Department Head: COL J.R. Blanton, Ph.D.
Contacts: Any member of the chemistry faculty.
MA, MS, Ph.D in chemistry, chemical engineering, polymer science and related chemical fields. Also, medical degrees (dentistry, medicine, veterinary, etc.) and law degrees. It would be advisable for a student wishing to pursue an advanced degree in the more technical fields to get a BS degree. For the other fields, a BS or BA would provide a suitable background.
Basically the sky is the limit concerning the career choice for a person with a chemistry degree. Therefore, the following list should be considered general ideas and not an exhaustive set.
(Subfields: Analytical, Biochemistry, Inorganic, Organic, Polymer, Physical, Theoretical, Hybrid Fields)
(Subfields: Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Other Health Fields)
(Subfields: Primary, Secondary, College, University)
(Management, Marketing, Sales)
(Subfields: Patent)
BS/BA - mid 30's to lower 40's, MA/MS - upper 40's to mid 50's, Ph.D. - low to upper 60's. The ranges listed above are only for industrial positions.
The GPR requirements vary with the career goals of the student. Normally, a BS/BA level chemist can expect to find an industrial position by having the appropriate degree (GPR 2.0). However, to obtain a position that involves a higher level of responsibility (and better salary), GPR's in excess of 2.6 are the norm. For most graduate programs, a GPR of 3.0 or better is recommended (though GPR's of 2.5 or higher are generally viewed favorably). A higher echelon graduate school will probably want an overall GPR of 3.2 and a chemistry GPR of 3.5. To be competitive for the professional schools a GPR of 3.2 is recommended.
Most graduate schools will require the submission of "acceptable" GRE scores. While the actual scores required vary by school, a combined Verbal/Quantitative score of 1000-1200 is the norm for most schools. Please note that some of the higher echelon schools may require scores of 1200+ and/or high placement scores on a special "chemistry" GRE test that is taken separately from the general GRE. Additionally, each graduate school has different requirements on their advanced degrees. The Head of the Department of Chemistry maintains and updates a file on many graduate programs. This file should be consulted for application and graduation requirements for individual schools. Normally, the time requirements for an advanced degree are as follows: MS/MA (3 years) and Ph.D. (5.5 years).
A graduate student in chemistry or chemical engineering can expect support in the form of a stipend during his graduate career. The stipends are for either their required teaching duties or research work. Depending on the school, the normal range for these stipends is $1100.00-1600.00 per month. In many cases, a full or partial tuition waver accompanies the stipend. Additionally, highly qualified students may be awarded Fellowships to further offset the cost of their education. In general, a graduate student in chemistry related fields should not have to worry about obtaining outside employment or student loans to pay for his graduate education.
During the summers, many research laboratories and industrial sites offer internships to undergraduates. Opportunities of this nature are kept in the same files as the information on graduate school.
In addition to the external activities mentioned above, the Department of Chemistry has several openings for advanced chemistry students to assist the faculty in the freshman laboratories. In addition to drawing a (small) salary, the student gains valuable skills and work experience they can highlight on the resume's and portfolios. The student will gain experience in dealing with other people, answering questions about chemistry, and developing leadership skills. The faculty member will submit an evaluation of the students progress and abilities to the department head for inclusion in the student's departmental portfolio. This program has received very favorable comments from both industrial and professional school sources.
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