Majors and Careers

Career Development Office
1127 Park Street -- Grinnell, IA 50112-1690
Phone 641-269-4940; FAX 641-269-4946
Contact Us

Academic Choices

American Studies
Anthropology
Art
Biology
Chemistry
Classics
Economics
Education
English
French
German
History
Mathematics & Computer Science
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Religious Studies
Russian
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre

Chemistry

Benefits of Studying Chemistry
Careers of Chemistry Majors
Testing the Waters of a Career
Career Paths After Grinnell
Advice from Alumni/ae and Faculty
The Chemistry Department

Benefits of a Chemistry Major

Choosing your major was one of the most significant decisions of your college career. Your passion for chemistry is one you share with your peers, professors, and alumni/ae. Students choose to major in chemistry for different reasons. Read some of the reasons alumni/ae chose a chemistry major:

Alumni/ae Comments

"I was fascinated by smoke bombs and fireworks when I was a child. I wondered how mixing two liquids could produce heat, gas, or light. I wanted to understand why and how it happened. In school, I became more interested in science because answers could be proven and one could determine how well something was known. I wasn't at the mercy of a quirky professor's opinion or interpretation of literature, history, or art. In chemistry, you deal with reality and nature's building blocks. I found chemistry to be a challenge. There were other elements to chemistry which interested me as well like mysteries, detective work, mathematics, computers, colors, glass blowing, electrochemistry, light, radiation, theories, and many other entertaining things.

Chemistry and its study are too important to mankind for chemistry to ever be outdated. Chemistry will always be a contemporary major. It may not be fashionable and it certainly is not for every student. Much commerce is served by a knowledge of chemistry or its application. Principles of chemistry are fundamental to life. How can this become outdated?"

"I actually chose medicine as my career before I entered Grinnell. I chose a chemistry major because I really liked the faculty (Prof. Erickson was my pre-med advisor and Prof. J. Swartz was my advisor). I found the laboratory, research, programs, and curriculum to be just the right blend of challenge and fun for me. A chemistry major also happened to be well-suited for going to medical school. I definitely made the right choice. I still feel chemistry is an excellent and contemporary basic science major."

"I majored in chemistry because I took an AP course in chemistry my senior year in high school, was fascinated by the subject and excelled at it. Science had been my favorite subject since elementary school, so I am sure I would have majored in one of the sciences, if not chemistry. I am extremely happy I chose chemistry. I felt that with it, I would be well prepared to pursue interests within either biology or chemistry (since my interests in biology were on the molecular level). I really enjoyed the closeness of the department and felt a strong sense of belonging to it beginning with physical chemistry the fall of my junior year (I think the smallness of the department and the intensity of the chemistry major coursework foster this). Members of the department helped me tremendously when my life went bad my senior year.

I think chemistry is contemporary (the pharmaceutical industry, plastics, research, etc., all require chemists!), but it is a major with which I think one needs to go back to school in order to advance themselves."

"My high school chemistry teacher got me interested in chemistry and I seemed to have an aptitude for it. In addition, I felt that it was a field that would have good job prospects once I graduated."

Faculty Comments

"What type of student should major in chemistry? Any student who has a strong interest in chemistry. Premedical students who have gone through our program have also told me that they were well prepared for medical school."

"Although the job situation changes, overall the outlook is good. Students who are looking for a job with a BA have generally been successful in finding employment. A large number of our graduates go on to graduate school and receive higher degrees which opens their way to careers in academia and leading positions in industry."

You will use the skills you develop as a chemistry major every day in whatever environment you decide to work. Alumni/ae and faculty offer their thoughts about the kinds of skills a major in chemistry will provide:

Alumni/ae Comments

"Critical thinking, problem solving, collaborative teamwork, presentation of research, technical writing, computer skills. I use every one of these skills in my job."

"The chemistry major training I had in Grinnell gave me a very sound and solid academic foundation and I am still very thankful today."

"Chemistry more than my other classes taught me how to analyze data and to work through the scientific process; it also greatly honed my quantitative and qualitative problem-solving skills. My problem-solving skills will be essential in medical school (Problem-Based Learning Sessions (PBLs) are now part of the regular curriculum at my school) and in my career as a physician. My basic chemistry knowledge can apply to normal daily life and will apply to my work as a physician."

"Aside from a decent understanding of chemistry in general, my major helped me develop the ability to analyze data and solve problems."

Faculty Comments

"Analytical thinking, problem solving skills, hands-on experience with research and research instrumentation."

back to top

Careers of Chemistry Majors

Chemistry majors have selected a wide variety of careers from engineer to physician, from professor to industrial chemist. As you can see from the following list of alumni/ae job titles of chemistry majors, you are not your major!

Alumni/ae Job Titles

Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Industrial Chemist
Physician
Quality Control Engineer
Teacher
Pharmaceutical Scientist
Environmental Engineer

back to top

Testing the Waters of a Career

How will you decide what kind of career to pursue? Will it follow your major? In what way? Both alumni/ae and faculty emphasize the importance of researching different kinds of careers.

There are many ways to research career fields of interest to you. The most common way is to complete an internship. Alumni/ae who have held internships or participated in career previews have lots of advice to offer. Here are some samples of previous chemistry majors who have completed internships in a variety of areas:

"I did summer and semester research involving different kinds of electrochemistry. It wasn't easy but this experience was priceless. I learned more by doing research (making mistakes, making things work, learning with my hands and mind) than by doing classroom work. It is kind of an apprenticeship that you get paid for!"

"I did a summer research with Prof. Voyles in Biology. The Chemistry Department carefully reviewed and supported my research with Prof. Voyles. I was also welcomed to participate together with the rest of the Chemistry Department's summer research program. This is an example of how the Chemistry Department and Grinnell cared about each individual student's career goal and development."

"I did summer research my first two summers, the summer after my freshman year in molecular biology at Washington University in St. Louis and the following summer in organometalllic chemistry at the University of Rochester. The summer after my junior year I chose to work in a pediatricians' office in St. Louis, since I was sure after my first two summers that I was not going to pursue a career in academic research and wanted to gain firsthand experience in medicine."

back to top

Advice from Alumni/ae and Faculty

Alumni/ae Comments

"Push yourself to exceed your expectations. Take the path less traveled. Be like a child in a candy shop. Recognize and enjoy the wonderful resources Grinnell provides. Be honest with yourself and give your best effort. Make Mom and Dad proud of their kid. Develop your personal skills. Do summer research and semester research projects. Work as a TA, tutor, and lab assistant. Find a mentor and develop a good relationship with a mentor. Explore and develop interests in other areas. Prepare yourself well because chance serves the prepared mind."

"For students wishing to go to medical school, chemistry is as good as any other majors. Pick one that can give you the maximum challenge while also providing you with the most caring and nurturing personal support. I virtually had no negative experience from any of the classes I had taken in Grinnell. I am very grateful to all the faculty that have taught me. I felt I received much personal attention and support from them all."

"Definitely spend a whole summer in a research experience to see how you like the world of the research laboratory, since most jobs for new chemistry graduates that pertain to the major involve laboratory work. Make an effort to go to the chemistry talks to see what chemists are doing within the field and see if you can picture yourself spending your time as they do. If you are interested in the medical field, definitely shadow a physician (I did it for a week, so saw what his day was like over a few days), and try to gain work experience within the field, even if it is a lower-end job, which it most likely will be since most clinical work within the field necessitates a health professional degree."

"Grinnell chemistry majors are typically strongly encouraged to attend graduate school. In many cases this is a good idea, but not always. The M.S. degree in chemistry is typically regarded as a 'super B.S.' and will not get you much further than a B.S. in terms of salary or job title. However, a B.S. or M.S. chemist is considerably more employable, and salaries are quite reasonable. The Ph.D. degree will open many more doors for you from a career advancement standpoint and will get you a higher salary, but several additional years of school are required and there are fewer positions available. In other words, before making the decision to attend graduate school, decide what your long-term goals are."

Faculty Comments

"As part of our major the students are required to complete an independent research project (capstone experience); this gives them a taste of what research is like. The students also can do internships in industry to gain experience and many times set a foot in a company."

back to top

Career Paths After Grinnell

If you are thinking about graduate school, there are graduate programs in the field of chemistry as well as other professional degree programs. These links provide more information about the different paths you can follow: g raduate school, jobs, or other paths.

The following are first-hand accounts of the experiences of alumni/ae after Grinnell who have graduated with a chemistry major:

Alumni/ae Comments

"I took the advice of my graduate school advisor and chose the job where I could solve problems. My first job was as a production chemist for a specialty chemicals manufacturer. Doing this you get paid to solve chemistry problems on batch processes involving materials worth up to an order of magnitude more than your yearly salary."

"I chose my career long before Grinnell, although my excitement with my science classes my first year or two at Grinnell provoked me to seriously consider a career as a PhD in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry. My first job was a year-long pre-doctoral fellowship at the NIH (where I was involved in a laboratory research project) and I got it by word of mouth through my mom. My second job was at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. Two years after graduation, I am now starting medical school at the University of Rochester in New York."

"I wanted a career in which I could use my chemistry knowledge to not only make a decent living, but to do something that was of benefit to society. My first job was as a chemist in drug discovery here at Eli Lilly and Co. It was a good job, though I wasn't given a whole lot of responsibility. I spent every day working 'at the bench' making molecules to test for pharmacological activity. To get this job, I basically just sent resumes out to a whole bunch of pharmaceutical companies and waited by the phone. They called me up and requested an interview and the rest is history."

Faculty Comments

"Careers open to chemistry majors include academic positions, industry at BA and higher levels, medical field, and law (particularly dealing with science issues)."

back to top

The Chemistry Department

Of course, Grinnell's Chemistry Department provides advising as you consider questions about your major, internships, gaining experience, and making career decisions. The departmental web page also offers detailed information about the Chemistry major, outlines requirements for its completion, and lists courses.

back to top

Back to CDO Home Page Career Development Office (career@grinnell.edu)
Steve Langerud, Director
1127 Park Street -- P.O. Box 805 Grinnell, IA 50112 Back to
Grinnell Home Page

American Studies Anthropology Art Biology Chemistry Classics Economics Education English French German History Mathematics & Computer Science Music Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Russian Sociology Spanish Theatre	Chemistry Benefits of Studying Chemistry Careers of Chemistry Majors Testing the Waters of a Career Career Paths After Grinnell Advice from Alumni/ae and Faculty The Chemistry Department Benefits of a Chemistry Major Choosing your major was one of the most significant decisions of your college career. Your passion for chemistry is one you share with your peers, professors, and alumni/ae. Students choose to major in chemistry for different reasons. Read some of the reasons alumni/ae chose a chemistry major: Alumni/ae Comments "I was fascinated by smoke bombs and fireworks when I was a child. I wondered how mixing two liquids could produce heat, gas, or light. I wanted to understand why and how it happened. In school, I became more interested in science because answers could be proven and one could determine how well something was known. I wasn't at the mercy of a quirky professor's opinion or interpretation of literature, history, or art. In chemistry, you deal with reality and nature's building blocks. I found chemistry to be a challenge. There were other elements to chemistry which interested me as well like mysteries, detective work, mathematics, computers, colors, glass blowing, electrochemistry, light, radiation, theories, and many other entertaining things. Chemistry and its study are too important to mankind for chemistry to ever be outdated. Chemistry will always be a contemporary major. It may not be fashionable and it certainly is not for every student. Much commerce is served by a knowledge of chemistry or its application. Principles of chemistry are fundamental to life. How can this become outdated?" "I actually chose medicine as my career before I entered Grinnell. I chose a chemistry major because I really liked the faculty (Prof. Erickson was my pre-med advisor and Prof. J. Swartz was my advisor). I found the laboratory, research, programs, and curriculum to be just the right blend of challenge and fun for me. A chemistry major also happened to be well-suited for going to medical school. I definitely made the right choice. I still feel chemistry is an excellent and contemporary basic science major." "I majored in chemistry because I took an AP course in chemistry my senior year in high school, was fascinated by the subject and excelled at it. Science had been my favorite subject since elementary school, so I am sure I would have majored in one of the sciences, if not chemistry. I am extremely happy I chose chemistry. I felt that with it, I would be well prepared to pursue interests within either biology or chemistry (since my interests in biology were on the molecular level). I really enjoyed the closeness of the department and felt a strong sense of belonging to it beginning with physical chemistry the fall of my junior year (I think the smallness of the department and the intensity of the chemistry major coursework foster this). Members of the department helped me tremendously when my life went bad my senior year. I think chemistry is contemporary (the pharmaceutical industry, plastics, research, etc., all require chemists!), but it is a major with which I think one needs to go back to school in order to advance themselves." "My high school chemistry teacher got me interested in chemistry and I seemed to have an aptitude for it. In addition, I felt that it was a field that would have good job prospects once I graduated." Faculty Comments "What type of student should major in chemistry? Any student who has a strong interest in chemistry. Premedical students who have gone through our program have also told me that they were well prepared for medical school." "Although the job situation changes, overall the outlook is good. Students who are looking for a job with a BA have generally been successful in finding employment. A large number of our graduates go on to graduate school and receive higher degrees which opens their way to careers in academia and leading positions in industry." You will use the skills you develop as a chemistry major every day in whatever environment you decide to work. Alumni/ae and faculty offer their thoughts about the kinds of skills a major in chemistry will provide: Alumni/ae Comments "Critical thinking, problem solving, collaborative teamwork, presentation of research, technical writing, computer skills. I use every one of these skills in my job." "The chemistry major training I had in Grinnell gave me a very sound and solid academic foundation and I am still very thankful today." "Chemistry more than my other classes taught me how to analyze data and to work through the scientific process; it also greatly honed my quantitative and qualitative problem-solving skills. My problem-solving skills will be essential in medical school (Problem-Based Learning Sessions (PBLs) are now part of the regular curriculum at my school) and in my career as a physician. My basic chemistry knowledge can apply to normal daily life and will apply to my work as a physician." "Aside from a decent understanding of chemistry in general, my major helped me develop the ability to analyze data and solve problems." Faculty Comments "Analytical thinking, problem solving skills, hands-on experience with research and research instrumentation." back to top Careers of Chemistry Majors Chemistry majors have selected a wide variety of careers from engineer to physician, from professor to industrial chemist. As you can see from the following list of alumni/ae job titles of chemistry majors, you are not your major! Alumni/ae Job Titles Assistant Professor of Chemistry Industrial Chemist Physician Quality Control Engineer Teacher Pharmaceutical Scientist Environmental Engineer back to top Testing the Waters of a Career How will you decide what kind of career to pursue? Will it follow your major? In what way? Both alumni/ae and faculty emphasize the importance of researching different kinds of careers. There are many ways to research career fields of interest to you. The most common way is to complete an internship. Alumni/ae who have held internships or participated in career previews have lots of advice to offer. Here are some samples of previous chemistry majors who have completed internships in a variety of areas: "I did summer and semester research involving different kinds of electrochemistry. It wasn't easy but this experience was priceless. I learned more by doing research (making mistakes, making things work, learning with my hands and mind) than by doing classroom work. It is kind of an apprenticeship that you get paid for!" "I did a summer research with Prof. Voyles in Biology. The Chemistry Department carefully reviewed and supported my research with Prof. Voyles. I was also welcomed to participate together with the rest of the Chemistry Department's summer research program. This is an example of how the Chemistry Department and Grinnell cared about each individual student's career goal and development." "I did summer research my first two summers, the summer after my freshman year in molecular biology at Washington University in St. Louis and the following summer in organometalllic chemistry at the University of Rochester. The summer after my junior year I chose to work in a pediatricians' office in St. Louis, since I was sure after my first two summers that I was not going to pursue a career in academic research and wanted to gain firsthand experience in medicine." back to top Advice from Alumni/ae and Faculty Alumni/ae Comments "Push yourself to exceed your expectations. Take the path less traveled. Be like a child in a candy shop. Recognize and enjoy the wonderful resources Grinnell provides. Be honest with yourself and give your best effort. Make Mom and Dad proud of their kid. Develop your personal skills. Do summer research and semester research projects. Work as a TA, tutor, and lab assistant. Find a mentor and develop a good relationship with a mentor. Explore and develop interests in other areas. Prepare yourself well because chance serves the prepared mind." "For students wishing to go to medical school, chemistry is as good as any other majors. Pick one that can give you the maximum challenge while also providing you with the most caring and nurturing personal support. I virtually had no negative experience from any of the classes I had taken in Grinnell. I am very grateful to all the faculty that have taught me. I felt I received much personal attention and support from them all." "Definitely spend a whole summer in a research experience to see how you like the world of the research laboratory, since most jobs for new chemistry graduates that pertain to the major involve laboratory work. Make an effort to go to the chemistry talks to see what chemists are doing within the field and see if you can picture yourself spending your time as they do. If you are interested in the medical field, definitely shadow a physician (I did it for a week, so saw what his day was like over a few days), and try to gain work experience within the field, even if it is a lower-end job, which it most likely will be since most clinical work within the field necessitates a health professional degree." "Grinnell chemistry majors are typically strongly encouraged to attend graduate school. In many cases this is a good idea, but not always. The M.S. degree in chemistry is typically regarded as a 'super B.S.' and will not get you much further than a B.S. in terms of salary or job title. However, a B.S. or M.S. chemist is considerably more employable, and salaries are quite reasonable. The Ph.D. degree will open many more doors for you from a career advancement standpoint and will get you a higher salary, but several additional years of school are required and there are fewer positions available. In other words, before making the decision to attend graduate school, decide what your long-term goals are." Faculty Comments "As part of our major the students are required to complete an independent research project (capstone experience); this gives them a taste of what research is like. The students also can do internships in industry to gain experience and many times set a foot in a company." back to top Career Paths After Grinnell If you are thinking about graduate school, there are graduate programs in the field of chemistry as well as other professional degree programs. These links provide more information about the different paths you can follow: g raduate school, jobs, or other paths. The following are first-hand accounts of the experiences of alumni/ae after Grinnell who have graduated with a chemistry major: Alumni/ae Comments "I took the advice of my graduate school advisor and chose the job where I could solve problems. My first job was as a production chemist for a specialty chemicals manufacturer. Doing this you get paid to solve chemistry problems on batch processes involving materials worth up to an order of magnitude more than your yearly salary." "I chose my career long before Grinnell, although my excitement with my science classes my first year or two at Grinnell provoked me to seriously consider a career as a PhD in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry. My first job was a year-long pre-doctoral fellowship at the NIH (where I was involved in a laboratory research project) and I got it by word of mouth through my mom. My second job was at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. Two years after graduation, I am now starting medical school at the University of Rochester in New York." "I wanted a career in which I could use my chemistry knowledge to not only make a decent living, but to do something that was of benefit to society. My first job was as a chemist in drug discovery here at Eli Lilly and Co. It was a good job, though I wasn't given a whole lot of responsibility. I spent every day working 'at the bench' making molecules to test for pharmacological activity. To get this job, I basically just sent resumes out to a whole bunch of pharmaceutical companies and waited by the phone. They called me up and requested an interview and the rest is history." Faculty Comments "Careers open to chemistry majors include academic positions, industry at BA and higher levels, medical field, and law (particularly dealing with science issues)." back to top The Chemistry Department Of course, Grinnell's Chemistry Department provides advising as you consider questions about your major, internships, gaining experience, and making career decisions. The departmental web page also offers detailed information about the Chemistry major, outlines requirements for its completion, and lists courses. back to top

American Studies Anthropology Art Biology Chemistry Classics Economics Education English French German History Mathematics & Computer Science Music Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Russian Sociology Spanish Theatre

Chemistry

American Studies
Anthropology
Art
Biology
Chemistry
Classics
Economics
Education
English
French
German
History
Mathematics & Computer Science
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Religious Studies
Russian
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre