The Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering offers Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in both chemical and petroleum engineering. Master of Science (M.S.) and doctoral degrees also are available to students who want to continue their studies at the graduate level. For more information on our Petroleum curriculum, please visit our Petroleum Engineering site.
As both educators and advisors to students, we're frequently asked about our industry and just why
anyone should be interested in the Chemical Engineering field. Many of these questions are similar and we've tried to
answer them below. If we haven't addressed your question, please email us and let us know. We're always happy to help students and prospective students!
Chemical Engineering is an broad field that brings together math, chemistry, biology and engineering to build the world around us, from the fuel in your car to the materials in your clothes. Many of the products of chemical engineering can be seen just by looking around the room you're in. Large-scale production of pharmaceuticals, development of new semiconductor technologies and alternative energy sources are just a few of the areas in which chemical engineers are making a difference. Chemical engineers are also at the forefront of efforts to move to a more environmentally sustainable economy. Chemical engineering is also an excellent major for those students wishing to pursue formal studies in medicine, pharmaceuticals engineering or even law. Here at KU, we offer first-hand experience in all aspects of chemical engineering. Students may choose a general option, or premedical, biomedical, petroleum, or environmental specializations.
The future of the industry is very bright, thanks to increased worldwide demand for energy resources, medicines, and biomedical products. Chemical engineers are highly sought after to work in these industries as well as in research and development. This trend is likely to continue for many years.
With an undergraduate degree, the starting salary currently averages $52,000 in addition to an initial bonus. The average raise after the first year is typically 4.8%, with an industry average salary after 15 years of $84,000.
Students graduating with MS degrees make about the same salaries starting out as those with BS degrees. Students holding an MS, however, have higher advancement potential. 90% of PhD graduates go on to industrial research and development, where they start at an average of $73,000. This initial salary typically grows to about $101,000 after 15 years of experience.
If you are interested in studying how we find and extract petroleum and natural gas, you should major in petroleum engineering. A focus of KU's petroleum engineering program is reservoir engineering - the science of improving the productivity of oil and gas reservoirs. Reservoir engineers are concerned with getting optimum production from oil and gas wells. For further information on the Petroleum Engineering program, please visit our Petroleum Engineering site
If you think a career in Chemical Engineering might be for you, please continue reading our prospective undergraduate and graduate web pages.
Undergraduate programs in chemical and petroleum engineering enable a graduate to pursue a professional engineering career. For those who want a deeper understanding of these areas of engineering, or who wish to work in research or development, graduate programs at the master's and doctoral levels are available. The department offers the M.S. degree in the fields of Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering. In addition, the Ph.D. degree in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering is available.
For more information about the M.S. and Ph.D. degree visit:
