Students major in chemistry as a path to medical, dental, pharmacy, and many other graduate programs and to become chemists working in industry, academia or government.
An Excellent Path to Professional School
A degree in Chemistry or Forensic Science provides a great background for entrance into medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, and many other professional medical graduate programs. The chemistry curriculum will help to prepare you for the entrance exams (MCAT, PCAT, OAT, DAT, etc.) as well as for success once enrolled in the graduate programs. The chemistry and forensic science degree plans offer students the flexibility to take elective courses in order to fulfill their prerequisites and they also prepare them for their entrance exams. As shown in the table below, students majoring in the physical sciences (e.g. chemistry) generally perform exceptionally well on the MCAT.
Undergraduate Major
MCAT
GPA
% Accepted
Applicants
Biological Science
28.1
3.53
44.7
22863
Social Science
28.2
3.48
46.8
5107
Physical Science
29.9
3.54
51.7
4670
Humanities
29.4
3.53
51.9
1999
Specialized Health Science
25.5
3.51
34.9
1268
Math
30.5
3.54
51.7
387
Other
27.7
3.53
45.4
7625
Source: Association of American Medical Colleges, 2011
A Path to an Excellent Career
Chemists and Forensic Scientists can have high job satisfaction when they work on cures for disease or monitor/improve the environment. Still others discover new materials to make our homes warmer in the winter, or create new textiles to be used in the latest fashions. The knowledge gained through the study of chemistry and forensic science opens many career pathways outside health professions. Below are just a few of the careers chosen by chemists. For more information, visit the College to Career pages of the American Chemical Society.
Applied Research and Product Development
Biotechnology
Chemical Engineering
Chemical Information Management Specialist
Chemical Technology
Chemistry Professor
Chemistry and the Law
Chemistry in the Arts
Consulting
Crystallography
Environmental Protection
Food Chemistry
Forensic Chemistry
Formulation Chemistry
Geochemistry
Hazardous Waste Management
Health and Safety
High School Chemistry Teacher
Human Resources
Industrial Management
Materials Science
Medicinal Chemistry
Military Science and Technology
Nuclear Chemistry
Oil and Petroleum
Personal Care Chemistry
Polymer
Process Chemistry
Project Management
Quality Assurance
Quality Control
Regulatory Affairs
Science Policy
Social Impact/Activism
Technical Communication
Technical Sales and Marketing
Technical Support
Textile Chemistry
Water Chemists
Purposefully, Getting Off the Path
Sometimes our graduates get away from the bench and obtain jobs using their science degree in non-traditional but interesting ways.