Is studying chemical engineering software in the US a good idea?

I'm interested in chemical engineering and have heard a lot about a software called Aspen. Does anyone know how essential it is in US programs, and are there good colleges to learn about it?

The adoption of software such as Aspen is quite widespread in the chemical engineering curriculums across the country. Aspen Plus, part of the AspenTech software suite, is utilized commonly in many prestigious programs for the design, modeling, and optimization of various chemical processes. By using this software, students can perform simulations, design equipment, assess economic feasibility, and more.

Many universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California - Berkeley (Cal), Stanford University offer comprehensive chemical engineering programs where this software is taught and used in a hands-on manner. All these universities stress the importance of using these computational tools in real-world settings, hence they incorporate them into their curriculum.

To illustrate, a school's chemical reactor design course might require students to design a reactor using Aspen Plus, then run a simulation to determine whether their theoretical reactor design would work under realistic conditions.

Just bear in mind that while studying software like Aspen is useful, a potent chemical engineering program also emphasizes fundamentals of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and transport phenomena. These form the theoretical basis from which software like Aspen draw. This holistic understanding can make you a more versatile and employable engineer.

It's also a good idea to check in with the specific programs you're interested in, as each can have a slight variance in curriculum. You can usually find this information on the college's website. Proactive inquiries and communications with admission officers and faculty members could also get you more detailed answers.