Your Guide to a Chemistry Major and Career

Why major in chemistry? Explore careers that start with a chemistry major, and what do you do with a chemistry degree?

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A chemistry degree teaches you about the chemical elements that make up matter and is applicable across scientific, medical and communication fields. Chemistry students explore the composition and properties of matter and the changes it undergoes. This complex field can lead you in a variety of directions throughout your learning and career.

At Pacific University, you can major (or minor) in chemistry taking a full range of courses, including advanced study in organic chemistry, biochemistry, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics and more. Our chemistry club gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and build community. At Pacific, you’ll join a thriving department of dedicated students and faculty. In this close-knit community, you’ll have the chance to work closely with expert faculty, who are both dedicated teachers and active researchers in the field, and gain experience using state-of-the-art equipment.

Why Major in Chemistry?

As a chemistry major, the skills you learn are applicable both within and outside of the field of sciences. You’ll learn teamwork, communication, creative problem-solving, research, critical thinking and analysis skills that will serve you in future study and professions in any field. You’ll also learn and practice field specific skills, including:

• Operating instruments
• Working in a lab setting
• Designing experiments
• Analyzing data 
• Math
• Using computational tools
• Research and independent study

These skills will help you in your future career and study, in the sciences and beyond. What do you do with a chemistry degree? A chemistry degree can prepare you for entry level jobs or graduate study in fields like medicine, education, environmental sciences and more.  The options are endless.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Chemistry Degree?

What can I do with a chemistry degree? A chemistry major gives you many options. Whether you want to go straight into a career or continue on into graduate school, a chemistry major prepares you for a variety of pathways. For those wondering what can I do with a chemistry degree, seeking advice from academic counselors, teachers, career center or online resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, can help to answer your questions.

Here are just a few industries in which chemistry majors might work. ​​Possible careers with a chemistry major include:

Why Major in Chemistry at Pacific University?

Chemistry majors at Pacific University join a robust department full of faculty at the top of their field. Undergraduates participate in research during their degree. This experience working in lab environments is excellent preparation for graduate school and future chemistry careers. Pacific students seeking to use their chemistry skills as pharmacists can join the Jump Start PharmD program that helps you move efficiently from your undergraduate study through your doctor of pharmacy degree. You could also pursue pre-med and pre-professional healthcare tracks.
 
At Pacific University, you can study a variety of fields alongside your chemistry degree. Students at Pacific regularly combine science and arts, with opportunities to minor, double major and participate in dance, theatre and more. Pacific University’s small class sizes means you get plenty of hands-on learning and individualized instruction. And the university’s four-year graduation guarantee means you can get the classes you need when you need them to graduate on time.

Pacific is one of the top private research universities in the Pacific Northwest and empowers you to pursue your purpose with real-world training.

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