Expert: Mike Fulcher - 12/3/2006

Question
Dear Mr. Fulcher:

I am about to attend college and choose a major, and I would like to know the differences between chemical engineering and material engineering. I've read descriptions of each, and they seem to be about the same. So I was kind of looking for a more precise answer.

And the differences between chemistry and chemical engineering (which one actually invents stuff)?

And which one is more close to nanotechnology?

Thank you,
Jack


Answer
In a nutshell, chemical engineering is a much broader educational experience than any other field.  Back in my day, we were required to take materials, mechanics, electrical, and industrial engineering classes along with our core courses.  This makes it a more difficult program, but one that will provide you with more career opportunities down the line.  If you're up to the challenge then I can guarentee it will be worth it in the long run.  You can always get more specialization through graduate school, and having a ChE degree can give you an advantage over materials and chemistry graduates.

As for chemistry, I would say it's much more limited education, and defintely doesn't have the prospects that engineering does.  If you just starting school, and you're not 100% certain what you want to do, I think ChE is the way to go.  You can always change your mind down the road if you want to.  Good luck.