Chemical engineers play important roles in all activities bearing on the chemical process industry. These include the functions of research, development, design, plant construction, plant operation and management, corporate planning, technical sales, and market analysis.

The chemical engineering department is the only engineering department located on Lehigh's 780-acre Mountaintop Campus.

Chemical Engineering is one of the oldest programs at Lehigh University. It first appeared at Lehigh University in the late nineteenth century, when the Department of Chemistry began to offer a degree in Industrial Chemistry (1895 - 1907). In 1907, Lehigh granted its first Bachelor's degrees in Chemical Engineering.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requires that engineering programs demonstrate that their graduates possess an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility