Bachelor [Chemistry] From North Dakota State University

Industry and graduate schools are well aware of the quality of the undergraduate education at NDSU and actively seek out our graduates. Scholarships, fellowships and employment in research groups or in supervised teaching activities can cut the already modest cost of an NDSU education by one-half or more.

Career Opportunities

People often think of the professional chemist as one who stands at a workbench in an industrial laboratory carefully manipulating chemicals or instruments. A lot of chemists are employed this way. This is often quite satisfying since many people are drawn to
chemistry because they enjoy laboratory work. There are, however, many other tasks besides laboratory research in which a chemist may engage, and many different careers for which he or she can prepare for a degree in chemistry. A chemist may be employed in government, business, industry or education. Besides basic and applied research (the lab bench), an industrial chemist may be involved in production, technical service (assisting people who use products), national and international marketing and sales, or management and corporate planning. Some chemists prefer self-employment through small business or consulting firms.
Analytical chemists are in demand for services to other departments within a chemical company, for quality control in large and small concerns, and for environmental monitoring by industrial, governmental and private organizations. Organic chemists, also in great demand, study new pharmaceuticals, polymers and other compounds. Materials chemists are needed by all high-tech industries for their synthesis and characterization skills. Inorganic chemists work on the full range of synthesis, characterization and application of chemical compounds. Physical chemists model chemical structures and reactions, and design experiments and equipment to study them. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers specialized education and training in each of these fields.
A degree in chemistry can serve as excellent preparation for careers in medicine, dentistry and other health professions. A chemistry degree also can lead to law school, and perhaps a career in patent law, a very demanding and in-demand technical profession. About half of NDSU's chemistry graduates go on to graduate or professional schools. Almost all the rest go directly into industry. Average entry-level salaries for chemistry graduates is $44,200 to $81,800, based on 2015 data from For chemists who have advanced degrees, salary and opportunities are often much greater.