You’ve spent years studying, mastering lab skills, and working your way into graduate school. Now, you’ve got your dream career in your sights. Or do you?

You may be questioning if you're in the right degree program, unsure of what to expect, or confused about where your degree may lead. This article will help you figure out what you’re in for and evaluate your career options if you are considering a change. 

Which program is right for me?

First off, let’s look at the graduate programs available to students in chemistry and related fields. Although the structure and demands vary, they follow a few basic templates. 

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

Depending on your program, your background, and your research, you can expect a PhD to take anywhere from 3 to 7 years. These programs typically begin with coursework, then move into research, which is their main focus. Your research culminates in a thesis, which you formally defend. Some programs, however, have their own requirements, such as candidacy exams and teaching. Keep in mind that not all doctorates are PhDs. Pharmaceutical doctorates are professional degrees that prepare students for careers in this field. 

A PhD program can feel more like a job than like school. Chemistry PhD programs should cover your tuition and provide a small income, which you typically earn by teaching or working in a lab. That stipend is usually quite modest, and some programs discourage or bar students from seeking outside work. As we’ll discuss later, obtaining a PhD requires an intense commitment and a passion for chemistry. 

Master’s degrees

Like ice cream, these programs come in many flavors. Some prepare students to work within a specific field. For example, Keck Graduate Institute’s Master of Engineering in Biopharmaceutical Processing focuses on the manufacture of therapies, such as vaccines, antibodies, and stem cells, derived from biological sources. Graduates go to work at both large companies and small startups. 

Likewise, programs known formally as Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degrees focus on preparing students for the workforce. In addition to chemistry-related coursework, students in PSM programs, such as forensics at Florida International University, applied chemical sciences at Rice University, and industrial chemistry at the University of North Texas, receive training in professional skills, such as leadership, ethics, and financial management. They may also complete an internship instead of a thesis.  

Other master’s programs offer an introduction to graduate school for students who may be interested in—but perhaps intimidated by—the prospect of earning a PhD. The University of Wisconsin’s Bridge to the Chemistry Doctorate Program, for example, enrolls students from underrepresented groups who earn a master’s degree while gaining experience intended to help them obtain a PhD later. 

“Some students don't really know what they want to do. They're not sure which type of chemistry they're really interested [in], because they haven’t had the opportunity to do that research,” says Tina Morgan Ross of the students who enter the University of Pennsylvania’s Master in Chemical Sciences Program, where she is associate director. 

Still other master’s degrees focus on coursework, not lab research. Such a program may lead to a master of arts degree (MA), although some master of science programs do not require lab work. 

The basics of career paths

These programs set students on distinct tracks, some with more clear-cut destinations than others. PSMs and other industry-focused master’s degrees are best suited to those eager to get out into the workforce in a particular area. A coursework-focused master’s degree, meanwhile, may make sense if you want knowledge but don’t need the research experience, such as for certain teaching positions or to grow within your current job.  

A PhD prepares you to lead

Either a science-focused master’s degree, like that offered by Penn, or a PhD can prepare you for a career in a lab, whether academic, industrial, or governmental.

When comparing these paths, here are some things to know:

A PhD should prepare students to understand the state of the art of their field, to conceive original research contributions to advance that field, and then to plan and execute them, according to Byron Purse, director of the San Diego State University (SDSU)—University of California San Diego (UCSD) joint doctoral program in chemistry and cofounder of the company Alida Biosciences. With this training, PhD-level scientists are ready to work on projects independently and, in time, to lead teams that could include master’s- and bachelor’s-level scientists.

By comparison, master’s students should learn to execute a project well, collect data, interpret it, and produce high-quality, reliable results, according to Purse. This degree typically leads to a career that is “more doing and less deciding,” Purse says. For some people, this lower profile, more hands-on route makes sense.

PhD-holding scientists are generally expected to generate scientific advancements in their field and manage projects, says Chris LeClair, who directs the Analytical Chemistry Core at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). But the master’s-level scientists in his group “don’t want to necessarily go to conferences and present their work and write publications; they just want to come in and do the work. It comes down to what people enjoy,” he says.

After graduation, PhD holders may move into temporary, training-oriented positions known as postdoctoral research fellowships. However, some grads do move into permanent positions. Heading into industry, newly minted PhDs typically start at a scientist level—perhaps as high as senior scientist under the right circumstances, according to Purse. These positions offer a combination of benchwork and the opportunity to advance into management, he says. 

Graduates with master’s degrees, meanwhile, may enter industry as relatively high-ranking research associates, although that too can vary, he says. Academic and government labs also hire people with master’s degrees for less senior research positions.  

LeClair’s group, which supports chemical and biological projects at NCATS, includes master’s level chemists who specialize in analytical techniques such as chromatography. Government entities hire people with chemistry or chemistry-related master’s degrees for work in all kinds of fields—think quantum computing, water quality, and radiochemistry analysis of nuclear materials, to name just a few. 

But you can still grow and advance with a master’s

Some high-level positions, such as that of a tenure-track professor leading an academic lab, require a PhD. But that’s not always the case. For instance, career-track scientist positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are usually advertised as preferring a PhD, but they are also open to those with a master’s degree plus several years of experience

Likewise, degree requirements for scientific leadership can vary somewhat from one company to another. Advancing to lead a research group at a large company usually requires a PhD, according to Adam Myers, an ACS Career Consultant. However, mid-sized or small companies may have more flexibility to promote those with master’s degrees, he says. At Evonik, the specialty chemical company at which Myers works, employees without PhDs can work their way into high-level roles, according to Dawn Tanner, Evonik’s manager of talent acquisition for the Americas. However, she notes, “it could take a lot longer to get you there.”   

Although crucial for getting hired, a degree may define your role less as you grow into it. 

“Within our organization, if someone has expertise in something, it doesn't matter what their degree is,” LeClair says. “They're the person we're going to go to.”

Should my PhD become a master’s?

A lot can happen in the years after you enroll in a PhD program. Maybe personal demands, like the birth of a child, financial strain, or personal conflicts, make your situation feel untenable. Perhaps the stress and uncertainty of research no longer seem worth it—or you simply realize you want something else professionally. 

Joe Martino, an ACS Career Consultant, has spoken with students who have realized toward the end of their programs that they find lab work repetitive, monotonous, or isolating. “The attitude that I get from them is, ‘I tried it, I’m good at it, but I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.’”

If you find yourself facing circumstances like these, it may be a good idea to hit pause and reevaluate. You may determine that, yes, your program still makes sense for you. Maybe, with support from your advisor or others, you can find a way to stick it out and earn your PhD.

But if leaving the program is your best option, you may be able to walk out the door with a master’s, typically a master of arts. Getting this degree, also called a terminal master’s, may require some additional steps, so be sure to check.

Martino cautions that some employers may see a terminal master’s as evidence you failed out of a PhD program. “That doesn't necessarily stop you from obtaining employment,” he says. “But where the issue lies is once you obtain employment, you have to prove that you are working in an independent manner.”  

That stigma doesn’t appear to be universal, however. LeClair says he doesn’t know of anyone who looks down on terminal master’s degrees. “I’m sure that they are out there, those toxic environments and those mindsets,” he says. “I would just say distance yourself from that, and don’t be part of that.”

Ultimately, he says, “you’ve got to make the decision, what’s best for you.”

For those who find themselves unhappy with lab work, you can use your education elsewhere. Both master’s degrees and PhDs in chemistry can provide foundational knowledge for numerous other careers. Recent job listings on ACS’s C&EN jobs site sought PhD holders to fill a non-tenure-track teaching position at a university, serve as a division director at a National Institutes of Health research center, direct a foundation’s green chemistry initiative, and edit an academic journal. Likewise, a master’s degree, or even a bachelor’s, can open the door to careers in other fields, such as sales and marketing, regulatory affairs, and law, Martino says.

“Even if you find out that a laboratory career isn't for you, there's still that passion,” he says. “You're still interested in chemistry.” 

Should my master’s become a PhD?

If you’re a master’s student, you may find yourself in the opposite situation: maybe your current program has only served to whet your appetite for research. 

Roughly one-third of the graduates of SDSU’s master of science program continue to the PhD program offered jointly with UCSD. “It's a really terrific way for someone who's uncertain to have more time to make an informed [decision],” Purse says.  

It’s important to know what to expect before you take the plunge. Pursuing a PhD often means putting your personal life on hold while working long hours in the lab. And thanks to the fickle nature of research, this labor may or may not translate into results. 

“A lot of it is a perseverance test,” Martino says. “In order to succeed on that you have to put the maximum amount of effort in.”

But for someone with a passion for science, the challenge can be well worth it. “During the PhD, students have a truly special opportunity to focus as a researcher and follow leads inspired by their curiosity and creativity,” Purse says. 

The extra time and effort can pay off later too. According to the results of the ACS Salary Survey in 2021, new PhD holders earned on average $75,583, while those graduating with master’s degrees earned $50,493. Of course, there is a tradeoff: A PhD track can lead to a more demanding career. “[Research leadership jobs] can be more intrusive on your personal life,” Purse cautions. On the upside, however, “they can also be extremely fun and satisfying.”

Perhaps, knowing all this, a PhD seems like a good fit for you. But, if it doesn’t, know that leading a research team isn’t the only rewarding career chemistry has to offer. Depending on your goals and personal life, a master’s degree—either one focused on science or on a professional track—may better suit you. And, if at some point you figure out that your program no longer aligns with your goals, remember that you have other options. 

For more help figuring it out, reach out to an ACS Career Consultant or check out the ACS career planning tool ChemIDP.