Jobs for a Bachelor's in Biochemistry
Biochemistry is a wide field involving the study of living systems, their composition, and chemical makeup and reactions. This includes the processes for how living systems obtain energy, react to disease and pass characteristics from one generation to the next. The field of biochemistry includes several sciences, such as immunochemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, neurochemistry, biophysical chemistry and molecular biology.
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Education
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Earning a bachelor's degree in biochemistry is the first step toward working in the field. Biochemistry specialties include cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemical methods and biophysics. However, it is just the first step. Some careers, such as in medicine, will require further schooling, and even if you plan to enter the job market after earning your bachelor's you may have to take an addition year of study to learn to work with specialized laboratory equipment.
Applications
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Biochemistry has a wide range of applications, from studying plants in order to create disease or drought-resistant crops, to studying diseases in order to create better medicines. Knowing how you want to apply your degree in biochemistry is a great help when it comes to selecting a specialty. If you want to work on Alzheimer's, for example, you might specialize in neurochemistry.
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Employers
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Most biochemists are employed as researchers or teachers, however there are number of other employment options. The Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institutes of Health all employ biochemists who specialize in researching areas such as drugs, water, air, food or waste. Pharmaceutical companies, agricultural chemical companies, and food and feed companies also employ biochemists as research, and sometimes in positions such as marketing, science information or technical writing. Other biochemists are employed in hospitals as researchers.
Job Outlook
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According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of biological science is expected to continue to grow much faster than the average, driven by biotechnological research and development. Those with a bachelor's degree may have better prospects in positions related to biochemistry, but not in the field itself. Fields such as publishing, marketing, sales and research provide the opportunity to apply one's scientific knowledge in a non-laboratory setting.
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References
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Comments
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There are a lot of jobs out there that require biochemistry along with another degree but, the problem is that you need to know what you are looking for.
