Although excellent experimental technique and a broad chemical knowledge are crucial to a career in chemistry, there are additional skills that are needed in order to be truly successful. You must be able to plan your time efficiently, know how to prepare a résumé or curriculum vitae, have knowledge of areas outside of pure chemistry, understand the nature of jobs in chemical industry and academia, be able to express yourself clearly in both oral and written formats, etc. While these "extra" skills are often developed in graduate school, they are usually not taught in a systematic fashion.

In an effort to make sure that our graduates have a competitive edge when it comes to getting their first job and beyond, the Department is developing a formal Professional Development Curriculum. We are implementing a curriculum that systematically addresses the wide range of skills needed to be successful. The time commitment is modest and the program can be tailored to your individual needs.

Survival Skills & Ethics

The University's Survival Skills & Ethics Program provides training and resources to assist professionals in the development of the "survival skills" needed for success in research and related careers.

Career Opportunities

View a listing of available chemistry positions that have been brought to our attention. 

Brown Bag Lunch Discussions

The Brown Bag Lunch Discussions allow graduate students and postdoctoral students to become familiar with research that will be presented in the seminar series. It is an opportunity for graduate students and post docs to learn about the speaker's research and to be able to ask effective questions in the seminar series. A faculty mediator attends the Brown Bags to aide in guiding the discussions. The Brown Bag Discussions are meant to be a positive environment where one can learn and ask questions.

Chem Ed Seminar Series

In addition to our robust seminar program featuring world class researchers in all areas of chemistry, the Chemistry Department now hosts seminars on state-of-the-art Chemical Education topics by leading research scientist educators. During the campus visits of these education experts, the Department arranges time for graduate students and post-docs, interested in academic careers, to interact with our guest.  View the complete list of Chemical Education Seminar Series topics and speakers.