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Major Related Resources Chemistry Department Resources Chemistry Placement Program | Description of MajorThe B.A. degree (Bachelor of Arts) in chemistry is intended primarily for students preparing for medical or dental school, optometry school, law school, M.B.A. programs, and industrial positions in technical sales, marketing, and customer relations. The degree consists of 25 hours of chemistry, a year of noncalculus physics, and at least one semester of calculus. The B.S. degree (Bachelor of Science)in chemistry, certified by the American Chemical Society, prepares students for graduate study in chemistry, professional degree programs, and employment as a chemist in industry. It requires 45 credit hours of chemistry, three semesters of calculus, and a full year of calculus-based physics.Skills & Knowledge Developed in this Field of StudyProblem-solving skills, analytical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills, creativity, mastery of chemistry, breadth of science knowledge, business orientation, computer literacy.Minors and Second Majors that Expand Career Options with this MajorBiology, mathematics, physics, business, economics, and communication and culture.Career OptionsCareers Specific to the Bachelor's DegreeGraduates with a B.A. degree are prepared to enter the workforce in technical sales, marketing, or customer relations, and as technical writers and scientific editors. The B.S. degree in chemistry prepares students for careers in industry and government as laboratory technicians and research assistants. The B.S. degree also prepares students for advanced degree programs in chemistry, medicine, business, and law.Other Career Possibilities with a Bachelor's DegreeTeaching in junior and senior high school.Careers that Normally Require a Graduate DegreeAdvanced degrees in chemistry can lead to careers in industrial research and development in fields as wide-ranging as materials science (development of new alloys, polymers, and ceramics), biotechnology (using biological processes to produce materials), and medicinal chemistry (preparing new pharmaceuticals to combat diseases). In addition, advanced degrees in chemistry will prepare students for academic careers in colleges and universities. Combining a degree in chemistry with one in another field, such as law, enhances career possibilities to include patent law, medical research, environmental science, and chemical engineering.Employment OpportunitiesJob OutlookThe current job market for B.S. chemists in industry is fairly stable. Although the number of positions in traditional areas of chemistry (with industrial companies) has decreased in recent years due to downsizing of companies, job opportunities are developing in environmental chemistry, alternate energy sources, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, and biotechnology.Salary InformationIn late 2002, the average starting salary for B.S. Chemists was $31,000 nationwide. The median salary of B.S. chemists in all fields of chemistry without regard to length of service was $58,100. For comparative purposes, M.S. chemists earned $68,500 and Ph.D. chemists earned $85,200. Salaries tend to be better for biochemists working in industry than in academia or government.Potential Career GrowthB.S. chemists can advance in most industrial positions; however, advancement to relatively higher positions in the corporate structure may be limited without an advanced degree. Many employers will assist employees through tuition grants and/or released time to obtain advanced degrees that will allow advancement within the company.Placement Statistics for IU Graduates with this MajorAbout 25 percent of IU B.S. degree graduates plan to enter the job market directly. About 50 percent continue their studies in M.S. or Ph.D. programs. The remainder of the students pursue professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, optometry, or physician assistant programs.High School PreparationIn addition to IU’s general admission requirements, students planning to major in chemistry or biochemistry should take as much advanced work (with laboratory experience) as possible in chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics. Higher-level mathematics, including pre-calculus or calculus, is very important, as is knowledge of computers and computational techniques. Also essential to success in science are written and oral communications skills. In most cases, students who enroll in our honors course in chemistry have had two years of high school chemistry.Special OpportunitiesThe undergraduate program in chemistry and biochemistry at IU is one of the largest and most successful in the United States, as evidenced by its recent placement in the top 4 percent of U.S. undergraduate chemistry programs by a national report. Our facilities for teaching and research are exceptional. In January 1993, a $50 million building and renovation project was completed that provides some of the most modern and safe laboratories and classrooms in the United States. Over the last five years, nearly $2 million has been spent for new laboratory equipment and computer facilities for our undergraduate instructional program. In addition, our undergraduates can take advantage of the Chemistry Resources Center and an adjoining computer classroom, where computer terminals are available for class assignments and independent lessons and where faculty and graduate students hold office hours for courses in general chemistry. Many of our majors gain especially strong backgrounds in chemistry or biochemistry through the department’s honors program, which features a number of special low-enrollment courses for well-qualified students; many of our direct admit students qualify for these courses. Undergraduate research, the heart of the honors program, normally begins in a student’s sophomore year, although it can start as early as the freshman year. Each student works in a faculty research group and is expected to be involved in all aspects of a research problem. Students submit the results of the research as a written honors thesis before graduating. For a number of majors, the Chemical Cooperative Education Program provides a valuable option. In a five-year period, a student completes all requirements for a B.S. degree in chemistry or biochemistry while getting up to two years of practical experience as a chemist in industry. A few of our majors participate in overseas study programs, and we presently have special cooperative arrangements with the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and with the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Our department provides its own job placement service, through which undergraduates can gain interviews with prospective companies; as many as 50 B.S. students in chemistry and biochemistry are hired by these companies each year.Noted AlumniThree notable alumni are Wendell L. Roelofs (Ph.D. 1964), pioneer in the identification and characterization of insect pheromones, Professor of Entomology at Cornell University, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the National Medal of Science and the USDA Distinguished Service Award; William J. Sparks (B.A. 1926; M.A. 1927), developer of synthetic (butyl) rubber, recipient of the Charles Goodyear Medal and the Priestley Medal, and the president of the American Chemical Society (1966); Peter G. Wolynes (B.A. 1971), renowned for his work in theoretical chemistry and physics, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
