Our nation’s capital is home to one school with a chemical engineering program: Howard University. This competitive school has Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral degree programs in chemical engineering. The average cost of tuition in Washington DC is $19,150 per year.
Early in your education planning, it’s important to decide what kind of degree you want to earn. While you may opt to complete an Associate’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree is required for almost every chemical engineering job in Washington DC. You can earn a Bachelor’s degree in four years. You’ll get to take courses like Material & Energy Balance, Cell & Tissue Engineering, and Introduction to Polymers. You can plan on spending approximately 10 hours in the lab every week.
You can choose to earn a Master’s degree or Ph.D. after completing a Bachelor’s degree since both post-graduate degrees build on your undergraduate knowledge and skills. You may spend two years in school to earn a Master’s degree. A PhD can take between three and eight years. Courses required at this level include Air Pollution Engineering Control, Chemical Engineering Kinetics, and Mass Transfer.
Since Howard University is a private university, tuition is the same for residents and non-residents. You can plan on spending $19,150 per year on tuition.
It’s important to remember that tuition alone does not give a full picture of your financial obligation. In many cases, a school that has high tuition rates also has plenty of financial aid opportunities. At Howard University, you can apply for many different engineering scholarships. Available scholarships include the NAMEPA Scholarship, the GEM Scholarship, the INROADS Scholarship, and the NACME Scholarship.
Once you have completed your chemical engineering degree, you can pursue licensure as a Professional Engineer. You can get your license from the District of Columbia Board of Professional Engineering. You’ll receive your license after passing the Principles & Practice of Engineering exam.
As a new Professional Engineer, you may benefit from membership in the District of Columbia Society of Professional Engineers. As a member, you can attend continuing education courses, find new job listings, and go to networking events.
Salaries in Washington DC vary depending on experience and seniority. The average salary for a Washington DC chemical engineer is $110,200, according to O*Net.