CHEMISTRY
WHAT IS CHEMISTRY?
Chemistry is the study of substances. Chemists study the composition of substances, how the substances act, and how they change. With this knowledge, they then try to determine why substances change and how they can be controlled. Everything is made up of chemical elements, which are tiny bits of matter called atoms, and each element's atoms are unique to it. When atoms of different elements combine, they form molecules of a chemical compound, the properties of which can differ from each element alone. For example, take common salt, a safe compound that we use to season our food. It is composed of sodium, a soft silvery-white metal, and chlorine, a poisonous, yellow-green gas. Separately, sodium and chlorine are not attractive—one of them is downright dangerous—but when chemically combined, they form a substance that is essential to human life.
WHAT COURSES DO YOU NEED TO TAKE?
Though there are a number of specific areas on which to concentrate in post-graduate study, a bachelor's degree in chemistry includes courses in every aspect of the field:
- Analytical Chemistry and Lab
- Analytical Geometry
- Biochemistry
- Calculus
- General Chemistry and Lab
- General Physics and Lab
- Instrumental Analysis
- Organic Chemistry and Lab
- Physical Chemistry and Lab
- Physics
For a biochemistry emphasis, the following courses are generally required:
- Biology
- Cell Biology
- General Biochemistry and Lab
- General Genetics
- Human Physiology
- Microbiology
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN CHEMISTRY?
A two-year degree allows you to work as a technician while finishing a bachelor's degree if you decide to pursue it. A bachelor's degree opens doors to careers in environmental analysis and science, the pharmaceutical industry, the petroleum industry, sales and manufacturing, and research and development. Jobs include researcher, air-pollution analyst, criminologist, crime-lab analyst, public health educator, safety manager, sanitarian, soil scientist, water quality analyst, and technical/scientific writer. Advanced degrees prepare you for research in government and academic labs or for teaching at the college level. A chemistry major is an excellent foundation for any medical profession.