Studying a graduate course in chemistry will provide a firm foundation for your future career. Studying chemistry at graduate level offers you the opportunity to have an international career with leading companies in the chemistry field. Whether you want to study a graduate program to prepare you fully for a career in the chemical industry or to train for a career in research, read on to find out more about graduate courses in chemistry and how they can accelerate your employment prospects.

A graduate program in chemistry will enable you to be part of a team working to discover solutions to create a healthier environment, analysing paints to produce equivalent materials to restore famous artwork, or investigating and detecting crimes as a forensic scientist - the diversity is endless.

Many employers recognise the value of training in logical thought, and numerical and communications skills. What you learn and the skills you develop while studying a graduate course in chemistry will give you a firm foundation for a successful career. Major employers of chemists include pharmaceutical companies, agrochemical companies, oil companies and the makers of detergents, paints, dyes, cosmetics and explosives. Of course opportunities for chemists are not confined to the commercial or production sector. Opportunities are available to work in government, journalism, the health services, museums and many more seemingly diverse organisations.
As the nature of the requirement for chemists in industry evolves, so does the variation in chemistry courses and research projects available at university and college. Many industrial opportunities are in specialist chemicals and polymers, advanced materials and pharmaceuticals, specialist coating, electronics, biochemicals and clean technology.

Graduate programs in chemistry usually require a good first degree with honours (or equivalent) in chemistry or a chemistry-related subject but some universities and colleges may be willing to accept a scientific undergraduate degree with chemistry components. As you would expect, there are a variety of chemistry graduate courses to choose from; some courses are focused on environmental chemistry whereas others are more analytical or heavily research-based. All programs will expect you to complete a research project or dissertation on which you will be assessed. Popular areas in which research is carried out at graduate level include: Analytical science and Environmental Chemistry, Biorganic, Nanoscale and Supramolecular chemistry, clean chemical technology, organic synthesis, spectroscopy and dynamics and many more.
The essential purpose of MPhil and PhD training is a period of 'apprenticeship' in research with the graduate student working, to begin with, with an experienced supervisor, before becoming more self-reliant and eventually being able to write a thesis independently that is based on the student's own work. The second purpose of MPhil and PhD training is that students should acquire many personal and professional skills, which are necessary not only for their research, but also to form the basis for the development of their future careers. Chemistry MPhil and PhD programs prove to be a very good preparation for further research.

When choosing a graduate course in chemistry, make sure you have a clear idea of the specialist areas in which you might want to research and choose a university and study destination that will offer you that opportunity. Whether you pursue a career in academia or industry, a graduate course in chemistry will provide you with the best possible start, so don’t delay and apply now!

With thanks to:
The Royal Society of Chemistry