The best chemical engineering colleges in the world can be found in countries such as the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia among others. Chemical engineering is the science behind the conversion of raw materials into crucial products, technologies, and other processes. It has several facets of biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, physics, and economics. Chemical engineering has rapidly expanded for catering to higher demand in fields such as clean water, renewable energy, sanitation, food manufacturing procedures, pharmaceuticals, artificial materials, and more.
The program structure will usually depend on the study level, i.e. undergraduate (bachelor’s courses over three to four years) or postgraduate (master’s courses over four to five years as an integrated specialization). Initial modules will be similar for both levels although the latter will gradually shift into further areas of specialization. These courses will cover seminars, lectures, group workshops, practical
laboratory work, tutorials, and more. Guest lectures are also a part of the curriculum.
These programs come with diverse academic modules along with assessment methodologies like reports, essays, examinations, group assignments, presentations, and independent research ventures as well. Some course aspects include cell biology, separation processes, thermodynamics, environment management, fluid mechanics, plant design, heat, momentum, and mass, along with process operations and systems.
There are varied specializations including polymers, plant design, nanotechnology, biopolymers, catalysis, product design, colloids, environmental engineering, bio-energy, reactor technology, fiber technology, and more. They can also venture into specific areas like food engineering, analytical chemistry, manufacturing and production, chemical process engineering, energy engineering, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and more.
Level of Education
You can pursue courses at the undergraduate level like BSc and BEng along with integrated BS/MSc programs. There are postgraduate level MSc and MEng programs available for aspirants as well.
Job prospects are exceedingly bright for graduates in the field. Chemical engineers are greatly in demand throughout several industries and there are several available job positions like quality assurance engineer, energy process engineer, plant manager, chemical manufacturer, biomedical engineer, wastewater engineer, and food process engineer. There are several leading companies hiring chemical engineering graduates in large numbers every year.
Average Salary/Remuneration
The average salary for chemical engineers is $108,540 (INR 81.41 lakh) per year with sectors like petroleum and coal product manufacturing, wholesale trade, medicine, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, and engineering services offering average salaries between $99,490-123,360 (INR 74.62 lakh to INR 92.52 lakh). Salary.com states that the average salary is $72,800-1,60,720 (INR 54.60 lakh to INR 1.21 crore) for chemical engineers in the US.
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