<p>I don't know what to consider. I don't want to go to graduate school right away. Some day in the future I do want to get my Master's or PhD or something. I love the prospect of maybe working in a laboratory some day/in the field, doing research. Not necessarily independent but I want to work in a lab or something of the sort. Help figure stuff out...</p>
<p>I've been considering biochemistry, but after seeing really mixed opinions on it I'm not sure if that would be a viable option, because of the inconsistencies I've been seeing. Environmental Science is another thing I've been considering. Meteorology, geology/geophysics?</p>
<p>One of the schools I'm considering offers chemistry with specializations in several different fields. Do I necessarily need to go to grad school to make the most of such a bachelor's in chemistry? (inorganic, nuclear, bio, organic, several of the specialties).</p>
<p>I do want to go get my Master's at some point, but not right away... But what majors can I expect the best prospects for what I'm looking for in?</p>
<p>One more thing, are there many research oppurtunities in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, etc. And where would people with this type of major typically work? Thanks.</p>
<p>Why do you want to work in a lab or in the field? Do you mean “in the field” as in outdoors? If you want to be more than a simple lab technician, then you will likely need to go to graduate school and obtain AT LEAST a masters, if not a PhD. And yes, you probably will find yourself in graduate school after a BS in chemistry.</p>
<p>What do you like about engineering? Are you taking calculus? If so, do you like it and/or physics?</p>
<p>That was the simple answer to my question. By in the field, I meant in a job where I would actually practice my major (chemistry, biochem, etc.) But if I really have to get a PhD, perhaps I can do something in engineering.</p>
<p>The reason I like Chemical Engineering in particular is because it combines all 3 of the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics), and I am a science nerd. Math isn’t all that fun for me, but I’m good at it. The reason I’d like to work in a lab is because I like the idea of doing groundbreaking research or mixing stuff in vials. I’m not too settled on the idea of engineering, but its the closest I can get to. Reading the descriptions of what they do seems enjoyable enough to me.</p>
<p>If I were to get a master’s in a traditional science (biochemistry, chem, bio, etc.), which one would I most likely be able to find a job in if I were to get a Master’s? And is it utterly necessary to get the PhD to seek such a position?</p>
<p>One more thing; I’ve seen and heard good things about Environmental Science (not studies), is a bachelor’s in ES a viable route? Like, is the job market for that type of major in general open?</p>
<p>I really wish I could get a degree in something sciency and not have to go to grad school right away… seems like the only viable bachelor degrees are in engineering or business nowadays, at least to me.</p>
<p>I do love chemistry and biology and astronomy, people tell me to follow what I love but if I can’t even practice what I love, I don’t see the point in pursuing an unviable career path.</p>
<p>Generally, with a bachelor’s in biology or chemistry, you can be a lab tech, but to advance much further you will likely need a higher degree. Engineers can generally get jobs in industry with only a bachelor’s (at least from my experience).</p>
<p>If you’re interested in research, I strongly advise you get involved with a research project, work in a lab, or try out different fields/labs in college as early as possible. Research isn’t all “groundbreaking” or “mixing stuff in vials,” and it takes a certain type of personality and though process (that is often very different than school work). There are also a lot of different fields within biology or chemistry with different types of research, and you might like one particular field better than another. Spend some time figuring out if lab work or research is something you’re interested in before you worry too much about what you want to major in.</p>
<p>That being said, if the question is biology/chemistry/astronomy vs. chemical engineering (or something of the sort), it’s probably much more easier in college to switch from chemical engineering to biology/chemistry in terms of what classes you need to take. There might even be overlap in some of the beginning courses, so that you can spend a little bit figuring out what you would really be interested in.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. How would I fare with a Master’s in Chemistry/biochemistry, and what kind of scenario would I be in instead if I would get a Master’s in Chemical Engineering?</p>
<p>The reason I asked these questions is because I was similar to you starting my undergrad and wish someone would have forced me to think about these things. I really liked science (particularly physics) but thought engineering would be a better choice because I didn’t think I wanted to go to graduate school. I ended up choosing biological engineering because it was the most “sciencey” involving a lot of chem, bio, and physics. But after taking some engineering classes, I realized that I wasn’t REALLY learning how to do science and that bothered me… I got involved in biophysics research and realized that I did actually want to go to grad school so I switched my major to physics. I eventually lost interest in biophysics and found my place in geophysics studying seismology. It’s true that I may or may not end up in a job doing seismology but at least I’ll get to do real science for 6 years while I obtain a PhD. That alone will be worth it to me because I enjoy the research. And while I probably won’t have the opportunity to become a professor, I’m fairly confident that I’ll be doing some type of technical work with a PhD in geophysics, but I guess we’ll just have to see. I’ll never know if I don’t try!.. You’ll have to decide what your own priorities are.</p>
<p>I do want to go to grad school, that’s for sure, but probably not right after undergrad. So I’d want a major that can offer a decent career path until that point. If it comes to it, I may just go straight for the Masters or PhD, because I really want to do this.</p>
<p>There are so many interesting fields to me like astrophysics, biochemistry, biophysics, etc. That I really want to be a part of, but I can only do so if I seek a professional degree in such a field. Thanks for sharing your story, btw.</p>
<p>One final question: Would it be worth it to continue for the PhD or is the Master’s generally sufficient for such a thing?</p>
<p>But yes I agree: even if I don’t find the career in the long run, practicing the science itself would be great for the time I’m still in school.</p>
<p>I want to do something I love, but not sacrifice a decent lifestyle, if you know what I mean, since bachelor’s in liberal arts fields generally have crappy starting salaries.</p>
<p>Also - would it be a good idea to get a bachelor’s in an engineering field (Biomedical / Chemical) and then get a PhD in chemistry or molecular biology or something?</p>
<p>You might want to keep in mind that it may be extremely difficult to go back to graduate school, being a broke college student again (maybe not that bad), once you’ve found a cushy, well paying job.</p>
<p>If you are interested in many different fields and want to keep all of your options open (and don’t mind math or possibly even LIKE it), then I would suggest physics. After a degree in physics you can go to grad school in engineering, applied math, chemistry, biophysics, geophysics, CS, astrophysics and many other things. It will also give you many more electives to explore than would engineering.</p>
<p>Making a career out of doing research is hard enough for a PhD, depending strongly on the field. I’ve heard of people landing “research” jobs with only masters but they are typically have much less freedom and usually aren’t really calling the shots.</p>
<p>Salary is certainly a valid consderation, and most science PhDs make a respectable salary from what I’ve read. This also depends heavily on the field and how transferable it is to industry. Also industry vs. academia…</p>
<p>It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea to go engineering BS —> science PhD but it is very difficult from what I hear. The more common route is science BS (especially physics) —> engineering masters</p>
<p>I think for a science job, a PhD is necessary, especially if you want to research. A Masters would be pointless, I believe some research in industry might be fine with a Masters, but I’ve seen “PhD preferred” in the requirements. And there are a bit of PhDs going around, so let’s just change it to “PhD needed”. I heard it’s tough for undergrads in science to find jobs related to their field, but I don’t know this job market and I can’t say for sure. As far as well paying jobs in science, I heard physics is the best route; they typically command the higher pay. Specializing in physics like astrophysics or geophysics may benefit you, or may not.</p>
<p>Then again, I think R&D in anything might require a PhD.</p>
<p>I’ve been looking around, I am considering getting an undergrad degree in physics and go to graduate school for astronomy for a PhD. This really interests me. Is the market for PhD astronomers decent?</p>
<p>As I’ve said - nearly all the science disciplines interest me. I would be very happy teaching / doing research about them at a professional level one day. (Just saying this so I don’t get the “do what you love” comment). I have been reading science PhDs are having trouble finding jobs in the current market. How much worse/better would it be get to have a PhD in chemistry as opposed to astronomy/physics or molecular biology or something? To be honest though, I don’t mind if I get a less-than great salary. One of my engineering school considerations say their chemical engineering grads get about 60k as a starting salary. That’s fine for me, and even if I go to get a PhD I don’t mind getting that, so long I’m doing what I love to do.</p>
<p>Although I have decided, If I really want to do this, I would just tag it onto the end of my bachelors. Someone said earlier at least for the time you’re in school you are practicing something you love.</p>
<p>Since a Ph.D. takes at least 5 years, it is impossible to predict what the job market in astrophysics will be when you finish. Getting a B.S. in physics is a reasonable start, however, because it is possible to find jobs with that degree (not necessarily doing physics though) or change fields to any number of engineering disciplines for graduate school.</p>
<p>My advice to students who I advise is to choose a major you really enjoy and take advantage of all opportunities to get experience which will lead you toward the path you have chosen. If it is internships for an industrial position, or research for a graduate program. What you learn about “how to learn” in college can translate to many different careers.</p>
<p>Thank you for the response. What you all have told me today was very settling, since a few years ago after buying a telescope I became very, very interested in astronomy and when my mom told me an astronomy degree can be very difficult to find work in, I was a bit let down. I think the best route for me will be to major in physics and then see how it goes from there. As far as I know, physics is a versatile degree (of the 3). I may take a minor in Computer Science or something of the sort to market myself, in case the job market for astronomy is not faring well. I generally don’t care where I’m working, so long its a decent salary and I’m able to practice what I’ve learned for who knows, 10 years or something.</p>
<p>A computer science minor would be a great supplement, especially to Physics. I wish you the best of luck in Astronomy, I love that field! I’m not sure if you are set on a school yet, but try to find one that collaborates with NASA if you haven’t decided yet, since NASA has the best opportunities for a job and research opportunities.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’d think the same as well. Computer Science + Physics would make me more marketable if I couldn’t find a job IN astronomy out of grad school. I know NASA gives a lot of money to Caltech for research and stuff, I’ve read here: [Caltech</a> Astronomy](<a href=“http://www.astro.caltech.edu/academics/graduate_program.html]Caltech”>http://www.astro.caltech.edu/academics/graduate_program.html)</p>
<p>That would be great to go there…</p>