<p>My s is (freshman this fall) is toying with the idea of being a chem major. He did fine in hs chem, though had to work at it. I'm quite ignorant about this field, and can only envision a chem grad either teaching or being a basic "lab rat", doing mundane testing. I'm assuming you'd really need a grad degree to open any real doors, but... dunno for sure. And, do you know how really tough the major itself is? I, personally, think he's more geared toward humanities, but what does a mom know?</p>
<p>People,
D will be a sophomore this fall and is also considering declaring chem. She worked hard and did well in AP chem. She tested out of Intro Chem as frosh but, at the recommendation of her high instructor, decided to retake due to intensive labs in college. 3-4 hour of lab per week...and, to our surprise, did well. Organic chem this fall will be the true test. She will also be taking biology...to keep her "options" open if she decides attend professional school.</p>
<p>One of my dear friends was a chem major and ended up working in the research lab for Smith-Klein. His wife graduated with the same degree but moved into the admin area of clinical lab trials. She eventually was recruited to be the CAO of a major lab. So, there are options.</p>
<p>This info is from the University of California - Riverside and can be found (with similar job info) at <a href="http://www.careers.ucr.edu/Students/CareerPlanning/MajorSheets/%5B/url%5D">http://www.careers.ucr.edu/Students/CareerPlanning/MajorSheets/</a></p>
<p>Chemists are working in the following careers (many of which do require further education):</p>
<p>Careers</p>
<p>Air Pollution Specialist<br>
Materials Science
Analytical Chemist<br>
Molecular Chemist
Art Preservationist<br>
Museum Curator
Biochemist<br>
National Products Chemist
Bio-Organic Chemist<br>
Nuclear Chemist
Chemical Engineer<br>
Organic Chemist
Chemical Librarian<br>
Paper Chemist
Chemical Market Researcher<br>
Patent Attorney
Chemical Oceanographer<br>
Photo Chemist
Chemical Physicist<br>
Physical Chemist
Chemist<br>
Physician
Clinical Chemist<br>
Polymer Chemist
Dentist<br>
Production Chemist
Education - Teacher/Instructor/Professor<br>
Process Chemist
Inorganic Chemist<br>
Quality Control Specialist
Forensics - Criminologist<br>
Radiation Chemist
Geochemist<br>
Solid State Chemist
Hormonal Chemist<br>
Structural Analysis
Immunochemist<br>
Industrial Chemist
Industrial Hygienist<br>
Surface Chemist
Information Science - Writer/Editor/Reporter<br>
Technical Salesperson
Toxicologist<br>
Theoretical Chemist</p>
<p>Nature of the Work</p>
<p>Several levels of teaching are open to chemists from the secondary schools to major universities. At the university level, chemists conduct research in addition to their teaching and administrative duties.</p>
<p>Pure research is also conducted in government and industrial laboratories. For example, nylon and other polymers and plastics resulted from fundamental studies of large molecules in industrial laboratories. A great deal of applied research is also carried out in nonacademic settings. Chemists apply their knowledge to problems of the environment, energy, medicine and agriculture.</p>
<p>About ten percent of all chemists work in production and inspection. In production, chemists prepare instructions (batch sheets) for plant workers that specify the kind and amount of ingredients to use and the exact mixing time for each stage in the process. They may also monitor automated processes to ensure proper product yields and quality. At each stage samples are tested for quality control.</p>
<p>Chemists who support technical sales spend much of their time in the laboratory working on chemical problems encountered by the sales force. They may go into the field as consultants on these problems.</p>
<p>Market specialists try to determine what and how much of a product a company should produce, look for trends, and try to anticipate new products. Many chemists eventually leave the lab to become managers, financial specialists in the chemical industry, patent lawyers, technical communications specialists, and chemical information systems experts.</p>
<p>Places of Employment</p>
<p>Schools, colleges, universities<br>
Criminalistics laboratories at the federal, state, and local levels
Chemical manufacturing firms and
corporations producing pharmaceuticals,<br>
food, cosmetics, fuels, plastics,<br>
agricultural chemicals, explosives,<br>
textiles, paper<br>
Hospitals and clinics
Fermentation industries
Publishing houses
Power production plants
U.S. Department of Defense<br>
Mining companies
U.S. Department of Agriculture<br>
National Institutes of Health
Nonprofit research organizations<br>
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Museums<br>
Administration
Banks catering to the chemical industry<br>
State and local departments of health
Independent research laboratories<br>
Aerospace industry
Automotive industry<br>
Petroleum industry</p>
<p>Training</p>
<p>Graduates with a bachelor's degree generally begin their careers in government or industry by analyzing or testing products, working in technical sales or service, or assisting senior chemists in research and development laboratories. Some in entry level positions are considered chemists; others are considered senior chemical technicians.</p>
<p>Many of the job titles above require completion of particular education programs beyond the bachelor's level.</p>
<p>Those with a master's degree can teach in a two-year college or go into applied research in government or private industry. The Ph.D. is generally required for basic research, for four-year college faculty positions, and for advancement to many administrative positions.</p>
<p>Pharmaceutical companies. GSK hires scientists with a BS. Of course, the higher the education, the higher the pay scale.</p>
<p>You can get a job and make a decent living in biotech or pharmaceutical R&D with a Chem degree. But if you want to stay in reseach you would be better off going for the Ph.D. It's not impossible, but it's very difficult to ever rise high enough to head up your own lab or research deaprtment with a BS. In R&D, most people with a BS never rise beyond being some PhD's assistant. Many who don't have a Ph.D. eventually transfer out of R&D at some point and go into Marketing, or Manufacturing, or QC, or something else, so that their careers can continue to grow.</p>
<p>I'm married to a PhD chemist who has run R&D depts in several companies large and small. </p>
<p>For research, the most important thing for BS chemists is the difficulty and challenge of the program. Like everything else in life, I guess ;) He's had BA chemists who will never be more than a technician--slid through the major with the minimum, especially the minimum of lab hours. Often these were people who "liked" chemistry and so wound up majoring in it, but really are more suited to non-lab work, and could really soar if they found their niche. There are many jobs (finance, journalism, manufacturing operations, government, and more) where a chemistry degree would be a big plus but research is not the focus.</p>
<p>He's also had BA chemists with great backgrounds who have grown in their jobs, often people who could have easily done graduate work but chose not to. There is a lot of potential in quality control, packaging, inventory and transportation management where these people can reach a very high level without graduate degrees. But they sure know their chemistry, thanks to a demanding program as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>I was a chem major as was my husband. Today we're both M.D.'s.</p>
<p>Great insight, everyone - Some options I hadn't thought of. Really sounds like an advanced degree is the way to go, if he decides this is "his thing". Very interesting to hear from a PhD's perspective where a BS/BA degree will leave you, or what it might prepare you for. I suppose the best plan at this point, just beginning his undergrad, is to take the two basic levels of chem/labs to see if that decides it for him. Two levels of lab science are required anyway, so... might as well give it a whirl! Yeah, I've heard horror stories about organic - Even my dentist said he struggled through it!</p>
<p>BA social science/History major, would have had an easier life in pharmacy school if I had majored in chemistry. My boss was a chem major, he worked as a chemist during pharmacy school-He did lots of lab work analysis for a large chemical complany. One of the new pharmacists was a chem major-worked as a chemist after graduation. He said it was too boring for him, so he went to pharmacy school. When I was a summer intern as Abbott labs it seemed to me that you needed a PhD to do more than be an assistant.</p>