Chemical Engineering Degree

Program Offerings

• Bachelor of science in Chemical Engineering
• Master of science degree in Chemical Engineering
• Accelerated master’s in Chemical Engineering (earn your bachelor’s and master’s in as little as five years)
• Doctor of philosophy degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering

*The BS in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

What is Chemical Engineering?

Chemical engineering deals with the design and development of procedures to create products – products like food and fuel. It is essentially the application of chemistry, biology, physics, and math to solve problems.

What does a chemical engineer do?

Chemical engineers take raw materials and create every day, usable products. They do this by applying the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, and math to solve the problems that occur during the production of chemicals, fuel, drugs, food, and a myriad of other products.

With a degree in chemical engineering from South Dakota Mines, you can work in jobs that increase crop yields to combat world hunger, create new materials, reduce pollution, and meet energy demands. Chemical engineers (and biological engineers) are instrumental in creating pharmaceuticals and lifesaving devices such as the artificial kidney. But they also produce such products as cosmetics, biofuels, and sandwich bags.

Some duties a chemical engineer might do include:
• Conduct research
• Manufacture pharmaceuticals
• Create renewable fuels and energy sources
• Establish safety procedures for those working with chemicals
• Design and plan out equipment
• Work in the production of energy, electronics, food, clothing, and paper.
• Conduct research in the life sciences, biotechnology, and business services.

First-Year Courses

Chemical process modeling/lab
General chemistry
Calculus I
Composition
Programming for CBE
Physics

Course Curriculum

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Internships and Co-ops

As a South Dakota Mines chemical engineering major, you will have the opportunity to participate in internships and co-ops with such companies as:

• Cargill
• POET
• Lyondell Basell
• Applied Control Equipment
• Baker Hughes
• Dow Chemical
• 3M
• Freeport McMoRan
• Kimberly-Clark
• Baker Hughes
• Mosaic Company
• Cabot Microelectronics Corporation

77% of students at Mines land internships or co-ops, earning an average hourly salary of $20.00.

Career Outlook

Chemical engineers are in high demand, especially chemical engineering graduates from South Dakota Mines. The average starting salary for a Mines chemical engineering graduate is $69,464. The job placement rate for 2019-20 South Dakota Mines chemical engineering graduates was 98%.

Chemical Engineering Research

As a chemical engineering major at South Dakota Mines, you don’t have to wait to participate in research. You will have the opportunity to learn from and do research with professors and researchers in the following areas even as an undergrad:

• Bio- and Renewable Energy and Fuels
• Biomaterials
• Biomedical Engineering
• Bioprocessing and BioChemical Engineering
• Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
• Computer Simulation and Modeling
• Environmental and Remediation
• Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Polymers
• Separations
• Thermodynamics