CHEMISTRY at Northwestern University

Students major in chemistry for a variety of reasons:

• About 40% of the students in our program are interested in pursuing a research career in chemistry. The lab intensive chemistry major program and the research opportunities available to students within the program provide excellent preparation for students wishing to continue on to graduate programs in chemistry. Graduates of our program typically have offers to attend several of the best chemistry graduate programs in the country.
• About 40% of the students in our program are interested in pursuing a career in the medical or dental fields. The laboratory emphasis of the chemistry major program provides significant opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to work with their hands, to think creatively, to troubleshoot experiments, and to solve problems on the fly, all qualities that medical schools recognize are important for professionals in medicine. Graduates of our program attend the best medical schools in the country.
• About 20% of the students in our program are interested in a career in other professions which can benefit significantly from a solid knowledge of chemistry. Such careers might include patent law, investment and other consulting areas, veterinary science, positions in chemical industry without completion of a graduate degree, and numerous other more unusual applications of chemistry.