Traditional employment areas in the chemical process industries include industrial chemicals, petroleum and petrochemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, metals, textiles, and food. Chemical engineers are also working in increasing numbers in the areas of energy engineering, pollution abatement, and biochemical and biomedical engineering; in addition, they are employed by many government laboratories and agencies as well as private industries and institutions.

The chemical engineering curriculum trains students to enter the diverse areas of employment or graduate study. The considerable number of electives in the curriculum provides flexibility for individuals to design programs that fulfill their needs and interests. 

Graduates from the program have the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve chemical engineering problems as well as to design and conduct experiments safely and analyze and interpret data. They are prepared to pursue advanced studies in chemical engineering. Program graduates gain a sense of professional and ethical responsibility with the ability to apply environmental, safety, economic, and ethical criteria in the design of engineering processes. They learn to function in individual and group working environments, and learn skills in written and oral communication and the effective use of computers for engineering practice, including information search in the library and on the Internet. They also understand the need for lifelong learning and the significance of societal and global issues relevant to chemical engineering.