[nextpauling]

I've noticed that the ChemE curriculum at my school does not include a significant amount of chemistry courses.  Do most ChemE's use alot of chemistry on a day to day basis.  What industries typically involve the use of alot of chemical principles and intuition (particularly organic synthesis).  I am planning to be an engineer but I would be really disappointed if that didn't involve my using chemistry on a frequent basis...

[tripton]

That´s a common question in new students.
The answer depends of the personal experience then here is my opinion.
Chemical engineering uses the chemical, the physics and mathematics as basic sciences to solve practical problems of the procesess industries. You must learn about chemistry in the first years of your career but the final goal is how to apply that knowledge to design, operate and improve industries. Then you must learn about how a chemical reaction occurs into a big industrial equipment. Generally, the chemical reaction itself is just one parameter but you must consider other parameters too. Generally you must apply your chemical knowledge to decide between diferent choices, then the chemical criteria is important.
How much each eng. uses the chemistry depends of each one´s job.
If you are interested in organic chemistry, you can focus in the synthesis and reaction mechanisms, and developing new mechanisms or focuss in the improving of the operating conditions (pressure, temperature, reaction time, cost analysis, reactor design, to know if you will heat with steam or with electrical system, and so on). The first option is directed to a chemist and the second to a chem.eng. Of course, each one needs the collaboration of the other one to get good results.
Nowdays, those fields are very close and sometimes overlaped. Some chem.eng´s work as chemists and some chemist as chem.engs. Some chem.eng´s work together with chemist to develop new products or reaction mechanisms and test them in laboratory scaled reactors. A chem.eng. must decide how design and operate that reactor.
As personal experience, lot of my university colleges, starts chem.eng. thinking that is only chemistry but all of them were loving the engineering when they saw the differences. Nowdays, they are very happy with the engineering.
Anyway that´s up to you. I suggest you to speak with engineers and also with chemist to compare.

[DrCMS]

My view is that a chemical engineer learns enough chemistry to be a bad chemist and enough engineering to design an expensive waste of space.
All the while being paid too much money.