<p>I work in the pharmaceutical industry as a medicinal chemist, so I hope that I can reply with a little knowledge here. A major in chemistry or chemical engineering can prepare you well for a career in this area, but each will lead you down a very different path and will require a different approach in laying out your education.</p>
<p>As a chemistry major, you could specialize in organic chemistry and synthesize new chemical compounds as potential drug candidates. Those same skills could also be applied to the development of manufacturing processes for new drugs. You could apply the skills that you learn as an analytical chemist to research the metabolism of drugs in the body. As a physical chemist, you might use your skills to evaluate the stability of drugs on storage. This is just a sampling of the type of work available in the industry to BS chemistry graduates, but that statement comes with a big caveat. In order to make yourself an attractive candidate, you must plan to carry out undergraduate research as a chem major, and hopefully move on beyond that to a MS or PhD degree. The reality of the current job market requires that the best candidates will arrive with extensive lab skills under their belts. The best way to acquire those skills is to apprentice in an academic lab. Luckily, almost all good chemistry programs have great opportunities available for undergraduates. Find a professor whose research is appealing and sign on early in college. He or she will be glad to have you!</p>
<p>Admittedly, I know less about the world of chemical engineering… In the pharma industry, chem engineers build and run the manufacturing plants. They scale up the processes developed by the chemists and make them work on very large scales. This is a very different approach to doing chemistry from my point of view, but fascinating nonetheless. In contrast to a BS degree in chemistry, I think that a BS in Chem E is more of a “terminal” degree. In other words, you can take that degree farther in your career than an BS in chemistry, and there is less need to pursue a graduate degree. I am not familiar with the industry requirements for undergraduate research, but it would likely be beneficial to intern before graduation.</p>
<p>I have some comments regarding zapfino’s advice. A pharmacy major, which generally requires 5 or more years, will prepare one to work as a pharmacist, which is a great career, but there are no opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry for these people. Pharmacology is a completely different area, generally one of specialization in graduate school and is a great way to apply your chemistry degree. Simply put, these guys look at the fate of drugs in the body. And finally, if you want to eventually become a synthetic medicinal chemist and go on to obtain an advanced chemistry degree, do not go to grad school in medicinal chemistry. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but the industry does not hire graduates of these programs. Instead a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from a top-flight institution is the way to go.</p>
<p>Whatever you decide, talk to as many professors and industry people as you can. Good luck!</p>