Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering

Improve Our World Through Math, Science and Engineering

Are you interested in applying scientific principles to the creation of new chemicals and chemical processes? Chemical engineering brings together math, chemistry, physics, biology and engineering to build — and improve — the world around us. Clarkson's bachelor's degree program in chemical engineering offers a personalized educational environment designed to provide an in-depth understanding of chemical engineering principles.

We Want to Invest in You

Become a Solinsky Engineer.

The Solinsky Engineers Program is designed to give future engineers a community, a $20,000 scholarship to attend Clarkson for four years, and a variety of incredible benefits to enhance their educational and co-curricular college experience.

We are transforming and elevating our industry-driven engineering education. How? Through scholarship offerings, game-changing facility upgrades and unmatched hands-on learning opportunities. Clarkson will give you the skills, confidence and experience to lead the future of engineering and manufacturing.

Being a Solinsky Engineer opens doors to real experience, camaraderie, and accelerated career growth. We'll choose up to 100 first-year engineering majors annually to be a part of this exciting initiative. Find out how to apply.

Why Major in Chemical Engineering at Clarkson?

The chemical engineering program at Clarkson is known for impactful hands-on experiences, state-of-the-art facilities and research excellence, preparing students to excel and command high salaries after graduation.

Our Department helps you develop strong technical skills, as well as versatility. We'll prepare you for a career in whatever setting you choose — be it a multi-billion-dollar corporation or a startup, a government agency or graduate school. The choice is yours.

Small class sizes and low student-to-faculty ratios allow close interaction with your instructors, who have combined expertise in all modern areas of chemical engineering.

We develop thought leaders prepared to change the world through new and more environmentally sound products and processes in a multitude of industries. Chemical engineers are also uniquely positioned to address climate change, particularly in developing more sustainable chemical products that minimally impact our planet.

What You'll Learn

The chemical engineering bachelor's degree program consists of 30 credit hours. This in-depth program allows some flexibility in your schedule to complete your degree. You can choose a minor in an area that interests you and complements your chemical engineering degree.

Chemical engineering majors take such courses as :

Chemical Process Safety
Chemical Reactor Principles
Electives in biochemical, electrochemical and plasma engineering
Molecular Properties
Process Economics and Conceptual Design
Thermodynamics of Chemical Systems

Curriculum

The chemical engineering program consists of 33 credit hours in chemical engineering, 28 credit hours in science, 15 credit hours in mathematics, and 30 credit hours in professional electives.

All courses are 3 credits unless noted.

Clarkson Common Experience

The following courses are required for all students, irrespective of their program of study. These courses are offered during the fall semester, with FY100 First-Year Seminar being required of only first-year students. Both FY100 and UNIV190 are typically taken during the fall semester of the first year at Clarkson.
FY100 First-Year Seminar (1 credits)
UNIV190 The Clarkson Seminar (3 credits)

Chemical Engineering Core Requirements

Students are required to complete the following courses:

Chemical Engineering

CH210 Molecular Properties
CH220 Material Balances
CH260 Thermodynamics & Energy Balances
CH320 Phase Equilibria
CH330 Transfer Process Fundamentals
CH350 Chemical Engineering Laboratory (1 credits)
CH360 Chemical Reactor Analysis I
CH370 Design of Transfer Process Equipment
CH410 Chemical Engineering Laboratory (2 credits)
CH420 Process Economics & Conceptual Design
CH430 Chemical Process Safety
CH460 Process Dynamics & Control

Professional Experience

Students are required to complete the following Professional Experience:

ES499 Professional Experience (0 credits)

Engineering Common First Year

Students must complete the following courses in their first year:

CM131 General Chemistry I (4 credits)
ES100 Introduction to Engineering Use of the Computer (2 credits)
ES110 Engineering & Society
MA131 Calculus I
MA132 Calculus II
PH131 Physics I (4 credits)
PH132 Physics II (4 credits)

Chemical Engineering Core Electives

Students must complete the following courses:

Core Electives

BY160 Biology II - Cellular & Molecular Biology
CM132 General Chemistry II (4 credits)
CM241 Organic Chemistry I
CM242 Organic Chemistry II
CM244 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
EC350 Economic Principles & Engineering Economics
MA231 Calculus III
MA232 Elementary Differential Equations

Professional Electives

1 x Mathematics (MA) elective
2 x ES electives from two different areas (mechanics/electrical science/materials science)
3 x engineering electives
1 x technical electives (science/engineering/mathematics)
2 x undesignated electives

Knowledge Area/University Course Electives

Students will have at least 18 credit hours available to use toward Knowledge Area and/or University Course electives to satisfy the Clarkson Common Experience requirements.

Free Electives

Students will have approximately 33 credit hours available to use toward courses of their choice.

Research Opportunities

As an undergraduate, you can sign up for up to three credits per semester to conduct research with a faculty member. Examples of research topics include:

Advanced membranes
Biomaterials
Environmental electrochemistry
Chemical-mechanical polishing for microelectronics
Nanotechnology
Plasma chemistry
Process control, optimization and AI

Learn more about research at Clarkson.

Our Faculty

Our faculty are experts in what they do, and they engage our students in the pursuit of interdisciplinary research, scholarship and innovation. Chemical engineering students work closely with faculty members to help with research, develop ideas and acquire internships.

Learn more about our faculty and their research expertise.

Co-ops and Internships

As a chemical engineering major, you'll have opportunities for internships and co-ops in the chemical, pharmaceutical, oil and gas and microelectronics industries, among others. Twice a year, nearly 200 employers come to campus to recruit undergraduate Clarkson students for internships and co-ops, including many looking for chemical engineers. Students make connections; apply for internships, co-ops and full-time positions; attend informational sessions hosted by companies and interview for positions during these Career Fairs.

Our chemical engineering students have had internships and co-ops at companies including:

American Refining Group, Inc.
Estee Lauder
GlobalFoundries
Mars Wrigley
L'Oreal
Pall Corporation
Procter & Gamble
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Schenectady International

Learn more about co-ops and internships.

Competitive Engineering Project Teams

Chemical engineering undergraduates get hands-on experience through our SPEED (Student Projects for Engineering Experience and Design) teams. Students represent the Department with our Chem-E Car team, competing in the annual American Institute of Chemical Engineers competition with their design of a shoebox-sized car powered by chemical reactions. Any major can join any of our 13 SPEED teams, with chemical engineers joining teams like Human-Powered Vehicle, FIRST Robotics, Baja SAE, Concrete Canoe and Formula SAE.

Student Clubs

Chemical engineering students can get involved in more than 200 clubs and organizations on campus, including several related to engineering. These include:

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Engineers for International Sustainability (EIS)
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Omega Chi Epsilon (OXE) - National Chemical Engineering Society
Sigma Xi - The Scientific Research Society
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Tau Beta Pi - National Engineering Honor Society
The Electrochemical Society (ECS)

Learn more about student clubs and activities at Clarkson.

Alumni Connections in the Netherlands

Clarkson Honors Student Catherine Jankowski '25 spent her summer in the Netherlands. This summer, Jankowski traveled to the Netherlands for her internship at BASF Forward AM, a 3D printing filament manufacturing company headquartered in Germany.

Read Blog

Career Possibilities

A bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson gives your career a strong start, with our Chemical Engineering Class of 2023 having a 100 percent placement rate and an average starting salary of more than $75K.

Our chemical engineering bachelor's degree program will prepare you for opportunities in many different industries and applications, including:

Biochemical and biomaterials
Design
Design and development of control systems
Economic evaluation of new plants and processes
Electronics manufacturing
Energy conservation and energy resource development
Materials process engineering
Improvement of existing processes and products
Petrochemicals
Pharmaceuticals
Process safety
Research and development of new processes and products
Sustainability and pollution control

Being in the STEM field means that I can follow my dreams and use my knowledge to help make the world a better place.
Bella Triolet '24 BS in Chemical Engineering