What can I do with a chemistry degree?

Hi,
I’m interested in applying for a chemistry degree. I’m alright with lab work under an academic setting but I don’t see myself working in a lab for my career. I’ve heard the degree is very versatile however, but the only non-lab, progressive job I’ve found relates to patent law and there seems to be a hearing towards engineering and computer science for this anyway even though I am interested in it. What other career options might I have? Any advice?

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by mitostudent

Pretty much any career path that either requires no degree, a degree in any random subject, a degree in STEM, teaching, or academia.

If you want to avoid lab work altogether, then we're strictly looking at jobs that require no degree or a degree in any random subject. The options include:

•

Anything in business - for finance, accounting, and actuary, you need professional qualifications for the specific role that you want to apply for. For actuary, you would likely need to pass a proficiency test in maths.

•

Law - whilst technically you can jump straight in to do an SQE, some law firms will be picky and ask you to do a PGDL first.

•

Civil service

•

Administration

•

Social work

•

Some areas of healthcare

•

IT roles - professional IT certificates recommended

•

Some areas of construction

•

Most areas of property

•

Most areas of beauty and wellbeing

•

Creative/design and media (if you're good)

•

Theatre and film (if you're good)

•

Music (if you're good)

•

Anything related to writing (if you're good)

•

Storage

•

Logisitics

•

Armed forces and police force (if you pass certain tests, have a clean record, and are of a certain age range)

•

Some environmental services

•

Hospitality

•

Manufacturing

•

Retail

•

Care work

•

Travel and tourism

•

Charity

•

Entertainment (if you're good)

•

Translation (if you are fluent in more than one language)

If you decide to go back to college (adult college), then you can do courses that are relevant to the following:

•

Animal care (other than vet)

•

Some areas of construction and certain trades

•

Some areas of beauty and wellbeing

•

Some areas of engineering

•

Delivery and transport (licences)

•

Sports coaching

Should you need to, there are postgrad degrees that would accept undergrads in any subject, but I would refrain from doing one unless it's strictly a requirement in the field that you want to work in e.g. healthcare, which is notorious for requiring specific degrees to enter specific roles. There are also conversion degrees that you can do, should you really need to do a degree in a completely different discipline.
Since you are doing chemistry, you are likely not going to have too much problem getting into a different discipline in STEM. One of the things that I like about chemistry is that it's a go between for the life and physical sciences, so you can theoretically go into any area of STEM should you need to. In practice, you might need to look a bit harder to find postgrads that accept chemistry as an undergrad should you wish to go into a completely different area of STEM.