Why Chemistry?
The work of chemists is challenging, exciting, fun, and rewarding. Having a chemistry degree in hand can open the doors of:
Academic Institutions
You might work as a teacher in high school, a professor in college, or researcher in a university,
Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies
You might work for:
- the Food and Drug Administration as a medicinal, analytical or biochemical chemist
- the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies as a forensic or analytical chemist
- the Department of Agriculture as an agricultural, biochemical, environmental, or analytical chemist
- the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a physical, environmental, inorganic or organic chemist
- a Patent Office as a patent researcher or lawyer
- the National Science Foundation as a science writer and editor
- the Department of Energy as an industrial and engineering, materials, or environmental chemist
- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a geochemist
Chemical Industries
Chemists produce everything from plastics and paints to pharmaceuticals, foods, flavors, fragrances, detergents, and cosmetics.
Health-Related Fields
Chemistry graduates are well-prepared for medical, veterinarian, dentistry, nursing, podiatry, optometry, or pharmacy school.
Business
Some chemists also work as business owners, technical librarians, consultants, art conservators, or even investment bankers.
Chemistry and Your Career: Questions and Answers published by the American Chemical Society (permission authorized August 11, 2008)
