Career Paths
Because chemistry majors have an intimate knowledge of the chemical structures that define our world, their career opportunities are nearly as diverse. The liberal arts curriculum at Valparaiso University broadens the spectrum even further.
Chemistry majors can find careers in laboratory settings or put analytical skills to use in a variety of other professions.
Chemistry and research
- Academic researcher
- Analytical chemist
- Environmental scientist
- Enzyme production chemist
- Forensic criminology chemist
- Materials scientist
- Medical chemist
- Petroleum chemist
- Polymer chemist
- Product development chemist
- Sanitation chemist
- Synthetic chemist
Related professions
- Chemistry professor
- Dentist
- Doctor
- Health policy analyst
- High school teacher
- Patent attorney
- Pharmacist
- Production superintendent
- Quality control supervisor
- Technical writer
- Technical salesperson
More than 9,000 employers offer career opportunities for students with training in the field of chemistry. Government, industry, schools and universities, and many private institutions, such as museums, have a variety of openings for chemists.
Valpo chemistry graduates have gone on to work for companies such as:
- Abbott Laboratories
- Bethlehem Steel
- Dow Chemical
- DuPont
- Eli Lilly
- Monsanto
- NASA
- Proctor & Gamble
- Standard Oil
Governmental agencies that employ chemists include the EPA, OSHA, and the various national laboratories.
Obtaining a Ph.D. in chemistry or biochemistry introduces additional opportunities in basic research and development as well as careers in academia. Our chemistry graduates receive an excellent education here at Valpo and are often able to pursue advanced degrees at prestigious graduate schools, such as:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- University of Wisconsin Madison
- Harvard
- University of Illinois
- University of Michigan
- Indiana University
In almost every case, alumni who go to graduate school receive complete financial support in the form of a fellowship or assistantship, including the National Science Foundation and Woodrow Wilson Fellowships.
When I graduated from Valpo, I had no idea that science policy was even a career option. The liberal arts education at Valpo provided me with a foundation across all subject areas and helped prepare me to be successful when I changed my career trajectory.
– Elizabeth Baden ’04