What is Chemical Engineering?

Chemical Engineering is the science devoted to the manipulation of molecular matter and energy. Founded on a few core principles - the conservation of mass, momentum and energy - chemical engineering science is a hierarchy of subdisciplines (thermodynamics, kinetics, catalysis, mass, heat and momentum transfer, control) that is able to solve complex problems spanning multiple characteristic time and length scales - from hours and meters to picoseconds and tenths of nanometers. The focus of the discipline is on molecular transformations, whether they are done stoichiometrically, with synthetic catalysts, bioenzymmatically, in cells or even with whole organisms. The emphasis on chemistry and molecular biology as core enabling sciences differentiates chemical engineering science from the other engineering disciplines. However, chemical engineering science shares in common with the other engineering disciplines, the high level use of mathematics, both as an essential tool for analysis and model building and, even more importantly, as a language for the expression and exchange of well-posed problems and the definition of their solutions.

During the 20^th century, chemical engineers were employed for the most part in the chemical and petroleum industries. These two sectors still provide employment for many of today's chemical engineers, but our graduates also pursue careers in electronics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, consulting services and food processing. Chemical engineers of the 21^st century can engage their skills across these many apparently disparate industries because of the breadth and depth of their training in the engineering core and the enabling sciences; apparently very different problems can be reduced to their basis, e.g. in molecular transformations, transport, phase behavior etc. With their foundation in quantitative logical thinking and problem solving, it is not surprising that chemical engineers successfully pursue advanced degrees in business (M.B.A.), law (J.D.) and medicine (M.D.) as well as in their own discipline (M.S., Ph.D.). Chemical engineering science education prvides the student with a powerful problem solving skill set comprised of a high level synthesis of mathematics, computation, chemistry, physics and molecular biology with the engineering core of thermodynamics, transport, control and design.

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics web site.

Penn State Chemical Engineering employment data web page.