would you like to help advance scientific knowledge in fields like nanotechnology and mineral processing?

Do you see yourself designing, manufacturing, and operating plants and machinery to carry out large-scale industrial chemical or biological processes?

Chemical Engineering Technology Graduates

• Work in industries producing pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and petroleum products or in laboratories and processing plants.
• Help develop new chemical products and processes, test processing equipment and instrumentation, gather data, and monitor quality.
• Research, design, and construct safe, sustainable machinery to produce a wide range of valuable items.

Specializations

• Chemical reaction engineering
• Plant design
• Process engineering
• Process design
• Transport phenomena
  • Fluid dynamics
  • Heat transfer
  • Mass transfer

Major Scientific Breakthroughs in Chemical Engineering Technology:

• Cleaner energy sources
• Greener chemical processes
• Earth-friendly plastics
• Innovative consumer goods
• Rechargeable batteries
• Medical microdevices
• Vaccines to protect against epidemics
• Chemotherapy with reduced side effectsBottom of Form

Areas of Employment

• Chemical production or manufacturing
• Civil engineering
• Consumer goods
• Cosmetics
• Design engineering
• Energy generation and distribution
• Food production
• Health care
• Mineral mining
• Oil exploration and refining
• Pharmaceuticals
• Processing plants
• Sales and technical support
• Quality assurance laboratories
• Water and waste management

Career Guidance Suggestions for Pre-University Students

• Pre-algebra
• Geometry
• Advanced algebra
• Engineering fundamentals
• Computer-aided design
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Calculus
• Statistics
• Trigonometry
• Differential equations
• Thermodynamics
• Process design
• Heat and mass transfer
• Physics
• Robotics
• Programming
• Business
• Finance
• Management

• Competitions
• Summer programs
• Afterschool programs
• Clubs
• Internships
• Online puzzles and games
• Online courses
• Maker faires
• Design projects

• Science centers and museums
• Professional societies like IEEE
• Universities

• Analytical skills: identify appropriate design elements for chemical products and processes.
• Communication skills: convey information effectively through written technical reports and/or presentations.
• Critical thinking skills: order information clearly and logically to design complex systems.
• Problem-solving skills: identify and analyze large-scale problems before they occur and implement solutions in a timely manner.
• Research skills: gather data and conduct research for the development and implementation of systems.
• Interpersonal skills: be able to work as part of a larger team of engineers, technicians, and scientists.
• Detail-oriented: pay close attention in order to ensure that design activities comply with relevant codes and regulations.

Links and Resources

• The American Institute of Chemical Engineers: the world’s leading organization providing leadership to the chemical engineering profession representing more than 50,000 members in industry, academia, and government.
• American Chemical Society: the largest scientific society in the world that provides educational and career development programs, products, and services to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.
• The Association of Consulting Chemists and Chemical Engineers: a non-profit membership organization serving the chemical consulting needs of prospective clients and its members since 1928.
• Institution of Chemical Engineers: a global professional membership organization for chemical engineering professionals and anyone involved with the process industries, including the emerging bioprocess sector.
• The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering: a professional association with over 1,000 innovative members who share technology, management, and applied engineering ideas, research, and applications that positively impact the future.
• American Society of Certified Engineering Technicians: the only national, professional society created especially for, and administered by, engineering technicians and technologists in all engineering disciplines.
• American Society for Engineering Education: a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology.