About the Chemical Engineering Major
UW’s chemical engineering major draws upon fundamentals of chemistry, physics, biology
and math to analyze and design processes.
Throughout your time at the University of Wyoming, you’ll learn these fundamentals
and more. Our students complete internships, take unique courses and go on to work
in many exciting fields within chemical engineering — including energy, microelectronics
and biotechnology, among others.
Additionally, our chemical engineering major is accredited by ABET and provides a path to P.E. licensure.
By 2031, the employment of chemical engineers is expected to increase by 8%, and the employment of biomedical engineers is expected to increase by 5%. Both of which are higher than the average growth rate for occupations.*
*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What Can You Do With a Chemical Engineering Degree?
A chemical engineering degree opens the door to a wide range of careers in industries that transform raw materials into useful products. Graduates often work in energy, pharmaceuticals, food production, materials manufacturing, environmental engineering and biotechnology. Common job roles include process engineer, production engineer, research scientist, environmental engineer, quality control specialist and product development engineer. Chemical engineers are valued for their problem-solving skills, expertise in chemistry and physics and ability to design safe, efficient and sustainable processes—making them essential in sectors focused on innovation, safety and large-scale production.
UW chemical engineers work in a variety of fields including the energy, medicine, food, microelectronics, biotechnology, environmental and manufacturing industries.
Here are some of the selected employers that chemical engineering graduates have gone to:
- Abcam
- Abveris
- Idaho National Laboratory
- Automated Engineering Services
- KBI Biopharma
- Accenture
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Association of Public Health Laboratories
- RTI
- Deloitte
- Chevron
- Corning
- Sasol Chemicals
- Infosys Consulting
- J-U-B Engineers
- ExxonMobil
- HF Sinclair
- US Navy
- Wells Fargo
- Axle Informatics
- Regeneron
- Micron
- Trihydro
- Boeing
- 8 Rivers Capital
- Membrane Technology Research
- Franklin Electric
- Pacific Northwest National Lab
- Vista
- Genesis Alkali
- Sequitur Health Corp.
- Storedot
- Western Research Institute
- Sigma-Aldrich
- Patterson/UTI Drilling
- Samuels Consulting
- Solvay Chemicals
- Merrick and Company
- Encompass Energy Consulting
- CellDrop
- Yachay University
- Chengdu University of Technology
- University of Wyoming
- China University of Petroleum
- Intel
- Panasonic Energy of North America
- Tesla Corporation
- 3M
- Genesis Alkali
Many chemical engineering students go on to receive additional education and/or teach. Here are just a few of the places recent graduates were accepted:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Virginia Tech
- The University of Utah
- Colorado School of Mines
- Johns Hopkins
- UT Health San Antonio
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Cornell
- University of Arizona
- Harvard
- Stony Brook University
- UMass Lowell
- Columbia, Auburn
- Purdue
- UC Santa Barbara
- University of Delaware
- University of Washington Medical School
- Michigan State University
- University of Edinburgh
As a chemical engineering major, you study how to design, analyze and optimize processes that turn raw materials into valuable products. The curriculum blends chemistry, physics, math and engineering to help you understand how substances behave and how to control chemical reactions on an industrial scale. Key topics include thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, process design and materials science. You’ll also learn about safety, sustainability and systems control, often through hands-on labs and real-world projects. This foundation prepares you to solve complex problems in industries like energy, pharmaceuticals, food and manufacturing.
Student Spotlight: Meet Shannon Bendtsen
UW student Shannon Bendtsen turned her passion for the environment into action by
earning a degree in chemical engineering and launching her career as an environmental
engineer right here in Wyoming. As a first-generation college student and McNair Scholar,
Shannon made the most of her time at UW, partnering with the City of Laramie and UW’s
Tod Scott to enhance recycling efforts on campus and in the community.
Her advice? If you love the outdoors, protecting it should be part of your purpose.
Shannon’s drive to make a difference in our state and beyond shows what it means to
be a true Cowboy.
"I chose the UW College of Engineering and Applied Science for my education because I was interested in starting a career with many growth opportunities in a technical field focused on developing practical processes and products to help others. Compared to other programs, the UW CEAS offered a high-quality, personalized, and affordable educational experience in a beautiful area (my home state)."
- Tim Gunderson, '18
