Pursuing a degree in Chemistry

Chemistry is a part of life, even when it goes unnoticed until the subject gets introduced in middle school. In layman's terms, chemistry is a scientific discipline that is concerned with the study of various kinds of atoms, compounds, molecules, and the reactions they form when brought together. Whenever there is a reaction, something is formed which gives more depth to the field of chemistry.

Benefits of pursuing a degree in Chemistry

Chemistry is a very lucrative field of study. There are numerous benefits to studying chemistry, however, they increase only when a student has completed their advanced degrees in chemistry. In order to have an advanced degree in chemistry, students must have an undergraduate degree in the field first. Below is a list of all the benefits of pursuing a chemistry degree from the get-go.

• A vast variety to choose from: The study of chemistry can take any student to places. Chemistry is present almost everywhere - from schools to the clinics of dentists and companies of business mongers. Hence, anyone who studies chemistry can apply for a job in a variety of fields.
  
  
• Barely a boring day: Chemistry is a field where learning does not stop even after getting a Ph.D. degree. Even after graduating with a Ph.D. degree, famous scientists have been learning about new formulas and discovering new chemicals.
  
  
• Mixing & Matching: It is not absolutely necessary to pursue chemistry completely. Students can mix and match their degrees and make an increasingly lucrative career path. For example, chemistry is a good degree to have before applying for medical school.

Undergraduate degree in Chemistry

At the undergraduate level, universities offer either a degree in the form of B.A. (Bachelors in Arts) or B.Sc. (Bachelors in Science) in chemistry. Quite a few universities might offer a degree in chemistry and biology, which is a good start for biotechnology and medical school.

Students learn the basics of chemistry at the undergraduate level, which is not entirely theory-based as it is mixed with lab activities and engagement as well. However, that experience is not counted towards any practical experience that is provided at the bachelor's level.

Graduate degree in Chemistry

At the graduate level, students can either opt for an M.Sc. (Masters in Science) or a Ph.D. (Doctor in Philosophy). A majority of universities in the US provide a degree in which the student enrolls in a Ph.D. program directly. Students can choose the option to be awarded a master's degree while completing their Ph.D. degree by putting a request to the university. At the graduate level, students learn the application of the theory they have learned, as well as lab experiments, become more independent rather than following a particular study.

The focus of chemistry narrows to a particular subject area, rather than being a general field of study.

Top universities for Chemistry

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

• California Institute of Technology offers two programs in the field of chemistry - a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Chemistry.
• The entry requirements for B.Sc. in Chemistry include a high school degree with a minimum of B+ grade. It is ideal for the student applying to have a background with science subjects as the focus. Additionally, students must submit their transcripts, a CV, a statement of intent, financial documents, and the application form & fee.
• The annual tuition fee for B.Sc. in Chemistry is $54,000.
• The entry requirements for Ph.D. in Chemistry include completion of a relevant bachelor's degree from a recognized university, with at least 5 courses focused on Chemistry. Additionally, students have to choose a supervisor, who would guide them throughout their Ph.D. program and also submit a research report that would have an outline of the research that the student will undertake.
• The California Institute of Technology awards a fully-funded program, granted that the student displays adequate academic success and timely completion of normal work assigned.
• The English language requirement for both the programs include submission of a TOEFL, however, the score requirements have not been displayed as of yet. California Institute of Technology does not accept IELTS scores, but they have started accepting the Duolingo English Test results since 2020.

Stanford University

• Stanford University offers two programs in the field of chemistry - a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Chemistry.
• The entry requirements for B.Sc. in Chemistry include a high school degree with a minimum of 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 score scale. It is very ideal for the student applying to have a background with science subjects as the focus. Additionally, students are required to submit their transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a CV, and GRE scores.
• The annual tuition fee for B.Sc. in Chemistry is $31,000.
• The entry requirements for Ph.D. in Chemistry include completion of a relevant bachelor's degree from a recognized university. The minimum grade requirements include a GPA score of 3.96 on a 4.0 scale. Additionally, students are required to submit their transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a CV, and GRE scores.
• Stanford University awards a fully-funded program for the first five years of graduate study, granted that the student displays adequate academic success and timely completion of normal work assigned.
• The English language requirement for both the programs include submission of either a TOEFL score of 100 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every aspect.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology university offers two programs in the field of chemistry - a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) in Chemistry & Biology and a Ph.D. in Chemistry.
• The entry requirements for B.Sc. in Chemistry include a high school degree with a minimum of B+ grade. It is very ideal for the student applying to have a science background with Math, English, and other science subjects as the focus. Additionally, students must submit their transcripts, GRE scores, a statement of purpose, a CV, and the application form & fee.
• The annual tuition fee for B.Sc. in Chemistry is $52,000.
• The entry requirements for Ph.D. in Chemistry include completion of a relevant bachelor's degree from a recognized university. Additionally, students have to appear for an oral examination to be considered for admission and submit a list of documents, which includes transcripts, GRE scores, letter(s) of recommendation, a statement of objective, a CV, and financial documents.
• The annual tuition fee for Ph.D. in Chemistry is $27,000. However, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology awards a fully-funded program for the first five years of graduate study, granted that the student displays adequate academic success and timely completion of normal work assigned.
• The English language requirement for both the programs include submission of either a TOEFL score of 90 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every aspect.

University of California (Berkley)

• The University of California offers two kinds of programs in chemistry - a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Chemistry. The University of California only offers a Ph.D. as advanced studies in the field of chemistry as of now.
• The entry requirements for the B.Sc. in Chemistry include a high school degree with a minimum of 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) grade in the final year and a strong science background. Additionally, students are required to submit their transcripts, letter(s) of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a CV, and a personal statement.
• The annual tuition fee for B.Sc. in Chemistry is $42,000.
• The entry requirements for a Ph.D. in Chemistry includes potential students to have an outstanding academic record and must have expertise in an area of the field of chemistry. The minimum grade requirement for the Ph.D. program is a GPA grade of 3.5 (on a scale of 4.0). Students are also required to submit additional documents which include a transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a CV, and a personal statement.
• The annual tuition fee for Ph.D. in Chemistry is $25,000.
• The English language requirement for both the programs include submission of either a TOEFL score of 90 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every aspect.

University of Pennsylvania

• The University of Pennsylvania offers two kinds of programs in chemistry - a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) in Chemistry and an M.Sc. (Masters in Science) in Chemistry.
• The entry requirements for the B.Sc. in Chemistry include a high school degree with a minimum of B+ grade in the following subjects - Chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, and Biochemistry. Additionally, students are required to submit their transcripts, letter(s) of recommendation, academic certificates, a CV, and the application form & fee.
• The annual tuition fee for B.Sc. in Chemistry is $50,000.
• The entry requirements for an M.Sc. in Chemistry includes potential students to have an outstanding academic record in their bachelor's degree which should be in the relevant field. Students are also required to submit their GMAT scores of at least 750 (on a scale of 800).
• The annual tuition fee for M.Sc. in Chemistry is $56,000
• The English language requirement for both the programs include submission of either a TOEFL score of 100 overall or an IELTS score of 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in every aspect.

Career options

After obtaining an advanced degree in chemistry, students can look for job opportunities in the following fields:

• Chemical engineering
• Researcher in chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Chemical technology
• Education in the field of Chemistry