Careers

Careers for Chemistry or Biochemistry Majors

What do chemists and biochemists do? As put by George Whitesides, "We change the way you live and die." Chemistry and biochemistry are at the core of medicine, materials science, the high-tech industry, and the environment. Consequently, chemists and biochemists are found throughout the economy:

Industry

Research and development (e.g., biomedical, pharmaceutical, materials science, cosmetic/perfume industries)
Agriculture and food chemistry
Manufacturing
Quality control
Technical Sales/marketing
Technical communication

Public Sector

Environmental protection
Art restoration
Public health
Policy, regulatory affairs
Military science
Forensics

Education/Academia

University faculty
K12 education
Basic research

For more information, please visit the American Chemical Society's Chemistry Careers site (check out "Careers A to Z" on the right) or the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's Career Paths site. Current students interested in a particular career path should discuss their goals with their departmental advisor, who will be happy to help identify appropriate programs and courses.

Some of these careers benefit from postgraduate (M.S., Ph.D.) degrees. Indeed, many of our graduates go on to top-tier graduate programs in chemistry, biochemistry, and related areas. Students interested in obtaining a master's degree may also be interested in our bachelor's/master's program.

Professional Schools

The chemistry and biochemistry majors align very well with the requirements for medical, dental, veterinary, physician's assistant, and pharmacy schools. Indeed, the success rate of Miami applicants applying to medical school (61% over the last 4 years) is much higher than the national average (45%). The chemistry and biochemistry majors are a great fit for the Premedical Studies Co-Major administered by the Mallory–Wilson Center for Healthcare Education. Many of our students also choose to go on to Law School, particularly if they are interested in Intellectual Property Law.