Bachelor of Science in Molecular Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago gives students plenty of opportunities to turn engineering concepts into practical experience. Through laboratory classes, design projects, research, and internships, students can work with real engineering problems, analyse experimental results, develop solutions, and gain experience using advanced research facilities. Students can also work with faculty researchers and take advantage of connections with Argonne National Laboratory and other research environments:

• Engineering Design Projects: In MENG 21800 Engineering Design I and MENG 21900 Engineering Design II, students work in small teams on open-ended engineering challenges connected with industry and national laboratories. Projects can involve areas such as self-cleaning textiles, machine-learning analysis of X-ray images, and plastic-recycling technologies.

• Engineering Research: MENG 21810 Engineering Research: Strategies and Tactics I and MENG 21910 Engineering Research: Strategies and Tactics II allow students to develop research skills through project planning, experimental design, data analysis, teamwork, project management, and scientific communication.

• Experimental Bioengineering Laboratory: MENG 23000 provides hands-on experience with bioengineering and biomaterials. Students work with techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, mechanical testing, particle-size analysis, and protein-activity assays while designing experiments and interpreting their results.

• Nanofabrication Experience: MENG 26630 Introduction to Nanofabrication introduces students to practical nanoscale manufacturing techniques, including lithography, physical and chemical vapor deposition, reactive plasma etching, wet chemical processing, and materials characterization.

• Undergraduate Research: Through MENG 29700 Undergraduate Research for Molecular Engineering, students can participate in a research project with a Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering faculty member. Students develop research plans, carry out experiments or calculations, and present their work in research group meetings.

• Faculty Research Laboratories: Students are encouraged to gain research experience with faculty in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, across the University of Chicago, and at Argonne National Laboratory.

• Internship Opportunities: Students receive career-development support for finding internships and gaining professional experience. Connections with companies and national laboratories can also provide opportunities for internships and collaborative research.

• Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility: Students involved in relevant research can benefit from access to an ISO Class 5 cleanroom supporting advanced nanoscale fabrication and lithographic processing.

• Soft Matter Characterization Facility: This facility provides specialised equipment and technical support for studying the structure, properties, and behaviour of soft materials.

• Single Cell Immunophenotyping Core: Relevant research projects can make use of advanced capabilities in areas such as single-cell sequencing, spatial omics, immune-cell phenotyping, and genotyping.

• Argonne National Laboratory: The University’s connection with Argonne provides access to major research environments, including the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, and Center for Nanoscale Materials.

• Computational Experience: Students develop numerical and computational skills through the Molecular Engineering curriculum, with opportunities to apply computational approaches and machine-learning methods to molecular engineering problems.

• Research Institutes and Centres: Students can benefit from the wider research environment of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, including research activities in materials and sustainability, immunoengineering and bioengineering, and quantum engineering.

• Libraries and Research Resources: Students have access to University of Chicago library resources alongside specialised laboratories, research facilities, and shared research infrastructure supporting molecular engineering study.

The Bachelor of Science in Molecular Engineering prepares students for a variety of careers across engineering, technology, research, innovation, and related industries. Its combination of scientific knowledge, engineering design, quantitative analysis, and problem-solving skills also provides a strong foundation for students who want to pursue advanced study or build careers in technical and professional fields.

Typical career roles include: Practicing Engineer, Scientist, Technology Developer, Technical Consultant

Students can build their career prospects through:

• Career support: University of Chicago Career Advancement provides Molecular Engineering students with personalised career advising, networking opportunities, hands-on engineering projects, design experiences, and internship support.

• Engineering Fellows Program: Eligible Molecular Engineering students can take part in the Engineering Fellows program, which provides mentoring, networking with employers, career activities, and opportunities to learn from faculty and industry professionals.

• Paid internships: University of Chicago offers more than 5,000 paid, substantive internships each year. The Jeff Metcalf Internship Program provides opportunities across different industries, while Metcalf Sprints allow undergraduate teams to work on projects for employer partners.

• Industry and research connections: Students can work on engineering design challenges supported by industry and national-laboratory mentors, giving them experience with real-world technological problems.

• Employer and graduate destinations: Molecular Engineering graduates have progressed to organisations including Tesla Motors, Northrop Grumman, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Harvard University, Princeton University, and Northwestern University.

• Research opportunities: Students can gain research experience with faculty in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, across the University of Chicago, or at Argonne National Laboratory. This can provide valuable preparation for research careers and advanced academic study.

• Entrepreneurship and wider career pathways: The program's interdisciplinary training can also support opportunities in technology development, consulting, finance, public policy, entrepreneurship, and other fields that value strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Employment outcomes: University of Chicago reports that 98% of the Class of 2026 are expected to receive post-college offers by graduation. This is a university-wide undergraduate figure and is not specific to Molecular Engineering.

• Salary information: The official University of Chicago sources reviewed do not provide a specific salary figure for Molecular Engineering graduates.

• Long-term professional value: The program provides an interdisciplinary engineering foundation that can support long-term progression into engineering practice, technology development, research, and further professional education. Graduates can also use their background to pursue advanced study in engineering, science, medicine, business, or law.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the degree, students can continue into postgraduate study in areas such as engineering, bioengineering, chemical engineering, materials science, physics, applied physics, science, medicine, business, or law. Students can also pursue more specialised graduate-level study in areas related to molecular engineering, including computational molecular engineering, immunoengineering, systems bioengineering, sustainable energy and water resources, and quantum information science.