{"id":4534,"date":"2024-09-20T13:57:35","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T20:57:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacific.edu\/blog\/?p=4534"},"modified":"2024-12-19T13:02:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:02:17","slug":"what-can-you-do-with-a-chemistry-or-biochemistry-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacific.edu\/blog\/2024\/09\/20\/what-can-you-do-with-a-chemistry-or-biochemistry-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"What can you do with a chemistry or biochemistry degree?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bianca Nguyen is a chemistry student whose research benefited from the Stauffer Challenge Grant.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChemistry is all sorts of things you don\u2019t think of,\u201d says Professor Jerry Tsai, co-chair of the chemistry department<\/a> at University of the Pacific.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemical reactions take place when we do things like make scrambled eggs for breakfast or wash our hands and are key to making most things we use on a day-to-day basis. And biochemical reactions constantly take place inside of each of us and other living things. Chemists and biochemists analyze rocket fuel, study insecticides and compounds that prevent plant illness, work in pharmacology to create new medicines and therapies, investigate ways to improve foods and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biochemistry vs chemistry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chemistry is the study of matter, its elements and structures (atoms, protons, neutrons, and more) and the ways in which types of matter interact with each other. Biochemistry deals specifically with living matter and processes that occur within living things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with gaining fundamental knowledge of subjects including organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry, biochemistry and chemistry students learn specialized skills, such as mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, how to purify proteins and ways to synthesize organic molecules.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students also gain less-tangible skills; Tsai highlights resilience and confidence. \u201cThere are always those times when the research doesn\u2019t go well, and you have to problem solve,\u201d he says. Students with degrees in chemistry or biochemistry are well prepared for any related field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemistry internships for undergraduates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Internships provide students with valuable hands-on experience and broaden their understanding of their fields. Additionally, internships are valuable networking opportunities and sometimes lead to employment with the company offering the internship.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pacific chemistry students have interned at industry leaders such as Agilent Technologies, Gilead Sciences, Genentech, MasSpec Lab, Thermo Fisher Scientific, E. & J. Gallo Winery and Minex Company, among others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Careers with a degree in chemistry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Graduates with bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry or chemistry typically choose one of two paths after graduation: They go on to graduate or professional school or, less commonly, they take entry-level jobs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entry-level jobs in the chemical sciences<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Graduates with degrees in biochemistry or chemistry can work as lab techs or in other roles that would be categorized as being a \u201cbench scientist,\u201d in biotechnology or health care:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n