Chemistry

Career Pathways

Chemistry at UWA produces highly employable graduates for jobs in Western Australia, nationally and internationally. UWA is Western Australia’s top ranked University, and a member of Australia’s Group of Eight Universities. This means UWA Bachelor of Science graduates with a Chemistry major are widely recognised, and our graduates are highly sought-after by employers including:

Companies in WA’s (*) two biggest industries:

- Mining (e.g. BHP*, Chevron*, Woodside*, Rio Tinto*, Alcoa*, Shell*, Fortescue*)
- Agriculture (e.g. Wesfarmers*, CSBP*)

- Pharmaceutical and biotech companies like ‎Pfizer*, Perrigo* and Epichem*.
- Chemical and environmental analysis companies like MPL laboratories* and SGS*
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)*
- Top-ranked International Universities

Our graduates also embark on careers in teaching, marketing, sales, and patent law with a company or government department. A UWA Science degree with a major in Chemistry is your ticket to an exciting and rewarding career with diverse and interesting pathways. 

UWA’s research-led teaching will provide you with state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and high level problem solving skills.

The chemical industry is seeking graduates who are specialised in chemistry, but with diverse skill sets. UWA’s unique degree structure sets us apart from other Western Australian universities to train graduates for these jobs.

At UWA, right from first year, you have the opportunity to tailor your degree to suit your interest and goals. For example, it is possible to do a major in chemistry with a second major in biochemistry/molecular biology, or genetics, pharmacology, or neuroscience, or psychology, or management. In addition, at UWA you may specialise in either synthetic chemistry or physical analytical chemistry, or pursue both streams in a Chemistry double major. You can use your personal interests as a basis for your choice of subjects to study, and, ultimately, to direct your career.

At UWA, like at other universities, you will learn all the required skills and knowledge you need to set off on a career as a chemist in industry or a government organisation. However, as Western Australia’s top university for Physical Sciences including Chemistry, UWA is exclusively placed to provide you with the more diverse skill set you will need to become a leader in the field. This could be in industry as a Chief Technology Officer or Chief Executive Officer, as the founder of your own start-up company, a research theme leader at CSIRO, or as a Professor at a university.

In combination, these factors mean a UWA Bachelor of Science Chemistry major can launch a career focussed on solving humanity’s greatest challenges:

- Understanding and adapting to climate change
- Disease pandemics like COVID19
- Providing food and water for the world’s ever-growing population
- Extending and improving quality of life through medicine
- Sustainable energy production
- Providing the materials that modern society depends on, and that underpin the next technological innovations
- Preserving our planet’s amazing biodiversity

Further Study