Career Development

Undergraduate students in active learning initiative ALI stand in lab coats with equipment.

We Support You Throughout Your Career Search Process.

Cornell offers a variety of personalized career support and advising for each student. 

Career Resources for Current Students

Take advantage of the larger network at your fingertips. One of our longstanding and most successful programs, the industrial practitioner program, brings lecturers and professors of practice to the R.F. Smith School. These seasoned professionals not only teach courses, but also work with students to help them plan for both careers in chemical engineering or postgraduate study. As an undergraduate, you’ll also have access to:

  • Career guidance from faculty, career advisory staff, industrial practitioners and academic advisors
  • Staff to help with resume creation and critiques
  • Mock interviews
  • Career fairs to connect you to recruiters

University and College Career Resources

Career Path Options

Following are recent examples of roles, employers and graduate programs achieved by our graduates.

  • Common Job Functions

    • Consulting/engineering
    • Pharmaceuticals
    • Petroleum
    • Finance
    • Consumer products
    • Electronics and semiconductors
    • Food products
    • Chemicals

  • Employers

    • ExxonMobil
    • Intel
    • Merck
    • Procter & Gamble Co.
    • Automation & Control Specialists
    • Dow Chemical Company
    • E. & J. Gallo Winery
    • PowerAdvocate

  • Graduate Programs

    • Cornell University
    • University of Delaware
    • Stanford University
    • Caltech
    • University of Illinois
    • The Pennsylvania State University
    • University of California, Berkeley

Preparing for Graduate School

If you aspire to work in a research or academic role, you’ll want to continue your education by completing an M.S. and/or Ph.D. program. Additionally, an M.Eng. in chemical engineering can further prepare you for technical experience in the workforce. A number of our undergraduates continue on for a Cornell Engineering Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), which offers the option of early admission or early decision for Cornell undergraduates.

Talk with your advisor or contact the undergraduate coordinator to discover which path is right for you.

  • Common Graduate Programs Pursued by Our Graduates

    • Ph.D. in chemical engineering
    • Ph.D. in chemistry
    • M.Eng. in materials science and engineering
    • M.Eng. in biomedical engineering
    • M.Eng. in engineering management
    • Law or medical programs