Chemistry

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Concentrations Offered

Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Medical

Certificates / Endorsements

American Chemical Society

Top 5 Reasons to Study

01

Broad Career Opportunities: Prepares you for a diverse career in industry, research, healthcare, education, and graduate or professional school (Medical School, Pharmacy School, Dental School, and Veterinarian School).

02

Opportunities to address real-world challenges in health, energy, sustainability, materials, and business and patent law.

03

Highly Employable Degree: Chemistry majors often achieve high rates of full-time employment.

04

Competitive Salary Potential: Entry-level chemistry careers start at competitive salaries and offer room for growth as experience increases.

05

Transferable Skills that Employers Value: critical thinking, analytical reasoning, quantitative problem solving, laboratory and technical competence, research and data interpretation.

Core
Skills

  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Quantitative and Computational Skills
  • Chemical Knowledge and Theory Application
  • Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
  • Laboratory Proficiency and Safety

Sample
Jobs

  • Analytical Chemist or Quality Control (QC) Chemist: Tests and analyzes materials to determine composition, quality and purity using laboratory instruments.
  • Academia: Spearheading cutting edge research projects that push frontiers of science.
  • Research and Development (R&D) Chemist: Conducts experiments to develop new products, materials or processes.
  • Environmental Chemist: Analyzes air, water and soil samples to monitor pollution and support environmental protection efforts.
  • Formulation Chemist: Designs and improves products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food or consumer goods.

Successful Career Outcomes

Average Entry Level Salary ~ $58,000-$68,000
Strong Employment Rates Most chemistry graduates find employment or continue to graduate/professional school within 6-12 months of graduation.
Strong Employment Rates The degree is highly valued in research, lab work, and technical positions because it signals strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Top
Employment
Industries

  • Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Research and Development
  • Biotechnology and Life Sciences
  • Environmental and Energy Sectors
  • Consumer Goods and Manufacturing

Brag
Points

  • Our department operates state-of-the-art instrumentation facilities including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility (300, 500, & 600 MHz instruments), X-Ray Crystallography, and Mass Spectrometry centers of excellence.
  • Founded in 1878, we are the oldest American Chemical Society (ACS) accredited program in the state.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Chemistry hosts a Study Abroad program studying alternative energy in Iceland and Scandinavia.

Spotlight

MSU SMACS (Student Members of the American Chemical Society) is a nationally recognized, award-winning student group that is part of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific community. MSU SMACS strives to cultivate leadership and promote science through education and demonstration. To achieve these goals, MSU SMACS offers leadership roles in officer and committee head positions.  The organization continues to further these goals by encouraging personal initiative in its members to develop creative ideas for fundraising, science awareness, promotion of chemistry, as well as social and educational events. 

Chemistry

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Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

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