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Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology


Chemical engineering is interesting, useful and rewarding

Student experiment

Students in the teaching lab

Chemical engineers acquire a wide variety of skills

Chemical engineers have technical knowledge of chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, materials science and information technology. However, they also know about economics, management, safety and the environment. The tools used include sophisticated scientific experiments, the latest developments in computing, and large-scale pilot plants.

Chemical engineers are highly employable

Chemical engineers are employed across a wide range of businesses by both large and small companies. Chemical engineering remains one of the best-paying professions in the UK with salaries rising by 30% over the last decade. Surveys show that chemical engineers earn more, on average, than other types of engineer and more than pure scientists.

UK chemical engineering salaries 2014 (data from IChemE)

Chemical engineering offers many exciting career choices

Chemical engineers have many career opportunities. A graduate might perform groundbreaking scientific research, work as a field engineer, or occupy a senior management position. Graduates employed by multinational companies often travel all over the world.

Chemical engineering is not a restrictive choice

Even those graduates who choose not to accept jobs in industry are highly employable in other areas because they are experienced at solving problems and have good analytical and management skills. Chemical engineering graduates can go on to successful careers in finance, consultancy or scientific journalism, to name but a few.

Pie chart showing careers
Cambridge chemical engineering graduate employment

Chemical engineers can change the world

Chemical engineers work to improve the quality of people's lives. Most items used by people everyday have needed chemical engineers to produce them. Chemical engineers are helping to end starvation, disease and poverty. They are working to save the environment by developing alternative technologies to combat acid rain, lead pollution and the greenhouse effect.

Chemical engineering offers plenty of excitement and new challenges

External link: gives more information on "why study chemical engineering".