A chemistry degree opens the door to most science-related careers. Many students continue on with graduate studies (M.Sc./Ph.D.) or programs such as pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, and even law. Other graduates immediately enter government, industry, or academic oriented careers. Valuable skills and practical laboratory experience under faculty supervision provide students with unparalleled experience to enter the workforce quickly, starting their career in a a field they enjoy.
An Honours Degree and Career Options
- An Honours Degree in Biochemistry, Chemical Physics, Chemistry or Environmental Chemistry may lead to employment in the chemical industry, for instance in pharmaceutical, biochemical and engineering companies.
- An Honours degree may lead to positions in any of a number of government departments, in research and development institutes.
- Along with teaching qualifications, it may lead to teaching in the school systems, where the need for science teachers is greater than ever before.
- An Honours Degree is the standard for full membership in the Chemical Institute of Canada, which is the professional and learned society to which most Canadian chemists belong. It is also the standard for full membership in provincial organizations, such as l'Ordre des Chimistes du Québec or the Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario, which certify to the public the competence of their members.
- Many holders of this degree find that the training in exact thought and in resourcefulness that it has provided, stand them in good stead in fields related only remotely to chemistry, such as banking, insurance, investments, business management, law, politics and many others.
- It may lead to graduate work in any aspect of chemistry, to medicine and to other health related fields. Entry to graduate school in Chemistry in Ontario is reserved normally for holders of an Honours degree of good standard (an upper B average or better) or its equivalent. A career in scientific research and development almost always requires a doctorate, as does a teaching and research position in a university. The structure of the Honours Programs in the Department of Chemistry at Trent University with emphasis on independent work coupled with close personal contact with faculty and graduate students in ways impossible in larger universities, is excellent preparation for post-graduate work.
Job Possibilities
- quality control / quality assurance
- chemical analyst
- chemical technician
- toxicologist
- laboratory manager
- hazardous waste technologist
- pharmaceutical chemist
- food scientist
- technical sales representative
- environmental policy maker
- teacher / professor
- water purification chemist
- chemical physicist
- patent agent
- environmental consultant
- specialty chemicals production
- material scientist
- chemical technologist
- biotechnologist
- research chemist
Program related skills
Academic courses and research projects in the program provide opportunities to develop many types of skills that employers are looking for.
Research skills
- conduct literature research and evaluate the validity of sources
- interpret data and results derived from scientific experimentation
- time management, organization, self-management
- independent thinker, creativity
- teamwork
Technical skills
- experience with state-of-the-art laboratory technology and instruments
- comply with safety regulations while conducting experiments
Quantitative skills
- analyze data for trends and apply statistical analysis tools to data to test for significance
- logical thinking and attention to detail
Communication skills
- organize research ideas and information into comprehensive reports
- interact professionally with researchers, technicians, students and professors
- presentation skills
- scientific and technical knowledge
Search the Chemical Institute of Canada's career site.
An excellent resources can be found on the ACS - College to Career - getting a job in chemistry
Find out more about Canada's chemical industry from the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada