<p>I am very interested in chemistry, although I am also interested in other sciences and maths. Based on this, and job prospects, I figure I'll be best with an undergrad or masters in Chemical Engineering. I was wondering, however, whether there would be any value to me pursuing a Chemistry PhD on top of this. Would I learn much/gain much more? I'm told Chemistry would approach from a different perspective than ChemE. Also, would this help at all with future employment?</p>
<p>Number one, you do not get a PhD in order to branch out or increase your breadth i.e. adding a chemistry degree to your chemical engineering degree. You get a PhD to specialize and do research. Getting a PhD in anything will drastically change the job market for you, opening up a host of new opportunities while closing a whole lot more.</p>
<p>The short answer to your query is that yes, there is lots to learn by doing this, but you won’t be gaining anything of the sort you seem to be looking for here.</p>
<p>So if I get a PhD, are my options basically limited to staying in academia?</p>
<p>No, your options are limited to research. That means academia, national/government labs, or industry. It just won’t be the same sorts of jobs in industry that someone with a BS would be getting.</p>
<p>You need to think about these decisions in terms of your end goal.</p>