After you have earned your B.S. in chemistry or biochemistry, what can you do next? Villanova is situated in the center of a large area of chemical industry extending from northern New Jersey to Delaware. Many of our graduates obtain positions with Merck, Glaxo-SmithKline, Pfizer, L’Oreal, or Eurofins, along with many other companies. Your first job is frequently work as a bench chemist, but might also be in sales, safety, communications, etc. A number of our graduates continue their education at universities across the U.S. in various areas of chemistry such as medicinal, biochemistry, pharmacology, analytical, or inorganic chemistry. Graduate students usually receive stipends and tuition waivers that cover the expenses of a graduate education! There are also branches of the government that hire chemists, such as the EPA, DEA, agriculture, commerce, and the military. Each year approximately 15% of our graduating class go to medical school, a few become high school teachers, and a few enter graduate programs or pursue careers outside of the chemistry area.
We address career awareness with our Professional Development Seminar (CHM 1000). In this class we invite chemists and alumni to speak to the students about their jobs and the role of chemistry. In addition, the Villanova University Career Center has a comprehensive program to assist our graduates. The Chemistry Department also maintains a list of job opportunities from area companies.
Here is a sampling of where our students go after they leave Villanova:
