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University Degrees - Chemistry
Chemistry offers one of the most exciting choices of undergraduate degrees, and the offerings vary depending on whether you choose to study at home, or to study abroad.
As one of the “traditional” three sciences taught in high schools all over the world, it’s likely that you picture chemistry as all test tubes and Bunsen burners, carefully measuring out acids, minerals and other chemical compounds and noting down the reaction. But chemistry is much more than that and currently offers one of the most exciting choices of undergraduate degrees at any of today’s top universities with great career prospects at home and abroad.
What is chemistry?
Chemistry has been around a long time as an academic subject. References to alchemy, the production of gold and the analysis of elements, go back thousands of years and some of these issues still concern chemists today. Essentially chemistry is the study of the tiniest elements of life, their composition and structure and the effects of their various combinations and reactions. What chemistry is not is the one-dimensional, laboratory-based and rather carefully managed subject that you remember, or are currently in the midst of, at high school. It is literally the most essential science to the building blocks of life, covering every aspect of our lives today, from our health and nutrition to our scientific discoveries and management of an environmentally sustainable world.
Is chemistry for me?
As with most science and technical university degrees, a background in the subject is a must if you want to be successful in your application to one of the world’s top universities. Additionally, being the kind of student that is a natural problem solver and confident in other relevant academic fields, such as physics and mathematics, will prepare you for success as a chemistry student.
An important aspect of studying chemistry as it is taught in undergraduate programs today is the ability to be both creative and analytical. As the subject offers so many potential fields of specialization, students wishing to pursue chemistry tend to be explorers – looking for new avenues down which they can develop their areas of interest in unexpected ways. One aspect of studying chemistry that is particularly surprising is the way in which different subjects, such as physics, biology, engineering and management often merge into a new way of looking at problems and issues.
Above all else, prospective chemistry students have a scientific mind and an interest in the world around them, enjoying their own discoveries and working out how seemingly unrelated things relate to one another.
What programs are available?
Top universities offer a wide variety of chemistry undergraduate and Masters degrees, whether you wish to study locally or as part of a study abroad program. The type of degree that you study will very much depend on your specific interests, whether these lie in the realm of organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology or molecular chemistry. For students with a variety of interests, many degrees, particularly those for international students, offer the opportunity to study other subjects such as management and business alongside their core chemistry interest.
Universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK offer different “routes” to a degree qualification and it is common for undergraduate students to enrol on a program that ultimately leads to a Masters degree, such as the MChem or MSc, rather than just a BSc. These programs offer an extended period of study and allow a student to have a greater, in-depth knowledge of their specialist field that may include a period of either research or industry experience.
Finally, it’s important to remember that should you wish to take your chemistry degree into a chemical science or research environment, it may be necessary for your undergraduate degree to be accredited by a professional body, such as the Royal Society of Chemistry. If this is your intention, make sure you ask your prospective university whether they have such recognition before you embark on your undergraduate degree.
What are the career prospects for a chemistry graduate?
While experts from many fields will happily tell you that their academic field will open up many opportunities in the working world, graduates from undergraduate chemistry degrees are amongst the most in demand by employers in many different areas. Depending on what type of chemistry you have studied at the undergraduate level, graduates enter such diverse sectors as the food industry, environment-related research and development, manufacturing and heavy industry, production, the pharmaceutical sector and management and marketing fields.
One of the key features that characterizes careers related to chemistry university degrees is the great emphasis placed on new ideas and discoveries. Chemists will often be at the forefront of the pushing of boundaries to extend our knowledge in areas as diverse as the development of a new, environmentally friendly plastic, a new tasting ice cream or the production of the latest crease-resistant fabric. Where a career choice takes you away from chemistry, the numeracy, problem-solving and data-handling skills, essential parts of your undergraduate degree, will equally qualify you for life in the business and finance worlds.
