Innovation
The new Advanced Materials Innovation Complex (AMIC) is a 143,000-square-foot facility designed for education and research. This magnet facility includes cutting-edge research labs, innovative teaching labs, synergistic classrooms and shared collaborative spaces that serve as the new home for the materials science and engineering, chemistry, and chemical and biomolecular engineering majors.
This is where discovery will be catalyzed, and new knowledge will be created.
"The department is building upon its legacy of excellence through groundbreaking research, the education of a record number of students, exciting new STEM outreach activities, and collaborations with industry that bring Clemson’s ideas to the world."
DAVID A. BRUCE, PH.D. DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Explore Our Pathways
Experiences expose students to new perspectives, expand career possibilities, and reinforce how chemical engineering skills can be applied to environmental stewardship, innovation, and societal impact.
Academic ProgramsImpact Beyond the Lab
We prepare students to turn curiosity into impact. Our graduates go on to lead in industry, government, research labs and graduate programs, applying strong technical foundations, ethical practice and a mindset of lifelong learning to solve complex, real-world problems.
That culture of exploration opens doors to unexpected and meaningful research experiences. Chemical engineering students routinely collaborate across Clemson, including in Creative Inquiry projects that span environmental science, health, and the natural world. One recent example saw a chemical engineering undergraduate contribute analytical expertise to a project examining microplastics in American alligators, working alongside students and researchers outside the typical engineering sphere.
Research at Clemson bridges the gap between possibility and practice, delivering solutions far beyond the lab that benefit South Carolina while addressing global challenges.
Our Research Beyond the Classroom"Just seeing the microplastics in our water and how they affect us, I think this has given me a care for the environment and for our natural world around us. Chemical engineers, we usually go into plastics and oil and gas. It may have kind of shifted my perspective in that conservation is important, and we need to understand what we're doing and how we're affecting our environment. I think I'll take that into my own work experience."
Julia Creswell '27Chemical Engineering
Chemical in the News
Career Outlook
Creativity, persistence, and a quantitative mindset characterize those entering the chemical engineering field. Essentially, they turn natural elements into extraordinary things we use every day. Chemical Engineering is one of the fastest-growing career fields, with the U.S. News and World Report listing it in the Top 6 engineering paths with faster-than-average job growth rates.
Our small class sizes mean that students get hands-on experiences that prepare them for industry and research options. Eighty percent of our seniors entered the workforce after graduating, and 20% continued academic preparation in law, medicine and dental.
- Petroleum
- Energy
- Pharmaceuticals
- Electronics
- Biotechnology
- Medicine
- Commercial Chemical Manufacturing
- Environmental & Waste Management
Department Ranking
Chemical Engineering is ranked #8 by College Factual for the Southeast Region.
Professional Development
Clemson's Center for Career and Professional Development consistently rates high nationally for career services, internships, and co-op opportunities.
Career ServicesExpenditure
Research concentrations include biomaterials, renewable energy, regenerative medicine, green chemistry, personalized medicine, and bio-inspired design.
Academic Distinction | Formidable Research
Find Your Path
Student Discovery
Students in the Modulating Nanoparticle Shape to Enhance Blood-Brain Barrier Delivery Creative Inquiry project explored effective drug delivery strategies to the brain. The blood-brain barrier is the body's first line of defense against infections that are able to reach the brain; the overall hope is that this research will contribute to a better understanding of central nervous system diseases.
In 2020, working on this project led to a student's first-authored paper in the journal, Nanotechnology.
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Academics
Chemical Engineering occupies all of Earle Hall, enabling students and faculty to readily go from the classroom to the lab. Our program allows you to transition straight from your B.S. to M.S. or dive into research specialization at the Ph.D. level.
Sustainable Energy
Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In Dr. Ming Yang's group, current research projects involve mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and building a clean and sustainable energy future. The research was recently published in the journal Nature Communications, with funding support from the National Science Foundation and NASA EPSCoR. These research projects have become a fertile platform for graduate and undergraduate students to pursue their individual developments and serve our community. In the 2021-22 academic year, student researchers from Yang Lab received eleven awards from Clemson University and external organizations to elevate their research outcomes.
Faculty Excellence
Award-Winning Educators
Our small department size allows us to create dynamic relationships with students to engage and inspire. The department comprises 13 tenured/tenure-track faculty and lecturers who contribute significantly to the development of knowledge and educational innovations in Chemical Engineering. With the support of technical and administrative staff, more than 250 students grace our halls each year.
