Career Options
Programmes of further study at JLU
- Master in Chemistry (MSc) and
- Advanced Matrials
Doctorate possible with a Master's degree
Career options / Job market
There are many fields in which chemists can work. Knowledge of chemistry is needed in nearly all areas of life and the chemical industry is a primary part of the German industry.
Many chemists, about 30% of all graduates, find a direct way into the German chemical industry after the completion of their studies. There they work in research and development or in production, improving products and renewing processes. Their process technology is required in close cooperation with engineers and technicians in measurement technology; new processes are transposed from the laboratory to production. A potentially important future area of use is chemical analysis. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of material is important for production, the ecology, quality management and the “watchdogs” of society.
Many other areas, e.g. ecology, marketing, patent system, documentation, publicity and communication, are open to chemists in industry. In many areas the chemical industry requires a doctoral qualification, especially if one intends to work in research later. Both industry and the universities offer job opportunities for chemists with doctorates.
It is still difficult at the moment to guess the career prospects of students with a bachelor`s degree, since the bachelor`s degree is relatively new in Germany and the job market is currently still establishing. In particular big businesses with international staff are already familiar with the bachelor`s degree.
It is to be expected that bachelor graduates are at an advantage when they have a solid, basic training, are young and the knowledge of practice is only aquirable in the job.
The German chemists association (Gesellschaft deutscher Chemiker) supplies detailed information about professional areas, application possibilities and occupational outlooks for chemists.