Chemistry

Career Potential

A degree in chemistry can be an asset in many careers. The Department of Chemistry at Hofstra University prepares students for graduate school and careers in a variety of fields, including education, forensic science, law, medicine, nutrition, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and research.

Although graduates with a BA or BS in chemistry are qualified to enter the workforce, some careers require a master's or doctoral degree. If your eventual goal is to become a physician or scientist or to work in higher education, graduate work needs to be part of your plan.

Among 2019-2020 Hofstra graduates who majored in natural sciences and mathematics, 100% of survey respondents reported that they were employed and/or attending or planning to attend graduate school within one year of graduation. Among those recent Hofstra graduates who majored in natural sciences and mathematics and who reported salary, the mean annual self-reported salary was $49,000.

Examples of companies where our recent graduates are working:

  • Brigham And Women's Hospital
  • Federal Bureau Investigation(FBI)
  • Garden State Labs
  • New York University
  • Northwell Health
  • NY Police Department
  • NYU Langone Health
  • Saladax Biomedical, Inc.
  • The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
  • The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

Some examples of positions our alumni have held:

  • Analytical Chemist, L'Oreal
  • Anesthesiologist
  • Chemist, CSS Dynamac
  • Chemist, Estée Lauder
  • Chief Resident in Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai Medical Center
  • Doctor, Emergency Medicine, North Shore University Hospital
  • Educator, Freedom Academy Charter School (NJ)
  • Graduate Research Assistant
  • Patent Lawyer
  • Pharmacy Assistant
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Wistar Institute
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Scripps Research Institute
  • Professor
  • Research Assistant
  • Research Scientist, Merck (NJ)
  • Science Educator, Dobbs Ferry High School (NY)

Examples of institutions where our alumni are pursuing advanced degrees:

  • Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
  • Dartmouth College
  • Drexel University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Texas Tech University
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Washington, Seattle

Alumni outcomes data is based on the results of Hofstra’s annual Alumni Outcomes Survey and other reliable sources. Of the 1,425 undergraduate students who graduated between August 2019-May 2020, data was collected via surveys and other reliable sources resulting in knowledge about the outcomes for 69% of the 2019-2020 undergraduate alumni. Salary data is self-reported voluntarily by students and is based upon a 47% response rate for full-time employed undergraduate survey respondents. Salary figures only include annual base salary. They do not include bonus, commission or any other guaranteed compensation.

See alumni outcome reports in their entirety.