
If you’re just getting started, you can take introductory level courses in chemistry and its major subfields, including organic chemistry and physical chemistry. Chevron Right What online courses are available on Coursera to learn about chemistry?Ĭoursera offers courses in chemistry that can fit your needs regardless of your existing background in this subject.Or, if you want to pass on your passion for chemistry to the next generation of students, you can become a high school chemistry teacher. If you want to advance the frontiers of this discipline, you can work in university or government laboratories to discover new substances and processes for producing them. Chemistry experts are also needed in law enforcement in roles like forensic chemists, who help solve crimes through the analysis of chemical evidence.įinally, if your interest is purely in the field of chemistry itself, you can find work in research and academia. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency employs chemists to develop standards and testing procedures for safe air and water, and the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for doing the same for all of the substances we ingest. No matter what your focus, chemical engineers are in demand at companies of every size, from multinational corporations like Dow Chemical and Dupont to up-and-coming startups developing novel approaches and products.Ĭhemistry expertise is also needed in government agencies, particularly in those responsible for protecting public health. There are also many specializations within this field that focus on certain types of manufacturing processes, like polymerization or oxidation, or certain classes of products, such as nanomaterials or bioproducts. Chemical engineers are responsible for the development, testing, production, and use of substances used in food, drugs, fuels, and countless other products, ensuring that these chemicals and the processes used to manufacture them are safe, reliable, and effective. If you want to apply your expertise in chemistry to real-world problems, you can work in the private sector as a chemical engineer. With a background in this discipline, your job opportunities really depend on what kind of work you’re interested in doing - and in what type of field.


All types of solid, liquid, and gaseous matter are made up of different types of atoms and molecules, and chemistry studies the structure of these substances and how they determine their unique properties. Chemistry is one of the most important physical sciences.
