Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering Links
- Program Description
- Career Outlook
- Notable Facts
- Admission Requirements
- Scholarships
- Contact Information
Program Description
Celebrating 100 years as an academic discipline, the University of Utah’s Department of Chemical Engineering has an amazing legacy. We are dedicated to excellence in education, research, and leadership development. Our students graduate and reach for leadership roles in industry, business, law, medicine, education and research. Our students are characterized by their success as founders of companies, innovators of technology, and their academic accomplishments. Our small department provides our students the opportunity for one-on-one attention and experiential learning with peers and distinguished faculty. With 15 faculty members, the department has approximately 135 students and awards approximately 30 undergraduates and 10 graduate degrees annually.
The current national focus on energy has placed new urgency on the need for a well-qualified, diverse pool of chemical engineers whose education includes training in sustainability, simulation and modeling, alternative fuels, oil and gas exploration, and energy production. The workforce in these areas is likely to be replaced in the next 10-15 years. The department works with students to find the best career opportunities for them, starting as sophomores. 80% of our undergraduate students receive hands on experience prior to graduation via coops, internships, and research. The career outlook for well-prepared graduates is bright: chemical engineers enjoy the highest average starting salaries of all engineering majors.
In 2007, our students took the regional first place award in the AIChE Chem E Car competition and regional first place in the poster competition. They have also received the recognition of Outstanding Chapter.
Distiniguished Alumni
Peter D. Meldrum: President, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Myriad Genetics, Inc. whose employees are developing new therapeutic and predictive medical products that save lives and improve the quality of life for patients around the world.
Marvin M. Johnson: Emeritus Research Fellow at Phillips Petroleum (now ConocoPhillips), spent over 45 years making invaluable contributions to the field of energy resources and pollution management, which resulted in 220 patents. He received the National Medal of Technology
All students are admitted to Chemical Engineering with pre-chemical engineering status. The program requirements are summarized in our Undergraduate Handbook that is available on the web (http://www.che.utah.edu/~geoff/FROSHGUIDE00c.pdf) and in hardcopy. After completion of first year courses, students apply for Intermediate Status via online application. Intermediate Status is required before students can apply for Major Status. Major Status is required before students take their third and fourth year engineering classes.
The Department has a number of scholarships that are available to undergraduate students (http://www.che.utah.edu/undergraduate/scholarships.html). Application forms are available on the website. The department offers many scholarships for incoming and continuing students that are available from funds raised from industry or our alumni.
If you would like more information on program requirements or need to speak to someone regarding career questions, please contact:
Jenny Jones
Academic Advisor
Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
(801)-585-7175
jones.jenny@eng.utah.edu
Geoff Silcox
Associate Chair & Advisor
Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
(801)-581-8820
geoff.silcox@utah.edu