Studies & Degrees in Physical Chemistry

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Are you the type of person who enjoys experiments; someone who loves to get to the bottom of how things work and the manner in which materials behave and interact with each other?  Do you dream about an employment position that would allow you to get paid—often very handsomely—for this sense of innate curiosity?  If so, you should definitely consider one of the many available degrees in the field of physical chemistry.  To help you get started, below we will provide a brief definition of physical chemistry and outline some of the topics a degree in this field is likely to cover.  We will also describe some of the employment opportunities currently available for those who have earned their in this exciting field.
 
About the Physical Chemistry Degree
 
Physical Chemistry is an academic discipline that is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level at colleges and universities throughout the world.  These programs are designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of how materials behave and how chemical reactions occur at both the molecular and atomic level, knowledge that is relevant in nearly area of chemistry.  Graduates with a degree in Physical Chemistry generally work in laboratory positions, studying and analyzing a great diversity of topics, from biochemistry to the properties of materials to the design and development of quantum computers.
 
While earning a degree in Physical Chemistry and by later working in the field, students will have the daily opportunity to help unravel a variety of mysteries.  These could range from how nanostructures are formed and behave, how biomolecular motors work, how proteins fold into their active state and how global phenomena originates, such as the stratospheric ozone hole.  They do this by developing theories about certain properties, analyzing materials, and ultimately coming up with potential uses for those materials that have not yet been discovered.
 
Physical Chemistry is a field that applies physics and math to problems that are of great interest to chemists, biologists and engineers.  Scientists in this field use theoretical constructs and mathematical computations to understand chemical properties and describe the behavior of molecular and condensed matter, work that often involves the manipulation of data as well as materials.  The program is perfect for students who have a shared love of science and mathematics, allowing them to discover how powerful mathematics can be in predicting and deciphering the properties of chemicals.
 
Physical Science Degree:  After Graduation
 
Following graduation, those who have earned a degree in Physical Chemistry are consistently in high demand in a variety of different industries—industries in which the main goal is to seek out, test, and comprehend the fundamental physical characteristics of a material—be it solid, liquid, or gas.  Fortunately, one of the greatest benefits associated with earning a Physical Science degree is that it provides students an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving and a broad range of knowledge—knowledge that can position them very nicely to work in these industries.  Many physical chemists will ultimately find work as analytical chemists, working for product-based companies and conducting applied and basic surfactant research that helps with product development.  Others may set their sights on more emerging fields, such as materials science, molecular modeling and biosensor development, fields in which their analytical skills and ability to predict the behavior of physical properties will make them a great asset.