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What is Chemical Engineering?

Get a Master's in Chemical Engineering

The Chemical Engineering B.S.

Chemical engineering puts the principles of chemistry into industrial practice.

Simply put, if something is being manufactured, a chemical engineer was likely involved in the design and production process.

A degree in chemical engineering—which combines a foundation of math and natural sciences with the fundamentals of systems thinking—opens you up to exciting, high-demand careers in a range of fields from food production and consumer goods to pharmaceuticals and solar energy. 

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Why Choose Florida Tech for Chemical Engineering?

Florida Tech’s chemical engineering B.S. degree program emphasizes collaboration and hands-on learning. The practical experience you’ll gain through internships, project-based courses, independent study and faculty-mentored research will prepare you well to work on interdisciplinary teams in organizations of all kinds.

Our faculty are renowned experts in their fields—and thanks to small classes and team opportunities for research, you’ll get to know and work closely with many of them.

Among their broad research interests are neurochemistry, green chemistry, biodefense, biogenic waste, energy transport and the chemistry of vision. Their research is funded by organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Dive deeper into fast-growing engineering specialties, such as nanotechnology, or add a minor from a related discipline, such as physics, computer science or sustainability. Technical electives allow you to specialize in unique career-track subfields, such as biochemical engineering, systems engineering, nuclear technology and energy engineering, helping you to stand out to future employers.

Our chemical engineering B.S. was built with collaboration in mind. Not only will you learn and experiment with classmates throughout your time at Florida Tech, but you’ll embark on a team-based design project during your senior year.

You'll do most of this learning, researching and collaborating in the F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, a multistory, state-of-the-art building with classrooms, conference rooms, a multimedia auditorium and more than two dozen specialized teaching and research labs.

Find educational, social and professional development opportunities through our campus chapters of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) or the American Chemical Society Student Affiliates. Florida Tech is also home to engineering-related honor societies, such as Tau Beta Pi and Theta Tau.

Beyond clubs related to your major, you’ll find more than 200 other student-run organizations, a steady stream of campus events and lots to explore nearby in our corner of the Sunshine State, from the Atlantic Ocean to world-famous Orlando theme parks.

Continually adapting to meet marketplace and societal needs, our program benefits from expert insight from an industry advisory board. This group of scholars and practitioners helps keep our curriculum relevant and real-world-ready—and also connects students with chemical engineering internships and job opportunities.

Living in Florida’s “High-Tech Corridor” and the Space Coast, you’ll find plenty of immersive learning experiences nearby—and at tech hubs around the country. Our students find chemical engineering internships with organizations such as NASA, Campbell Soup Co., Collins Aerospace, Tesla and Helicon Chemical Co., as well as at research universities around the world.

Careers in Chemical Engineering

Using the principles of chemistry, biology and physics, careers in chemical engineering typically involve solving problems related to the production or use of chemicals, fuel, drugs, food and many other products. This might also involve the design of processes and equipment for manufacturing or the test methods for manufacturing products.

Careers in chemical engineering are found in a variety of industries, from energy, electronics, food and clothing to health care, biotechnology, nanotechnology and business services. Our graduates go on to work at companies like Boeing, Intel, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Tesla.

Jobs in chemical engineering include:

  • Materials and process engineer
  • Industrial engineer
  • Systems engineer
  • Nuclear engineer
  • Materials planner/business analyst
  • Data scientist
  • Advanced chemical engineer
  • Chemical design engineer
  • Research engineer
  • Process engineer
  • Field engineer
  • Senior engineering technician

With additional experience and education, chemical engineers can advance into more specialized or senior-level roles. Looking ahead to your future career can be exciting! Keep in mind that certain roles may entail additional prerequisites, such as an advanced degree.

Florida Tech Career Services assists students, alumni and employers in their search for careers and employee candidates. We help students develop career plans and job-search skills. Explore our Career Toolbox to learn more about our services and access additional resources.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), provides information about specific jobs, including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things. Check the handbook for information on the outlook for careers in chemical engineering.

Advanced Degree Options

After earning their chemical engineering B.S., our students pursue graduate and professional degrees in a range of chemical engineering, materials sciences, biotechnology and related fields at Florida Tech and other prestigious universities.

Post-graduate programs our students choose include:

Explore the Chemical Engineering, B.S., Curriculum

The Chemical Engineering, B.S., Curriculum

The chemical engineering B.S. offers a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry and the fundamentals of engineering. In addition to core classes for your major, you’ll get to personalize your program through electives and/or adding a minor.

Classes include:

  • Chemical Process Control
  • Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
  • Chemical Engineering Reactor Design

Check the catalog for a description of all courses.

Download the Chemical Engineering, B.S. Curriculum now!

Molecular Level. Massive Discoveries.

Doctoral student Thomas Quaid

From biofabrication to waste treatment, Florida Tech’s chemical engineering faculty examine the smallest of elements to address big issues. Our overarching areas of research emphasis include:

  • Advanced separations
  • Biomaterials and tissue engineering
  • Energy and environment
  • Materials processing and characterization
  • Process design and optimization
  • Sub and supercritical fluids

The abundance of scientific and scholarly work happening in our department gives chemical engineering undergrads unprecedented access to research opportunities typically reserved for graduate students at larger schools.

Our students engage with faculty research in several ways, including lab assistant positions, internships, independent study and team-based projects, such as:

  • Building an "electronic nose" and other sensors for detecting and identifying gases
  • Designing an alternative energy system for a school
  • Fabricating and testing a ceramic material for use in filtration, fuel cells and implants
  • Researching a variety of rocket propellants

These high-tech research topics put our students and faculty at the forefront of new research technologies. Many of our undergraduates go on to receive awards for the high quality of their research conducted at Florida Tech.

Learn more about Chemical Engineering at Florida Tech on the website.

Synthesize Your Knowledge and Skills

As a chemical engineering student, you’ll conduct a capstone research project and present it at the annual Student Design Showcase during your senior year. Leading up to this milestone moment, you’ll have spent two semesters putting everything you’ve learned into practice as you plan, conduct and report on your project.

Students have researched topics such as:

  • Greener production of a chemical used in everything from cars to pharmaceuticals
  • Use of photoelectrochemical cells in carbon dioxide conversion
  • Reduction of carbon dioxide in polymer production
  • An innovative approach to ethanol production
  • Use of wastepaper to synthesize an organic multiuse compound
  • A new method to produce high purity biodiesel
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The Chemical Engineering (Bachelor of Science) program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Chemical, Biochemical, Biomolecular and Similarly Named Engineering Programs. Additional information can be found on the department’s ABET Accreditation information page.

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