Career in Chemical Science

Chemistry, being a vast discipline has applications almost everywhere. The matchstick you light up, the milk you boil and the science you apply while cooking your favourite food, various principles of chemistry are applied in the day to day activities. Today, the blend of chemical science with technology has witnessed unprecedented growth and has opened the door to an extensive range of career opportunities. If you want to build a career in Science after 12th and are passionate about solving global challenges related to the environment, policies, human health, energy, etc through the application of concepts related to the field of chemistry then, pursuing a course in chemical science is the most suitable option for you. From the traditional BSc and MSc Chemistry to BTech, Medicinal and PhD in Chemistry, the options are vast. Through this blog, we will give you an insight into what a career in this field would actually look like.

Chemical Science Overview

With different branches of chemistry, the scope of this field is spread across various industries. While each branch will provide you with a platform to specialise in a specific field, here is a brief overview of the same: 

With these branches, the curriculum of chemical science is bifurcated into various subjects. Some of which have been collated below: 

• Physical Chemistry
• Nuclear and Radiochemistry
• Advanced Quantum Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Chemistry of Materials
• Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics
• Spectroscopy and its principles and applications
• Chemical Dynamics and Electrochemistry
• Macromolecules

Chemical Science: Specializations and Career Scope

Pursuing a career in chemical science comes with not just one or two, but a broad range of career opportunities in different industries across the world. Given below are the most sought-after specializations in chemical science that the student can opt for according to their interests and skills: 

Biochemistry

Biochemistry is one of the most popular future first careers today. Being an amalgamation of Chemical and Biological Sciences, it deals with the application of chemistry fundamentals to various biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels. In other words, Biochemistry involves the study of the chemical processes within the living organisms. After completing the educational requirements such as BSc and MSc Biochemistry, you can work in different job profiles such as: 

Research Fellow	Food Safety Analyst	Healthcare Scientist
Biochemical Engineer	Scientific Laboratory Technician	Forensic Scientist
Quality Analyst	Toxicologist	University Professor
Clinical Researcher	Biomedical Scientist

Also read: Biochemical Engineering

Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal Chemistry is a blend of various other disciplines such as synthetic organic chemistry and pharmacology, which involves synthesis of certain chemicals present in the human body. It is discipline that involves the designing, synthesis, and development of pharmaceutical drugs or therapeutic chemicals into useful medicines. The various job profiles under this specialization of chemical science are as follows:

[optin-monster-shortcode id=”xf2mlnjiouddzrshykdb”]

• Clinical Data Analyst
• Medicinal Chemist
• Biochemist
• Production Chemist
• Chromatographer
• University Professor
• Patent Analytic

Nuclear Chemistry

A sub-discipline of chemistry, nuclear chemistry, as the name suggests, deals with the changes in the nucleus of elements, the study of radioactive elements, harnessing processes, and their impact on the matter and living organisms. This specialization in chemical science provides a deep understanding of radioactivity and nuclear transformations to combat issues like disposal of radioactive waste, nuclear power generation, and some other medical procedures. The career options available in the field of Nuclear chemistry listed below: 

• Nuclear Chemist
• Material Engineer
• Medical researcher
• University Professor
• Radiochemists
• Radiation Chemists

Astrochemistry

Spanning over various disciplines such as chemical science, physics, astronomy, planetary science, computational science, spectroscopy, biology, etc, Astrochemistry is a specialization field that focuses on the study matter, its composition, and properties in the outer space. The people who specialize in this field are mostly astrochemists, chemical engineers, research scientists, university professors, etc.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering is one of the most opted degree courses after 12th Science. With an aim to process and produce useful products, while caring about the environment safety and medical health issues, the field encompasses the elements of not only Chemistry but also that of Physics, Biology and Mathematics. The various chemical engineering jobs that you can consider are:

• Analytical Chemist
• Materials Engineer
• Mining Engineer
• Production Manager
• Quality Manager
• Energy Manager
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Environmental Engineer 

Chemical Science: Universities

Educational institutions across the world offer an array of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate programs in the field of chemical science or the ones which are related to it. Even though the eligibility criteria will differ based on the level of degree program you want to pursue, having a statement of purpose(SOP), letters of recommendation(LOR), mark sheets/university transcripts, English proficiency test scores like that of IELTS/PTE/TOEFL, etc are some of the essential documents required. Enlisted are some of the renowned universities you can consider: 

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• The University of Melbourne
• Newcastle University
• University of Windsor
• University of Stuttgart
• Massey University

Thus, a career in Chemical Science can open the door to an array of career opportunities. If you are confused amongst the courses and universities then take the assistance of Leverage Edu’s AI-tool which will curate a list of programs that align with your academic and professional goals.