Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu) in Pittsburgh has one of the oldest chemical engineering programs in the United States. Its Department of Chemical Engineering is open to undergraduates and post-graduates, and includes postdoctoral research fellows. A five-year bachelor of science/masters in chemical engineering (MChE) program is available to undergraduates. Science, engineering, technology and industrial enterprises are studied. As globalization becomes more prominent, the school recommends that students consider studying at related schools in Germany and England during their undergraduate course of study.
Lehigh University (lehigh.edu), located in Bethlehem and close to New York City, is a small, private, research-oriented institution. The P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science houses the chemical engineering department. Science and mathematics are coupled with humanities, social sciences and managerial techniques to produce a well-rounded, educated chemical engineer. The university offers a co-op work program that coincides with the final two years of undergraduate study, as well as a study-abroad program in either the UK or Germany. Most students do not declare their engineering major until the spring semester of their freshman year. However, if you are positive that chemical engineering is your degree goal, you can state that as a first-year consideration.
Bucknell University (bucknell.edu) opened its doors in 1846 and by 1898 had a building dedicated as the Physical and Chemical Laboratory. Located in Lewisburg, in the center of the state and adjacent to the Susquehanna Trail, Bucknell's College of Engineering offers a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. Largely an undergraduate college for engineering, students enter the four-year program and declare their specific major in the second semester of their freshman year. A five-year degree is offered as a bachelor's in chemical engineering and jointly in liberal arts. To attain a degree in chemical engineering, students must also study humanities and social sciences and pass three writing courses. Undergraduates who excel in chemical engineering and achieve a minimum of 3.0 average are eligible to apply for the five-year bachelor/master's degree program. Students selected for the program receive a full scholarship for their fifth year.
Pennsylvania State University's campus (psu.edu) is in the central Pennsylvania town of University Park. The Department of Chemical Engineering is noted for producing excellent chemical engineers and its affiliation with large chemical companies like Dow Chemical, that donated $2 million to their department, attests to that fact. The fundamentals of chemical engineering are offered in the bachelor of science curriculum, with an emphasis on building a strong foundation in the principals and practices of chemical engineering. Advanced degrees are encouraged.
Drexel University's Philadelphia campus (drexel.edu) houses its Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Their bachelor of science in chemical engineering degree requires five years of study, with three six-month periods dedicated to working in one of the many chemical and pharmaceutical companies located in or near Philadelphia. In addition, a five-year bachelor/master's program is available. Drexel's 74-acre campus is located in the heart of Philadelphia.
The University of Pittsburgh (pitt.edu) offers a chemical engineering degree through its Swanson School of Engineering. First year students study a general curriculum and advance to the engineering studies for their final six terms. A cooperative program between industry and undergraduates allows students the opportunity to work in the industry while attending college. Three to four rotations of four months each are devoted to the co-op experience, with most students graduating and immediately securing a position in the industry.